sabotabby | Blogcember: Caffeine

homewardangel asked about my relationship with caffeine.

Sometimes, when a woman and a chemical compound love each other very, very much…

Okay, let’s be clear–I’ve been addicted to coffee since I was 13 or so, I have no desire to quit, and I tend not to entirely trust people who don’t drink coffee until they’ve proven conclusively that they’re not lizard aliens. Coffee’s great. I’m a bear until I’ve had my first cup. I searched long and hard for a coffee mug that was of an acceptable size so that I could fill it with a sufficient amount of coffee and not have to keep refilling it, and I’ve finally found the perfect mug. It’s a House Baratheon mead mug. That’s how much coffee I drink before I leave the house every morning.

I am super-picky about coffee as a result of spending a lot of time in Seattle. Fortunately, there’s a really good coffee shop around the block from me that sells fair trade, organic, locally roasted beans. I get their dark roast. I like my coffee strong but not acidic; here on the eastern part of the continent, most roasters seem to misunderstand what dark roast is supposed to take it and burn the shit out of it, Starbucks being the worst but not the only offender.

Weirdly, when I’m desperate and need to go to a chain coffee place, I go for Tim Horton’s over the other ones. Mostly because light roast has more caffeine, and if I’m going to a chain coffee place, it’s because I’m going to pass out if I don’t get coffee now.

I take coffee with milk and sugar.

If I’m working, I tend to not drink coffee after about noon or so, because it does mess with my sleep. Of course, this year I’ve had worse fatigue problems and a stupider schedule, and I discovered the one kind of energy drink that is not gross (Monster’s mocha flavour) and this was a Problem for awhile. At the moment, I’m only using them in dire emergencies because I’m worried about becoming addicted and dying of a heart attack before I’m 40.

I’m not much of a tea drinker, and when I do drink tea, it’s usually herbal. Black tea is growing on me, though. I still can’t convince my body that it has caffeine in it.

I should also add that I constantly struggle with coffeemakers, and haven’t had a coffeemaker I liked in years. I can’t manage things like a French press—it always comes out wrong—and that cold coffee brewing thing just sounds like too much work and why would I want my coffee to be cold? So it’s really got to be drip, and for some reason they don’t make drips like they used to. My current one makes reasonable coffee for one, but try making it for two and it explodes about 75% of the time. But I don’t want to get a new one, because I literally go through three coffeemakers every time I replace an old one.

Threaded | Flat

I agree with you completely about the coffee. Except I drink mine out of House Lannister.

I make my coffee in a French press, but then filter it through a paper drip filter that has been rinsed in hot water. That removes some of the acidity and oils.

When I was in Seattle, the Starbucks was local and even decent. Out here though.....I hear it depends upon the owners.

The castro coffee shop always was good for heightening my tastes back in the day. Now I try to steer my pennies to my local woman owned shop, julies tea gardens. I can walk there....

My wife doesn't indulge so its just me I just use a ceramic filter holder and pour. I did get an electric water boiler. That's nice.

My "Squeee coffee" cup is my hands down favorite. But the electric water kettle is the coolest thing:

Edited 2013-12-12 13:36 (UTC)

But does caffeine really love you, or is it just using you??

I live in the country with, so I am told, the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. They make filter coffee spoon-standing strength. But they tend to suck at making espresso.

My favourite type of coffee though is Turkish coffee. But I've not dared try to make it myself yet, though I have the equipment, a parting gift from a Turkish colleague.

COFFFEEEEEE. Sadly I have had to cut way back due to chronic pancreatitis (FUN) but it's like you say, tea weirdly seems to have no caffeine in it, or at least it doesn't work at all if I'm developing a migraine -- and coffee does. Several times in the past I had to cut coffee out entirely due to anxiety issues and I felt so much calmer, but oh, my God, also so much more stupid.

-- kore on DW

I'm the same about no coffee after noon(ish) so I can sleep at night, but I almost always have 2 cups before I leave the house. When I haven't had two cups before leaving the house, then I get coffee from wherever is most convenient.

I don't think I was really addicted until I was 15, and mochas were a gateway drug. So was growing up in a place with lots of Italians, which meant there were Italian style coffee places which were a great place to hang out when we couldn't get into pubs.

Love stories warm my heart. Will post pic of favorite mug in journal as have never learned to post pix in comments.

I spent many hours the past few days searching for a better coffee maker. I had a lot of fun looking at these pages: http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guides

(I don't have enough patience to do any of those things before I've had some coffee, though.)

My coffee maker is supposed to make 12 "cups" (for values of cup that equal 5 oz) but if I try to make any more than 6, it leaks everywhere. And the coffee is always weak because the water doesn't get hot enough.

I love French Press coffee but my stomach doesn't.

If you're having problems with getting a decent coffee-maker, may I suggest you find somebody (how are you and mom getting along?) to get you a percolator ~~for Christmas~~ just because?

I took the plunge a few months ago on a Cuisinart model a few months back and I'm loving every cup. Also, there are no paper filters, so you can give yourself some eco-candy!

in all my many days i have never had a cup of coffee.
(whether or not i'm actually a reptilian alien is a matter of debate, however.)

I tend not to entirely trust people who don’t drink coffee

Some of us are made bat-shit anxious by caffeine. I mean, I drink decaf because I like the taste of coffee, but drinking decaf tends to make me even more of a lizard alien to coffee-identified people.

coffee *squee* I like french press the most for regular coffee. I add organic half n half to it. I also make lattes a lot on that la pavoni lever machine. I have that mug. <3

Black tea does have caffeine, but contrary to popular legend, considerably less of it than coffee. According to this article, an 8 oz cup of brewed coffee can range from 95-100 mg of caffeine (elsewhere I've read 70-150 - I guess it depends on a lot of variables), whereas an 8 oz cup of black tea has 14-61 mg (varies with variety, brewing time, etc.). So if you're used to a giant cup of strong coffee every morning, a cup of black tea may not have enough caffeine for you to really feel it...

Now that I am in a job where Crazymaking isn't a managerial style, the anxiety is under control and the coffee drinking has started again. This leads to my morning sitcom called "making coffee before coffee" wherein I entertaining my (beloved!) coworkers with my stumbling around putting together the coffee maker. It's pretty hilarious.

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Good cuppa

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