[tombert]

I tried, but I absolutely despise coffee. I think I'm really sensitive to the bitter compounds, I think it's vile even when I put a lot of sweetener in it, to a point where a small irrational part of me is kind of convinced that everyone who says they like it playing some kind of elaborate and expensive joke on me. Tea isn't as bad but I still dislike it.

That said, if you can develop a taste for coffee or tea, that's definitely the cheaper option.

[BenjiWiebe]

Have you tried adding cream (but no sweetener)? I've done it on occasion to get down a cup of coffee that's more bitter than usual.

[tombert]

I have; I think I've tried everything. I've tried instant coffee black, I've tried it with creamer, with sugar, with artificial sweetener. I've tried it at chain restaurants like McDonalds, I've tried yuppier places like Starbucks and a bunch of their concoctions, I've tried hipster independent places and different blends from them.

I've tried cold brew, coffee slushies, different quantities of frapp'd up milk, different coarseness of the grind, different types of beans, different roast levels, etc. and the only time it's tolerable is when there's so much milk and sugar in there that it's debatable to even call it "coffee" anymore. I can't even stand coffee ice cream.

I think it's just not for me.

[Eddy_Viscosity2]

You might be a supertaster and have extra and more sensitive tastebuds. The extra sensitivity means they tend to prefer sweeter (and/or salty) foods and stay away from bitter food/drinks to greater extent.

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/supertaster...

[ifyoubuildit]

I used to be this way. I ended up liking coffee through a pretty ridiculous way - microwaving half of a Starbucks cold brew that I dumped a bunch of milk into.

Now I can drink whatever coffee with nothing in it, though I wouldn't say it tastes "good". It just scratches that itch. I think it's more of a minor compulsion than a preference.