Looking for advice on cheap / enjoyable caffeine sources.
I currently have a 2-3 energy drink per day caffeine habit, which is a bad thing due to the expense if nothing else. A couple months ago I tried to switch to making my own coffee, but it turns out that’s harder than it seems and the drip coffee maker in the App Academy office makes pretty weak coffee that I don’t trust to stave off withdrawal symptoms (which I really don’t want to have affecting my productivity right now).
So now taking recommendations for caffeine pills / coffee machines / tea brands / whatever else.
Well, energy drinks don’t have that high a caffeine content compared to coffee—a can of Rockstar has about 160 mg in it, which is comparable to a strong cup of coffee, but it’s got somewhere around twice the volume. Red Bull is more like 80mg. So if your office coffee isn’t scratching your itch, you’re probably craving something other than caffeine, maybe even just sugar. I’d recommend experimenting with that a bit.
If you want to make good coffee easily, though, I recommend a burr grinder + French press or drip cone (I prefer the standalone kind, though a drip coffeemaker won’t kill you), and the best-quality beans you can find: Philz is a good Bay Area choice. Toss a couple tablespoons of beans per cup of coffee into your grinder, grind them at a medium-fine setting, transfer to your coffee production system of choice, then add boiling water. French presses tend to make stronger coffee with more complex flavors, but add a timing parameter—you can oversteep or understeep coffee made with a French press, while drip coffee is pretty idiotproof.
Well, energy drinks don’t have that high a caffeine content compared to coffee—a can of Rockstar has about 160 mg in it, which is comparable to a strong cup of coffee, but it’s got somewhere around twice the volume. Red Bull is more like 80mg. So if your office coffee isn’t scratching your itch, you’re probably craving something other than caffeine, maybe even just sugar. I’d recommend experimenting with that a bit.
This issue isn’t sugar, because I drink sugar-free energy drinks. On reflection, perceived weakness of office coffee may be in my head / based on my first couple poorly-made cups. So I may just switch back to that.
Espresso is the best for preventing withdrawal. You can buy espresso cans like these. They end up costing around $1-2 per drink.
You can also consider buying a moka pot. Though, moka pot coffee isn’t really espresso as it is extracted under much less pressure. But you can make your own and so save money. It tastes quite good.
A single shot of espresso from Starbucks, costs around $1.50. If you want something strong, I recommend a red-eye: a cup of drip coffee with a shot of espresso in it. This usually will keep you caffeinated for a few hours at least.
The simplest thing is caffeine pills. They’re cheap and freely available over-the-counter.
Making yourself some coffee is not hard at all. Drip coffeemakers are ubiquitous and cheap, if you think the coffee is too weak just put more grounds into the basket. Otherwise try Aeropress, it’s good. I also like Turkish coffee but most people think it’s too muddy. If you want a hobby, buy a proper espresso machine :-)
Tea is even simpler, all you need is tea and boiling water. Experiment with different teas (they are VERY different), figure out what you like. I strongly recommend loose tea over teabags.
Black tea is easier than coffee because boiling water gives good results so you don’t have to worry about letting it cool exactly the right amount.
Middle Eastern import stores sell very cheap bulk tea. Often the quality of their cheapest stuff is not high enough for the tea to be very enjoyable without added flavor, so I recommend Earl Grey or, if you don’t like bergamot, plain black tea and adding a cinnamon stick or cardamom pod to the pot.
Looking for advice on cheap / enjoyable caffeine sources.
I currently have a 2-3 energy drink per day caffeine habit, which is a bad thing due to the expense if nothing else. A couple months ago I tried to switch to making my own coffee, but it turns out that’s harder than it seems and the drip coffee maker in the App Academy office makes pretty weak coffee that I don’t trust to stave off withdrawal symptoms (which I really don’t want to have affecting my productivity right now).
So now taking recommendations for caffeine pills / coffee machines / tea brands / whatever else.
Well, energy drinks don’t have that high a caffeine content compared to coffee—a can of Rockstar has about 160 mg in it, which is comparable to a strong cup of coffee, but it’s got somewhere around twice the volume. Red Bull is more like 80mg. So if your office coffee isn’t scratching your itch, you’re probably craving something other than caffeine, maybe even just sugar. I’d recommend experimenting with that a bit.
If you want to make good coffee easily, though, I recommend a burr grinder + French press or drip cone (I prefer the standalone kind, though a drip coffeemaker won’t kill you), and the best-quality beans you can find: Philz is a good Bay Area choice. Toss a couple tablespoons of beans per cup of coffee into your grinder, grind them at a medium-fine setting, transfer to your coffee production system of choice, then add boiling water. French presses tend to make stronger coffee with more complex flavors, but add a timing parameter—you can oversteep or understeep coffee made with a French press, while drip coffee is pretty idiotproof.
This issue isn’t sugar, because I drink sugar-free energy drinks. On reflection, perceived weakness of office coffee may be in my head / based on my first couple poorly-made cups. So I may just switch back to that.
Espresso is the best for preventing withdrawal. You can buy espresso cans like these. They end up costing around $1-2 per drink.
You can also consider buying a moka pot. Though, moka pot coffee isn’t really espresso as it is extracted under much less pressure. But you can make your own and so save money. It tastes quite good.
A single shot of espresso from Starbucks, costs around $1.50. If you want something strong, I recommend a red-eye: a cup of drip coffee with a shot of espresso in it. This usually will keep you caffeinated for a few hours at least.
Caffeine pills are cheap, portable, fast-acting, and you can get an exact dose.
The simplest thing is caffeine pills. They’re cheap and freely available over-the-counter.
Making yourself some coffee is not hard at all. Drip coffeemakers are ubiquitous and cheap, if you think the coffee is too weak just put more grounds into the basket. Otherwise try Aeropress, it’s good. I also like Turkish coffee but most people think it’s too muddy. If you want a hobby, buy a proper espresso machine :-)
Tea is even simpler, all you need is tea and boiling water. Experiment with different teas (they are VERY different), figure out what you like. I strongly recommend loose tea over teabags.
Black tea is easier than coffee because boiling water gives good results so you don’t have to worry about letting it cool exactly the right amount.
Middle Eastern import stores sell very cheap bulk tea. Often the quality of their cheapest stuff is not high enough for the tea to be very enjoyable without added flavor, so I recommend Earl Grey or, if you don’t like bergamot, plain black tea and adding a cinnamon stick or cardamom pod to the pot.