The Caffeine Thread

[Halo Infinity]

I've always liked soda and coffee, but have also gotten into energy drinks a few years ago. I don't drink them as much as soda and coffee though, but I'll admit that I can sometimes find them to be very addictive. I've also been hooked on iced coffee for quite some time, and was pleasantly surprised to be able to get iced coffee at Burger King. I also get iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. I love any flavors that combine iced coffee with honey, chocolate, mint chocolate, or vanilla. As for my favorite energy drink, it would have to be Monster Energy, but I've also ended up liking NY Razor. As for the soda, I like Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper for my caffeine fix.

[Fixer808]

I would fold this in with "What Are You Eating?" if I were a mod. I'm not, but that's my opinion...

[Halo Infinity]

I can see what you mean there, but I thought it was an okay idea, considering how we have separate threads for ice cream, peanut butter and alcohol.

[playwithfire]

I know coffee. I know good coffee, but I'll drink almost anything. Most days I drink Starbucks VIA because it's convenient and I get it for free. I'll happily drink instant coffee. I don't care. I just like coffee.

That said, my favorite origin of coffees tend to be anywhere African, and naturally/dry processed. The best coffee I've ever had was done as a pour-over. I like citrus/berry notes.

is my energy drink of choice.

Soda does nothing to me. I don't drink it for the caffeine, but I like diet coke and orange soda.

[rhet]

the best coffee I ever had was in a cafe in Berlin. I don't know what method they were using but there were lots of beakers and sciencey looking equipment about. At home I usually do French press on the weekends and instant during the week when I can't be bothered. I also drink iced coffee year round. Love that shit.

[marodi]

Caffeine = the perfect drug.

As for my taste in coffee, they are pretty well known to everyone who's ever check the Blame Canada thread. Oh Tim...

[Your Name Here]

Coffee is my crutch and my filthy whore. I can get nearly homicidal without it.

I think this is a cool thread so a couple of questions for you caffeine enthusiasts, I dig Starbucks where do you get your coffee? Starbucks, Coffee Bean, or some cool cafe that is exclusive in your city. The one off Coffee places interest me because some of them are quite good.

Second question, what do you like to eat with your coffee? Bagels, Muffin, oatmeal, me I like a small piece of chocolate with my coffee.

Also Im hardcore when comes to coffee I don't put anything in it, accept more shots of espresso

Venti coffee with one shot is called a red eye, two shots is a black eye, three shots i call it "My blackhearted soul", I did four once before a Bowie concert. Im never doing that again. The four shots, I would go to a Bowie show any chance I get.

Final question how do you take your coffee?

[Demogorgon]

4 shots is a standard Cafe Americano at starbucks. i get them all the time. venti, with a little room for cream. at home i generally grind my own beans and brew it in the Keurig in the washable cup. cheap and effective.

[allegro]

My favorite coffee is the coffee I make at home in my Cuisinart coffee maker. For some reason, people (including my own mother) comment that I make a damned good pot of coffee. I tend to use medium to dark roasts. I used to grind the beans but determined that it didn't matter a whole lot. I store coffee in the fridge to keep it fresh. And I use unbleached paper filters (I stopped using the gold filter because it seemed to negatively affect the coffee). I have a French Press that I use sometimes when I'm in the mood.

At night, I drink caffeine-free Diet Coke otherwise I'd be up until 2 a.m.

I guess the bottom line is that I don't drink coffee or Diet Coke for the caffeine; I drink them because I really enjoy them and they happen to contain caffeine.

Oh, and I put milk in my coffee. Hence why I tend to use a darker roast.

[aggroculture]

I have always hated/been intolerant to coffee and caffeine.
When I was a college student I had some kind of pepsi-induced meltdown with massive migraines (wrong glasses prescription might have also contributed): I was chugging the stuff without knowing I was intolerant.
The only time I can safely drink coke is when I'm sick with a cold or flu. Then it really helps.
The only time I can safely have a coffee is when I'm hungover. Yummy cappuccino.
Sometimes I forget all this and have a coffee: the high is great; the low, which comes a couple of hours later, brings me a crippling negative/depressed/paranoid/miserable/anxious feeling. It's really horrible.

I hate caffeine.

But a cup of tea in the morning, with the teabag dipped in for like 5 seconds is OK. I am British after all.

[allegro]

Do you drink non-caffeinated tea? I also love tea; I have a large assortment of teas, tea pots, tea cups. But I have caffeine-free teas for nighttime (chamomile, Sleepy Time, decaffeinated Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Chai).

[aggroculture]

I drink peppermint tea in the evening.
Earl Grey and English Breakfast are good, but I haven't tried them decaffeinated.
Sometimes I will get a decaf coffee.
Green tea is the absolute worst, it makes me horribly horny. It's the weirdest thing.
As for Chai…can't get into it.

