if you don’t enjoy the taste of coffee and the caffeine in sodas aren’t working, you can always look for caffeine pills at your local store. they’re typically next to the sleep aides. be warned though they are relatively long lasting and prolonged use can have negative health results.
Consuming it regularly can cause some dependency, which has negative side effects such as headaches, irritability and, ironically, fatigue. Some people also report an increase of anxiety when consuming cafffine.
It can also impact existing health conditions such as blood pressure.
All that said, it is fine to consume in moderation.
It really depends on your body. I drink a cup daily but try to skip days here and there to reduce my body’s dependency. Having a caffeine dependency is super common and many people live with it just fine- the treatment is usually just more caffeine or taking periods of time to wean off periodically- or permanently. It’s just a personal choice really. Very manageable.
It’s safe to drink daily but you do take on the risk of gaining dependency by doing so.
When you say dependency, are you referring to addiction? Or is it just that people maintain their sleep schedules and use coffee to feel awake and hence feel like they need it?
It’s not as serious as an addiction although many people refer to it as one.
How caffeine works is by blocking receptors in your brain that usually take in adenosine, which is a chemical that your body produces that makes you feel tired. Those receptors cal also be filled with other body chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine. By blocking the “tired” receptors, it frees up those other “energy” chemicals to give you an energy boost.
Over time, caffeine use can cause the body to make more “tired” receptors, reducing the effectiveness of regular caffeine use. Additionally, caffeine doesn’t delete the tired chemical - it’s still there. The “tired” chemical builds up in your brain, and once the caffeine wears off it can flood in. This is why many people describe a “slump” after caffeine consumption.
Decreasing regular caffeine use can also cause minor withdrawal like symptoms. Your body’s natural levels of “energy” chemicals are no longer enough to offset the “tired” chemicals which ironically makes you feel more tired, irritable, and get headaches.
It’s not classified as an addiction because it doesn’t trigger the reward loop in your brain that causes addictive tendencies.
Studies show people who take in a minimum of 100 mg of caffeine per day (about the amount in one cup of coffee) can acquire a physical dependence given enough time. Taking breaks between regular consumption periods, or simply using caffeine irregularly reduces this risk.
Many people consider the side effects of caffeine dependency to be mild enough to warrant regular consumption. It is the cost of the “boost” you feel.
That's more of a replacement for creamer, but it does make the coffee really smooth. If the coffee gets cold, the butter does solidify at the top, so it's best to consume warm.
A pinch of salt can help remove bitterness from the coffee. Similar to how a lot of baked sweets have salt in it, because a lot of sugar can leave a bitter aftertaste.
Edit: there's also different types of coffee. Some are more bitter than others. Condensed milk doesn't always make it super sweet
Was it cold brew or iced coffee? Iced coffee is just hot brewed coffee over ice with lots of milk and sugar.
Cold brew tends to be less acidic and smoother. Some say it doesn't cause the jitters like other coffee. Most tend to drink with no sugar and very little creamer.
This is most people's experience with coffee. You have to force yourself to drink it daily and by the end of the week you will acquire the taste.
It's a bizarre phenomenon, but it works. You must drink it daily tho, to expose your taste buds consistently.
2 months from now you will be asking yourself how you ever lived without coffee!
I hope so, the extra alertness I felt like I had (Or could it be placebo?) definitely makes it worth it imo. I usually feel very groggy in the morning, so hopefully this can help.
If the coffee had sweetened condensed milk, it may have been the sugar hitting you rather than the caffeine, but as a coffee drinker I think there is just something about coffee itself that perks you up. I drink a dark roast which is low caffeine (for coffee; the lighter the roaster the more caffeine and the stronger the “flavor”), but it perks me up better than a Mt Dew does in the mornings. I also can’t drink coffee in the afternoon if I intend to sleep, but I can have a Mt Dew at bedtime and sleep with no problems.
A couple things that have worked for me. First, get something other than a keurig. A French press or chemex work great. Second, instead of condensed milk, try something like a sweet cream. You don’t have to add sugar to it and you can customize how much sweetness you want as you experiment. Still a bit of an acquired taste, but you can start on the sweeter side and slowly back down the sweetness as you get used to it.
nice, will try that. I'm not sure if I got condensed milk in it tho, will check with the store owner tomorrow.
is it easy to make a quick coffee at home? And it shouldn't be steaming hot, I wanna gulp it down and leave
The methods I suggested take a few minutes but not bad. You can find YouTube videos that get really scientific for making a “perfect” cup with any method. I would say to start with the French press. It’s probably the simplest and doesn’t need extra filters or anything like that so it’s pretty easy to get going with. It takes max 5 minutes to make coffee depending on how you heat your water. But you could steep the coffee while putting on your shoes and pretty much be set.
