The Coffee/Caffeine Thread!

[TaoPhoenix]

Light hearted thread about Coffee and Caffeine.

Inspired by this Slate article:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/features/2013/daily_rituals/coffee_from_balzac_to_beethoven_it_has_fueled_artistic_endeavor_for_centuries.html

Previously I'd seen an article on Balzac - kinda sad in a way - that he was immensely talented, but maybe finally pushed a little too far in the wrong direction and burned out. The biographer (whose name I cannot remmber) remarked that Balzac slowly slid into a habit of sending out his books a little unpolished, and finally that habit caught up with him because it damaged his sense of literary balance.

[superboyac]

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard "had his own quite peculiar way of having coffee," according to the biographer Joakim Garff. "Delightedly he seized hold of the bag containing the sugar and poured sugar into the coffee cup until it was piled up above the rim. Next came the incredibly strong, black coffee, which slowly dissolved the white pyramid." Then he gulped the whole thing down in one go.

Perhaps this explains Kierkegaard's dramatic death.  Holy cow, Soren!

[kyrathaba]

I have drunk more coffee since initiating my second marriage, 4.5 years ago, than my entire life previous to that. My wife is a coffee-seur. We go through a lot of it. Fortunately, I don't drink nearly the quantity she does (I don't see how she sleeps at night). I drink in a small coffee cup that I fill to about 3/4 capacity (I don't like drinking the cold dregs of a cup that has sat too long next to my mouse while I'm surfing DC).

[TaoPhoenix]

...(I don't see how she sleeps at night).

Jokes aside, for certain people of which I think I am one, Caffeine/etc doesn't produce a caricature "wired-hyper" effect, not in the first X cups. Instead it brings us back to "normal-ish" functioning so that yes, unless you take it after X pm at night, you can sleep just fine. It has to do with that certain brain centers just aren't firing at all, so the caffeine just fixes stuff, without the comedic jokes about being hyper.

[kyrathaba]

Yeah, most people, if they reduce/quit caffeine intake by early evening, can get to sleep okay later than night. Most people. I have an uncle who is so sensitive to caffeine that he can't drink any beverage containing it without getting shaky and ill. Biochemically speaking, caffeine binds to specific receptor sites in the brain that are normally receptors for a specific chemical our bodies release after being awake all night. It's a naturally produced chemical which, when it binds with those receptor sites, prompts yawning, weariness, lessening of focus, etc.: all the symptoms we experience and say, "I think it's time to hit the hay..."

[KynloStephen66515]

http://www.deathwishcoffee.com/

Noms!

Not your typical coffee bean:
Disclaimer:  This is not your regular morning coffee.  This is not your store bought coffee.  You will not find this coffee at your local diner or at your sissy 'Starbucks. Death Wish Coffee is the most highly caffeinated premium dark roast organic coffee in the world. This is Extreme Coffee, not for the weak. Consider yourself Warned

[4wd]

You used to be able to get Rocket Fuel Coffee in Tesco in the UK but the last time I was there, (2011), it didn't appear to be on the shelves.



It tasted quite good but since my normal fare is Moccona Dark Roast, (or Nescafe Black Gold in the UK), take that as you will.

[app103]

This is the cup from which I drink my tea (on the right).

Knowing many are familiar with the NANY mugs and their size, I placed one of those on the left for a visual comparison.

[KynloStephen66515]

You used to be able to get Rocket Fuel Coffee in Tesco in the UK but the last time I was there, (2011), it didn't appear to be on the shelves.
(see attachment in previous post)
It tasted quite good but since my normal fare is Moccona Dark Roast, (or Nescafe Black Gold in the UK), take that as you will.

You can still get that in Tesco, but after me and a friend went through an entire jar in a night, then our boss almost calling the police on us cause he thought we was "coming down" off pretty much every drug you can think of (My god that was horrific), I have not touched the stuff since.

[Tinman57]

...(I don't see how she sleeps at night).

Jokes aside, for certain people of which I think I am one, Caffeine/etc doesn't produce a caricature "wired-hyper" effect, not in the first X cups. Instead it brings us back to "normal-ish" functioning so that yes, unless you take it after X pm at night, you can sleep just fine. It has to do with that certain brain centers just aren't firing at all, so the caffeine just fixes stuff, without the comedic jokes about being hyper.

  Exactly!  If I don't have 6 cups in the morning (actual cup measures) and six cups in the evening, I'll fall asleep behind my computer and can't function properly.  Then there's the headaches from too little caffein.

  Funny how it's an extremely addictive drug, but yet no one is harrassed for doing it....  Kind of like alcohol..... 

[barney]

Funny, but I used to drink iced coffee all day long - close to a gallon a day - at work.  Then, about a decade+ ago, I couldn't drink it w/o my vision being affected.  Today, I drink one (1) or two (2) 10 oz. cups max a day.  More than that gives me the jitters.  Strange changes, no?

[4wd]

You can still get that in Tesco, ...

Good to know, must have just been out in the stores I visited.

but after me and a friend went through an entire jar in a night, then our boss almost calling the police on us cause he thought we was "coming down" off pretty much every drug you can think of (My god that was horrific), I have not touched the stuff since.

I'm lucky enough to be unaffected by caffeine, drink it all day and have no problem going to sl...  .........huh, wut?

I just drink it because I like the flavour but whether I have it or not doesn't bother me.  At home I get ~8-12 cups a day because my wife can't go for more than an hour without making a cup of tea, (so I end up with a cup of coffee whether I want it or not), but I just spent a month in Adelaide having one cup in the morning or none....basically comes down to whether or not I can be bothered boiling water 

[app103]

I'm lucky enough to be unaffected by caffeine, drink it all day and have no problem going to sl...  .........huh, wut?