[allegro]

Caffeine helps consolidate long term memory.

[aggroculture]

Who sponsors these studies? Who has an interest in saying that coffee is good for you?
Caffeine is a capitalist drug, send you to work, make you more productive, all buzzing to get work done efficiently. Cigarettes used to be the same when everyone smoked in the office.

[Dra508]

My favorite coffee is the coffee I make at home in my Cuisinart coffee maker. For some reason, people (including my own mother) comment that I make a damned good pot of coffee. I tend to use medium to dark roasts. I used to grind the beans but determined that it didn't matter a whole lot. I store coffee in the fridge to keep it fresh. And I use unbleached paper filters (I stopped using the gold filter because it seemed to negatively affect the coffee). I have a French Press that I use sometimes when I'm in the mood.

.

OK, I'm your doppelgänger. I have the same machine, same filters, and have a Fench press too. Recently, the coffee hasn't been as strong to my liking. Need to figure out why. Clean the machine, make a larger pot, I dunno.

I've greatly reduced my coffee intake in the past couple of years. No particular reason, used to drink coffee all morning and then stop all caffeine intake around noon. My sleep is to precious to be effected by too much caffeine late in the day.

I also love tea; I have a large assortment of teas, tea pots, tea cups. But I have caffeine-free teas for nighttime (chamomile, Sleepy Time, decaffeinated Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Chai).

Love all those too. Taken a recent liking to Ginger and Egyptian Licorice teas from Yogi. Nom nom.

[Fixer808]

Do you drink non-caffeinated tea? I also love tea; I have a large assortment of teas, tea pots, tea cups. But I have caffeine-free teas for nighttime (chamomile, Sleepy Time, decaffeinated Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Chai).

Sleepytime is the shit, love it. Big on Earl Grey (hot, lol), green and peppermint (sometimes in the same cup), and just started getting into chai. My dad gave me a couple boxes of Stash chai that I have yet to break in to, but I like it hot and milky!

[allegro]

OK, I'm your doppelgänger. I have the same machine, same filters ... Recently, the coffee hasn't been as strong to my liking. Need to figure out why. Clean the machine, make a larger pot, I dunno.

Are you using the same brand of coffee? Sometimes, I swear, I can be using the same brand forever and then suddenly the coffee is crap and I have to switch. I never use this coffee maker for 4 cups, I only use it for 6 or more. If I want less than 6, I use the French Press. Also, when I make a pot of coffee, I add a little more coffee than required. I use a scoop (2 cups per scoop) and then i add about 1/3 scoop extra (e.g. for a pot of 6, I use 3 1/3 scoops). Do you change out that little carbon filter thing?

Sleepytime is the shit, love it.

There's something so awesome about a cup of Sleepytime in the evening, just plain and not too hot.

When I drink Earl Grey or English Breakfast (caf or decaf), I add lemon and sugar. And I use two tea bags per cup and steep the living shit out of it before adding the lemon and sugar.

I used to boil a kettle on my gas stove, but then I read about the European preference for electric kettles so I bought myself an electric kettle and I *love* it, it boils water SO much faster!

I have a really cool cast iron Japanese tea pot for my green teas -- loose or bags -- and it keeps the tea hot FOR-EV-ER.

[Fixer808]

I've got a nice little 1 liter electric kettle that works quite well, boils quickly. It was only $10 at Zellers! I don't have a tea pot, but then, I don't normally make more then a cup at a time... Sleepytime is good with a little bit of regular or creamed honey.

Oh, and I went to David's Tea to find gifts for family for Xmas. Ended up trying and buying some gingerbread tea that I gave to my grandpa. It was REALLY good!

[Big Fat Matt]

i drink anywhere from 20-60 oz of (sugarfree, like it fucking matters) redbull per day. combine that with the pack of smokes i breathe in, and ill be dead by 40!


seriously though, when i meet people that are like "no i dont need caffeine" i look at them like "man, what the hell is your problem?"

[Dra508]

@allegro You're right, I completely forgot about that little filter. I've been putting water from my Brita for awhile now, but clearly it's own filter should be useful .

I do need to change coffee beans. Recently, I bought some super market Dunkin Donut beans and let me tell you people, I'm pretty dam sure they are not the same beans you get when you buy them @ a Dunkin Donuts.

Further proof great minds: I have a cast iron tea pot too. I really should use it more. It was a thoughtful gift.

[playwithfire]

I have a strong preference for single origin beans, but there are great blends.

Latin American beans tend to have more acidity and see the widest use. Asia/Pacific tends to have low acidity with really lovely woodsy/earth notes. African beans have the widest variety and I love them and you get all sorts of crazy notes.

Freezing beans is something debated in terms of maintaining their freshness.

The best cup of coffee I've ever had was a Tanzanian pour-over from Think Coffee. So much citrus wonderfulness.

