Some guys are addicted to gambling, some to alcohol. The list of vices that plague our weak wills is probably endless. For me, its coffee. I can just about change my daily routine in any way - early starts, late lie-ins, sitting at a desk all day, walking about non stop - but I always always need a good cup of coffee. Just one! Here is the story of my relationship with the bitter stuff. Heed my words!I like to blame my student days for my hideous coffee addiction. Notice that its not just a caffeine thing - Tea, coke (of the cola variety) and horrible energy drinks don't have the same effect on me. In my final year of studies I would arise at around 3-4pm and work straight through to 8am, before collapsing into bed and repeating the cycle. The labs were quieter then & being nocturnal suited me fine (it was handy for staying out all night).
The fuel that would keep me going for the better part of a year was this stuff:
Rather than having a standard 1 teaspoon mug, I would have 5 teaspoons of granuled goodness all at once. It would set my brain into overload for a good hour or two and quite frankly put me into the zone. There was never a "down", as with most drugs...after the 14 hours of so work in the labs, I'd just go home and sleep happily. No side effects! Rock! I could just do this for months then stop once I'd finished my projects.Lol. How wrong was I. It's been over five years since I graduated and I am still physically dependant on coffee. Over the years I've tried to go "cold turkey" and have never lasted more than two weeks.
By day seven, I usually can't stay awake for more than eight hours - not particularly handy when you work. After that I actually feel faint and I don't bother trying to find out what happens next! Perhaps I'll get the shivers and eventually get through the tunnel and into the light of non-dependancy. Or I'll just spontaneously combust.
Working means I have some form of disposable income, so I get to drink nicer coffee. No more instant crap! A lot of people complain that Starbucks makes their coffee too strong....too abrasive. They've not tasted the stuff I brew! The best places in town to have coffee are without doubt Flat White and Milkbar. They aren't full of wifi sponges and the staff are usually Kiwis with amusing accents.
So do I like the actual taste of coffee? Or do I just drink it to keep my motor running? It's definitely the former, with the latter being a huge bonus. Ethically, caffeine is always going to be rotten. If you like tea, you're most likely to be supporting South Asian slave labour. If you like coffee it will be African or South American. Either way, some brown person suffers to make a living. I won't even mention Coca Cola! Besides, I always buy fairtrade to sooth my tortured conscience in the hope of shaving a few years off my hell sentence.
Coffee Tips -
- Don't drink instant coffee. The exception is Malaysian Old Town 3-in-1 packet mix.
- Buy a good cafetiere (sometimes called a French Press) - espresso machines you see in Argos are bollocks & won't provide the pressure or heat to get that coffee-shop flavour. You'll be wanting to spend in the region of £1000 if you really want a machine, instead of £10 on a press.
- When using a cafetiere, put in more ground coffee than recommended. 1 dessert spoon per cup is for losers. I'd recommend an inch per mug.
- Store your ground coffee in the fridge, in a sealed container.
- Going cold turkey doesn't work. Just accept your coffee filled fate. So it goes.