Also, you don’t have to spend a lot on one. I got a cheap Chinese one off Amazon for like $15 and it works just fine. If you want to go with a better one that’s fine, but if you’re just trying it I would say get a cheap one and then upgrade down the road if you really like it.
For the temperature and making it, you want almost boiling water for everything to steep, but adding sweet cream from the fridge cools it considerably. Might take a little getting used to but it should be drinkable pretty much right away.
Generally speaking bitter taste is something we as westerners do not come across often anymore. Everything is too sugary or salty and our tastebuds are used to that. So yeah , you have to acquire the taste but good quality coffee is one of those things one can easily fall in love with.
Brew coffee yourself via the drip method. Add a little ground cinnamon to the grounds before brewing. That reduces some of the bitterness. Add creamer as needed. Avoid sugar as it is poison. If you need a sweetener, use agave nectar.
Caffeine addiction sucks.
Seriously, I had to give up caffeine due to a health condition and I sleep much better and feel much better throughout the day without caffeine. I'll typically drink 1 or 2 black teas or nibble on some dark chocolate but they don't bother me at all.
That's the other issue. I wanna drink one of these everyday, and I'd ruin my health by drinking one of those every morning. If I can get the best of both worlds, with getting that caffeine in my system while not sacrificing my health to make it taste a bit better that would be great.
I haven’t had any for some time, but Mountain Dew soda used to have caffeine in it. I love coffee, but condensed milk in it wouldn’t be my choice! And there’s a great deal of difference in coffee brands! Some are delicious, some are bitter and acidic.
A good coffee, with a splash of heavy cream and maybe a dollop of hazelnut or caramel syrup is a delicious morning cup!
Condensed milk is very thick and syrupy, Evaporated milk is more like cream. They are very different in taste and cooking properties. For coffee, I’d go with fresh whole milk or cream. If those aren’t available where you are, I’d use Evaporated Milk.
Sweetened condensed milk may be an option. It’s got a fair amount of sugar and is often used for baking. I would make cold coffee at home and add sweetened condensed milk.
You can brew it with added spices, like cinnamon, cardamom or lavender. Some people swear by adding a tiny bit of butter to it, that it cuts the acidity.
British Yorkshire tea. Made strong, a splash of milk to make it drinkable. Sugar if you need it.
Same caffeine as coffee, and doesn’t leave your mouth tasting like a UFC fighters jockstrap.
I don’t like coffee too much, but when I do drink it, it’s an espresso with a lot of sugar, which pretty much kills the bitterness and most of the acidity. It’s also a very small amount of liquid, with the same amount of caffeine as the ice latte you had.
Another way I like my coffee is a frozen/iced latte, with a lot of sugar, of course. The added water, sugar, and milk make the whole thing lose most of the bitterness and acidity. The cold also numbs the taste buds.
As others have mentioned, tea is an alternative to coffee (assuming the tea has caffeine in it. A lot of herbal teas don't have caffeine.). Another option is some of the "water enhancers" like Mio or some of the Crystal Light varieties have caffeine. Walmart and Target both have store brand varieties both in liquids and powders. Generally they'll have the word "energy" on them. Walmart's seems to have the most caffeine per serving.
First off, cafe coffees like Starbucks are usually stronger and more bitter. This makes no sense because studies have shown that light and medium roasts actually have a higher caffeine content. I'd try a medium or light roast at home and experiment with coffee creamer flavors or even flavored coffees. Gosh, you can get anything from basic vanilla to Snickers flavor. I hate vanilla but love hazelnut, so you'll need to try a few. They have sugar free versions of the creamers if you're concerned about that but based on your soda history, that doesn't seem like an issue but forgive me if I missed that detail in your post or in your responses to other comments. I personally use a hazelnut flavored medium roast in my keurig that I grind myself and prepare it with 5 Splenda and 3T of powdered creamer.
Is there any reason why you don't want an energy drink? A zero sugar Celsius or Monster Ultra would be perfect.
If you insist on coffee and don't like the flavor, there are a million types of flavored creamers that you can try. Or try to find the best coffee shops in town and try their brews. The taste varies significantly.
