What Your Favorite Coffee Order Reveals About You

The kind of coffee you drink can reveal secrets about your personality—and your genetic code.

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Straight black coffee drinkers are antisocial

Everyone’s coffee order is different. One way is to just take it black. For many people, this isn’t an appealing option because it offers too bitter a taste. But there are also a lot of people who can only drink their coffee this way, and it’s been reported that those people tend to be more antisocial, narcissistic, and, occasionally, even psychopathic. A 2015 study (“Individual differences in bitter taste preferences are associated with antisocial personality traits” by Sagioglou C. & Greitemeyer T.) suggested that people who prefer bitter tastes “are associated with traits related to the darker side of personality.” You might not be a knife-wielding psycho if you like your coffee black, but you may not be the most cheerful, gregarious person either. Find out more about the connection between black coffee and psychopathic traits.

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Espresso drinkers are well-traveled

Now, if black coffee is bitter, espresso hugely multiplies that taste. Just one little shot of espresso can be very bitter and very intense. Likewise, the person who drinks it can also have a rather intense or bold personality. If your coffee order is espresso, it can mean that you want to associate yourself with a particular social class or even that you’re pretentious. There are a myriad of articles that discuss the attractiveness and the sophistication of espresso and even offer a guide on how to drink it the proper way. People often link espresso with being well-traveled or having a more refined palate. Test your coffee expertise with these trivia questions only coffee lovers will get right.

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Extra sweet coffee drinkers are friendly

Bitter tastes are associated with antisocial personalities, so it only makes sense that ordering an extra sweet coffee order means just the opposite. If you like lots of milk, cream and/or sugar in your coffee (and even whipped cream on top), then research suggests you are a more social kind of person. It also means that you’re more in need of comfort than a black coffee drinker is. Statistically, people tend to eat and drink sweeter substances when they’re stressed. If you’re ordering an extra sweet coffee, you’re looking for a treat. Either it’s because you’re stressed and looking for a reward, or maybe because it keeps the stress at bay.

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A little bit of milk/sugar drinkers are well-balanced

If you don’t lean significantly to one side of the coffee spectrum or the other, then your tastes are as moderate as your personality. You enjoy the sweet side of life and the bitter side equally mixed together. You’re likely a more balanced person who falls in the category of average. Find out the surprising secret ingredient more people are adding to their coffee.

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Flavored coffee drinkers are risk takers

If you tend to go for coffee combined with various flavors, like caramel, mocha, or raspberry, then you’re likely more of a risk taker, says PsychCentral. People who prefer blended and flavored coffee like to try new things and enjoy adventure. Flavored and blended coffees are the most creative of the coffee world, so it follows that those who drink them are creative and imaginative as well.

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Decaf drinkers are cautious

If your coffee order is decaf, you’re thinking about how you want to avoid being wired all night long or getting those unsettling jitters. Ordering decaf is like taking a preventative measure. You want the taste, but you don’t want the effects. Basically, you are the type of person who likes to be in control, according to PsychCentral. You’ll have coffee, but you don’t want it to get the best of you or affect your behavior. Don’t miss these simple ways to make your coffee habit healthier.

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Drinkers of 4+ coffees per day have a high metabolism

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed genomes from over 100,000 people to get a biological sense of our relationship with coffee. What they found was that people who make multiple coffee orders four or more cups per day) possess certain genomes that are associated with a greater risk of addiction. They are also genetically predisposed to metabolize faster, which explains why they’d need so many cups per day to keep themselves going.

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Instant coffee drinkers are procrastinators

In today’s world, it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t make instant coffee for themselves. There’s always a rush to be on time and to optimize the way you spend your time. But if you’re the kind of person that will make yourself a cup of instant coffee even when you’re relaxed and you’ve got extra time on your hands, then it might just mean you’re lazy. It could also mean that you are more of a procrastinator than others. The bottom line is you don’t want to put too much thought or effort in and don’t mind doing things (like making coffee) last minute. Next, get to the bottom of these myths and facts about how coffee affects your health.

Taylor Markarian
I have a B.A. in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. I write for several lifestyle and entertainment publications, such as Alternative Press, Revolver, Your Tango, and The List. I'm a sucker for dogs and a hardcore kid for life. Let's start talking.