I've had Clovers (which would be the runner up), french presses, etc. Need to try more cold-brewed. But I just really like so much about making coffee with the pour over method. It's so simple and makes such amazing coffee.

[JessicaSarahS]

I loved caffeine and I miss it so much! After an accidental caffeine overdose, I am now extremely sensitive to any amounts of caffeine. Life is so cruel. I wish they made caffeine free versions of my favorite energy drinks because I miss the flavors. At least I can still tolerate decaf coffee, as long as I chug a bunch of water afterwards.

[ambergris]

Who sponsors these studies? Who has an interest in saying that coffee is good for you?
Caffeine is a capitalist drug, send you to work, make you more productive, all buzzing to get work done efficiently. Cigarettes used to be the same when everyone smoked in the office.

Starbucks does, for example. Here in Germany, our private TV stations often have shitty superficial corporate-sponsored pseudo-documentaries along the lines of "It's the biggest fast food company in the world, thousands of people work tirelessly to provide customers with burgers, fries and drinks. Watch how McDonald's works!" Last month, they had something about Starbucks ("Watch what made the company so successful!"), beginning the show with another study of how good coffee is for your body.

[Halo Infinity]

Who sponsors these studies? Who has an interest in saying that coffee is good for you?
Caffeine is a capitalist drug, send you to work, make you more productive, all buzzing to get work done efficiently. Cigarettes used to be the same when everyone smoked in the office.

I've always thought that caffeine could be great for parties and concerts, as I've drank an energy drink or iced coffee before a show, and you'd think caffeine would be perfect for people that love the dance at night. And in social settings, it has also helped me loosen up while being more alert with what I said and did.

I also didn't really see caffeine in the way you saw it though. (I'm not going further than that on that part of your post, as I also don't mean to argue, but I really haven't seen it that way before.)

[theimage13]

I am almost 100% caffeine free.

I suffer from severe panic attacks, sometimes for seemingly no reason whatsoever (i.e. I'm not consciously anxious about anything). My heart does stupid enough things on its own without adding stimulants into the mix.

However, I do like black coffee - so I just order it and laugh at the bizarre looks that I get every single time I drink it.

[Ryan]

Drinking my morning coffee now. Caffeine has no effect on me apart from making me poo faster in the morning.

[liquidcalm]

I love coffee, however do watch my intake, and only really have the good stuff at the weekends. The odd americano after lunch as helps beat back post-lunch sleepy feels. Took me a while but I stopped having sugar in tea and coffee about 3 years ago and after getting over the fact I could actually taste the difference beans and blends made I'll never go back.
I can't, however, understand energy drinks, not the small cans, but the big ones that look like cans of lager. I see kids like 10-12 walking around town drinking them with that 'I shouldn't be having this.. check out how badass I am' and I'm like 'whoa, what? you are tiny, why are you pumping yourself full of chemicals?!'. I secretly hope they all develop heart problems. I don't really like fizzy drinks anyway, but cmon, who really needs that much caffeine and glucose etc to function? You're not running a marathon.

[Space Suicide]

Dr. Pepper! MTN Dew! Cherry Coke! Mello Yellow! Sundrop!

[bruised]

So awesome to find this thread! I've been into coffee for a couple of years now, but just recently got interested in it. Just got a kuerig (lol), and looking into getting a grinder and some real beans. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like strong coffee, something that's gonna get me going haha. How about some of these coffee subscription sites?

[NotoriousTIMP]

Please take it from me when it comes to energy drinks.....DO. NOT. DRINK. THEM. I ended up with two kidney stones about three years ago as a result to my daily (yes, five times a week) consumption of Rockstar. It was a replacement from my morning starbucks run because it was cheaper and had the same effect to help me kickstart my day. Having a stint with a piece of floss come out of my pee hole for a month and half was not fun. I bleed constantly and it was like I was pissing razor blades.

Now coffee on the other hand, I LIVE BY THAT STUFF. My morning cup is a venti iced coffee with no classic, 2x sweet n low, 2x add shots, and 2% milk. If it's my day off and I'm at home, I do a single cup of Death Wish coffee and hazelnut creamer with 1/2 of a sweet n low packet.

So awesome to find this thread! I've been into coffee for a couple of years now, but just recently got interested in it. Just got a kuerig (lol), and looking into getting a grinder and some real beans. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like strong coffee, something that's gonna get me going haha. How about some of these coffee subscription sites?

I say ditch the Kuerig and get a ceramic dripper....I thought the Keurig was such a great idea until I had a cup of coffee through one of these. The water gets a chance to steep longer in the grinds and gives off a stronger flavor than the Keurig ever did. (Not to mention that the Keurig 2.0 has a DRM-like restriction that prevents you from using non-keurig k-cups)



Then I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee (dark roast) and their Odinforce Blend (medium roast)