At 38.5 years old, I think that it is finally time that I start to drink coffee. I have always hated the taste and smell (even of coffee ice cream!) which is clearly an issue when you want to start drinking coffee. But chai tea lattes are expensive and don't pack much of a caffeine punch. I do like a few teas (my current favorite is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice), but again, it has about half the caffeine content of coffee and so only moderately helpful.
Starburcks Refreshers are a little better caffeine-wise, but I do know that they aren't super healthy with all kinds of weird stuff in them. And I don't even have to go into the specifics of how bad soda is for one's body....that's a habit that I would really like to kick.
So, coffee. It's time. I have started to read up on how to get my body to like coffee and it boils down to a few suggestions:
1. Start by drinking iced coffee. The bitterness won't be as prevalent in a cold drink, plus there is milk and sugar already in the drink.
2. Start by drinking espressos with some sugar poured in. I would only have to drink a small amount of coffee at once.
3. Start by drinking things like frapaccinos because all of the extra stuff will mask the coffee taste.
#3 is my least favorite option because I am partially trying to learn to drink coffee so that I can get away from caloric/chemical-laden drinks. I am leaning towards #1 simply because CP already likes iced coffee and maybe I can steal some tastes of his coffee and slowly learn to like it? Plus it is finally hot out....
Has anyone gone through this and have any suggestions?
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7 comments:
Hmmm, that's a hard one. I'm a coffee lover, but had to train myself to love tea. The big thing for me was the creamer. I love Silk creamer for this reason.
We also make cold brew coffee (seep coursely ground coffee beans in water overnight and strain). The coffee is less bitter due to the extraction process and has a lot more punch (nicknamed "Nitro" for a reason).
On that note, I'm wondering if it's just a matter or resetting your tea drinking or tea type.
I get my caffeine from Diet Dr. Pepper (I know, but I love it!), and when I went to somewhere I knew they wouldn't have such deliciousness I bought a little bottle of caffeine pills. 100mg each, one mid-morning, and my whole day was made. I drank lots and lots of water and ordered Coke Lite a few times, but the little pill did wonders.
Ok, so...when I got back to the US and DDP was READILY available did I shun it? No. No I did not. I love the taste. So, if you're trying to get caffeine in, but don't like coffee...there are other ways. Not sure the rest of the chemical content of those pills, honestly, I just ordered one with good reviews off Amazon and figured it's probably overall healthier for me than aspartame...
xox
I hate coffee too! I have had so many people tell me I would start drinking it in graduate school, or once I had kids, etc, and I never did. I even hate the flavour in coffee cakes or coffee ice cream.
So my instinctive thought while reading this was WHY?! It just sounds so awful. What about a strong black tea like Irish Breakfast?
Homemade iced coffee is brilliant for waking you up. I started to drink it when I was in my 20s in Greece, as cold milk and Nescafe (inspired by the Nescafe 'Frappe' they sell everywhere in Greece). To make it yourself: get an old glass jar, fill it with ice and add cold milk and a spoonful of Nescafe. Shake lots, drink on a hot day. It's the handiest thing ever to make. It saved my life when I lived in hot countries. As for 'real' coffee: if you're an amateur start with cappuccino or flat white. Notice I'm not discouraging you from starting this habit. I bloody love coffee and especially all things coffee-flavoured, like ice cream and coffee & walnut cake. And coffee truffle chocolates, and coffee beans. All the coffee.
Maybe option 4? Go for a really good coffee? I think the roasting makes a huge difference. We go for a very strong coffee, but it doesn't have a bitter aftertaste.
Another thing is to make a real cafe con leche, which is like the coffee version of chai. It's coffee brewed in milk without water. You can make a very simple one using instant coffee.
You are so funny! I love how you are making yourself like coffee. :) Ok, so when I was 18, I started liking coffee because I added in French Vanilla creamer. I second Mel, the quality of the coffee makes all the difference too. But maybe if you tried with a flavored creamer?
I am a coffee drinker and I loved the taste. I just can't drink it black. The lighter the roast the more caffeine. Try Donut House blend or a breakfast blend. If you are a Starbucks drinker, try the Blonde Roast. Coffee is definitely an acquired taste.
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