Why airplane coffee tastes terrible, and what to drink instead
The world is a much smaller place than it was even just a decade ago, and with cheaper flights becoming the norm thanks to companies such as Ryanair and easyJet, airplanes are becoming almost second homes to people all over the globe.
One major problem with air travel has always been the apparent low quality of food and drink when cruising at 30,000 feet above the ground.
None of this is more prominent than with our beloved coffee, tasting weak, slightly sour and just all around unpleasant. But why does it taste so poor whilst up in the air?
To understand what is ruining the flavour of our coffee at altitude, it’s important to understand what it’s actually like trying to make coffee on an aircraft.
Most airlines now offer coffee from the likes of Starbucks, but the problem doesn’t lie with the coffee beans themselves, in fact it’s a multitude of issues, including the water used to brew.
The water in aircraft is of course stored in tanks, this ‘potable water’ is the very same that is used for hand wash basins in the toilets, the problem with this water is the cleanliness.
A 2012 US EPA report found that 12% of commercial airline water tested positive for coliform bacteria, meaning that bugs like E.coli are present. Not only that, but these tanks can go months without being emptied or cleaned out.
Quite a shocking revelation.
So we’ve got essentially ‘unpure’ water as the basis of our hot drink. That’s a horrendous starting point if we want quality coffee.
But now for some science, at 35,000 feet water actually boils at a lower temperature than at sea-level, which ruins the standard coffee extraction process that all modern espresso machine and bean-to-cup machines are based upon.
No coffee is safe from the taste-altering of altitude.
Not all coffee solids are able to dissolve due to this lower boiling temperature, therefore the first few drops of coffee will end up burned and will ruin the entire cup.
Finally, there is the effect of altitude on your taste buds.
Everything plays its part, cabin pressure, dry air and the altitude combine to change how we perceive taste. This can account for a 30% difference in the way we perceive certain flavours , such as salt, which explains why cabin meals can often taste overly salty whilst flying.
So, of course, your coffee is likely to taste completely different up in the air than it would down on the ground.
British Airways are leading the charge for better tasting hot drinks though, partnering with Twinings to create a full-bodied blend especially for flying – an amazing idea.
So in essence, if you’re looking for a good cup of coffee whilst travelling, then at the minute you’re out of luck….unless you happen to want to go to space…that zero-gravity espresso looks mighty fine…if astronauts and NASA can crack space coffee, then we’re sure that British Airways and the air travel industry can have a good stab at it!
But until coffee is sorted, we can only really suggest water. Otherwise, brave the taste and try to enjoy it.