I can pretty much gulp down 3.75 cups of coffee and fall asleep with that 4th one still in my hand.   

[Tinman57]

  And as I read these post I'm sucking on a cup of freshly ground Mocha Java, my afternoon coffee.  And OMG, it's sooooo good!    I buy it by the 5 lb bag of beans over the internet.  I used to be able to get it at the local grocery stores, but for some odd reason they stopped carrying it and opted for such crap as Hazelnut, which I hate....  Thank goodness for the internet.....

[x16wda]

We used to have a local Barney's (well, not too far away, anyway) that carried actual Jamaican Blue Mountain for awhile.  Expensive, but it was the real deal - either that or they mixed in some crack or something.  I couldn't afford it very often, and I haven't seen it in years (and not only couldn't afford it now, but also would expect a ripoff if I tried sourcing it over the Internet).

[Tinman57]

We used to have a local Barney's (well, not too far away, anyway) that carried actual Jamaican Blue Mountain for awhile.  Expensive, but it was the real deal - either that or they mixed in some crack or something.  I couldn't afford it very often, and I haven't seen it in years (and not only couldn't afford it now, but also would expect a ripoff if I tried sourcing it over the Internet).

  They had Jamaican Blue Mountain listed on the site where I buy mine from, AKA: http://www.coffeeam.com/ .  I've been buying coffee from there for over 10 years now, without a hitch.  Of course, they also sell all kinds of tea...

[Edvard]

Switched to decaf ~6 years ago, after a habit that started when I was 16 or so.  I worked night shift most of my working life and so 1+ pots of coffee per night was just "maintenance".   Then started working a day job and had a 1-2 espresso per day habit (brewed at home) and I ran out of coffee and money on the same day.  The headache I got was absolutely horrible.  Happened again about 2 months later and I began that day to wean myself off.  I still drink it because coffee is just damn delicious, even though the decaf is not quite as flavorful.  Still brew it in an espresso machine or moka pot.

[tomos]

^I was curious how coffee is decaffeinated. I find I often dont react well to the dacafs I've tried but that could be more to do with me than the coffee.
Came across this site talking about the various processes - methods are interesting, worth a read:
How is coffee decaffeinated?

(FWIW apparently they're aiming to produce a GMO decaf coffee.)

[kyrathaba]

It's worth noting, for caffeine sensitive people, that decafs aren't fully decaffeinated -- just mostly.

[40hz]

Well, it's late afternoon here and I'm now sitting quietly sipping a fresh cup of my favorite afternoon blend: Gevalia's exquisite Cafe Sperl while reluctantly thinking that I really do need to cut down on my coffee consumption in general - and my caffeine intake specifically.

[attach]

[superboyac]

Well, it's late afternoon here and I'm now sitting quietly sipping a fresh cup of my favorite afternoon blend: Gevalia's exquisite Cafe Sperl while reluctantly thinking that I really do need to cut down on my coffee consumption in general - and my caffeine intake specifically.
(see attachment in previous post)
'Problem' is I don't do drugs. And I don't even drink that often. Plus, I no longer smoke (clean for 13 years this year!) ...so right now a good cup of coffee is about the only indulgence I still permit myself.

I'm afraid if I curtail coffee too much I'll risk losing my main rationalization for living.


(Note: Switching to a decaf blend isn't the simple answer either. I've tried many, and there's a noticeable difference in flavor. And unfortunately, on blindfold tests (I told you I tried! I really did!) I've ended up favoring the caffeinated blends almost single every time.)

Is one cup of good, black coffee in the morning all that harmful?  That's my current schedule, and I like it a lot.  I love drinking coffee in the morning before doing anything.  I used to drink 30+ ounces a day, but that was bad (coffee headaches). 

[app103]

(Note: Switching to a decaf blend isn't the simple answer either. I've tried many, and there's a noticeable difference in flavor. And unfortunately, on blindfold tests (I told you I tried! I really did!) I've ended up favoring the caffeinated blends almost single every time.)

Have you tried getting 2 packages of the same blend in both decaf & regular and mixing them? Start with replacing 1 scoop with decaf when you brew a pot and see how it goes. Might not be so bad that way. If it passes your taste test, replace 2 scoops with decaf next time....and so on, till you start to notice the difference in taste.

[40hz]

^App - yes I did. I didn't really care for it, but I think that's what I'll eventually end up doing once I start the recommended detox routine. That takes about a month of gradual weaning to avoid unpleasant side effects and sleep disorders.

The trick will be finding some blends I like as much as Gevalia's. (I tried many brands btw.) I'll start my day with their Traditional Blend, switch to Cafe Sperl in the afternoon, and usually wrap up the day with their German Chocolate Cake.

Their Royal Vinter blends are a possibility since I liked the decaf version of those. But their cost is a little prohibitive for heavy consumption. Hmm...maybe that might help me cut down on total daily intake? It would very likely increase my overall enjoyment since any satisfaction that's limited or delayed always tends to be sweeter.  

[40hz]

Is one cup of good, black coffee in the morning all that harmful?
[/quote]

Supposedly, that's almost ideal from what I've heard.

"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce."  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.,

[app103]

Since you like Gevalia's coffees, keep your eyes open for the limited edition Chipinge (from Zimbabwe) that is only sold in early fall...and it sells out fast. It's a higher price than any of their other stuff, but it's worth it...a rare treat. It was always one of my favorites, back when I could afford it. (They have a decaf version, too)

If you can manage to get some, drink it by itself (not with food) and savor it.