Unlike with tea, I prefer no sugar in my coffeeFor ages, I've wanted to try it, but only recently thought to give it a go. often feel like it needs something to lessen the harsh taste. It turns out that there's another add-in that's been making the rounds among coffee lovers over the years - and that's salt. For ages I've wanted to try it but only recently thought to give it a go.

If you enjoy cooking, you likely understand how just a pinch of salt can change a dish entirely. Similarly, if you weren't aware, the same principle apparently applies to coffee - it might just be the secret to enhancing your morning brew. I put this to the test and was shocked at how it tasted - not salty, for one.

When you sprinkle a bit of salt into a cup of coffee that's just okay, it enhances the flavour. It makes it feel a bit richer in your mouth and far less bitter.

This trick became popular in 2009 when food science expert Alton Brown suggested adding salt to coffee in an episode of his cooking show Good Eats.

He said that for every cup of water and two teaspoons of ground coffee, you should add half a teaspoon of salt to neutralise the bitterness of the coffee.

Alton said: "Not only does salt cut the bitterness, it also smooths out the 'stale' taste of tank-stored water. Research has proven that salt is actually better at neutralising bitterness than sugar.

Although Brown wasn't the first to put salt in coffee, he drew widespread attention to the technique.

All I needed for this hack was some hot coffee and a very light hand with the salt. This should work with any type of black coffee. I opted for medium-dark roast ground coffee to make an espresso in my moka pot.

A small amount of salt can make a big difference in coffee. The measurements can be adjusted to your liking, but I'd say it's safest to begin with a tiny pinch, especially since I was using a small cup, an espresso cup.

With the salt added to the cup, I poured in the coffee and gave it a stir.

Be patient and wait a moment before adding more, as it takes a few seconds for the salt crystals to dissolve and for the flavour to fully develop. The salt really did make a palpable difference.

It is worth noting that if the coffee is bad to begin with, no amount of salt will help.