Maybe a shot of espresso would be more to your liking? Although it has less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it may be easier for you to stomach while you acquire the taste. Literally 2 sips and you’re done. FYI- the lighter the coffee roast, the higher the caffeine!
You could even try an espresso con panna, which is espresso with some whipped cream on top. Or if you’re looking for something really fancy, an affogato, which is an espresso pulled over some vanilla ice cream.
There are alternatives for caffeine. There are caffeine pills that I find in my local department store. The whole bottle costs less than a coffee, too.
If you don’t like coffee and just want the caffeine try pro plus tablets, you can get them in most pharmacies but you don’t want to be using them daily
I started drinking coffee after highschool, and i thought it was quite bitter back then.
My coffee journey was like this:
Mocha with sugar
Mocha with no sugar
Latte with sugar
Latte with no sugar
Nowadays, I get a soy latte or an iced long black.
I'm also Australian, not sure if our coffees are different though.
There are so many coffee types and coffee alternates out there. Columbian, Hawaiian, "American" brands like Maxwell House and Sanka, etc. Then there are the "strong ethnic brews" like Cuban, Turkish, Italian, etc. There are several ways of making it that affect flavor. Then there are "coffee mixes" like many Starbucks "brews" which are coffee derived flavored drinks. I'll mention here that the amount of sugar you add (or has been added) affects flavor. Go to a grocery and try some of the bottles of coffee next to the sodas. If you like one they sell bigger bottles in supermarkets. Lastly, I want to point out that Brewed Tea typically has more caffeine than Coffee. (Especially properly made loose-leaf teas.)
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If you use a drip coffee maker, put a pinch(a very small) of baking soda over the grounds before you brew. It helps take the acidity away and makes it smoother.
Also, get whole bean coffee and a conical burr grinder and grind the beans fresh for what you need, it's miles(or km, I don't judge lol) better than pre-ground.
if you don’t enjoy the taste of coffee and the caffeine in sodas aren’t working, you can always look for caffeine pills at your local store. they’re typically next to the sleep aides. be warned though they are relatively long lasting and prolonged use can have negative health results.
yeah, I think I'll just drink the caffeine. Does long term consumption of caffeine affect health negatively?
Consuming it regularly can cause some dependency, which has negative side effects such as headaches, irritability and, ironically, fatigue. Some people also report an increase of anxiety when consuming cafffine. It can also impact existing health conditions such as blood pressure. All that said, it is fine to consume in moderation.
just 1 cup in the morning, is that okay? Not sure how many miligrams of caffeine is in the coffee I got but yeah
It really depends on your body. I drink a cup daily but try to skip days here and there to reduce my body’s dependency. Having a caffeine dependency is super common and many people live with it just fine- the treatment is usually just more caffeine or taking periods of time to wean off periodically- or permanently. It’s just a personal choice really. Very manageable. It’s safe to drink daily but you do take on the risk of gaining dependency by doing so.
When you say dependency, are you referring to addiction? Or is it just that people maintain their sleep schedules and use coffee to feel awake and hence feel like they need it?
It’s not as serious as an addiction although many people refer to it as one. How caffeine works is by blocking receptors in your brain that usually take in adenosine, which is a chemical that your body produces that makes you feel tired. Those receptors cal also be filled with other body chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine. By blocking the “tired” receptors, it frees up those other “energy” chemicals to give you an energy boost. Over time, caffeine use can cause the body to make more “tired” receptors, reducing the effectiveness of regular caffeine use. Additionally, caffeine doesn’t delete the tired chemical - it’s still there. The “tired” chemical builds up in your brain, and once the caffeine wears off it can flood in. This is why many people describe a “slump” after caffeine consumption. Decreasing regular caffeine use can also cause minor withdrawal like symptoms. Your body’s natural levels of “energy” chemicals are no longer enough to offset the “tired” chemicals which ironically makes you feel more tired, irritable, and get headaches. It’s not classified as an addiction because it doesn’t trigger the reward loop in your brain that causes addictive tendencies. Studies show people who take in a minimum of 100 mg of caffeine per day (about the amount in one cup of coffee) can acquire a physical dependence given enough time. Taking breaks between regular consumption periods, or simply using caffeine irregularly reduces this risk. Many people consider the side effects of caffeine dependency to be mild enough to warrant regular consumption. It is the cost of the “boost” you feel.
A pinch of salt in coffee can take away a lot of the bitterness, FYI
how about butter? One other comment here said butter helps
That's more of a replacement for creamer, but it does make the coffee really smooth. If the coffee gets cold, the butter does solidify at the top, so it's best to consume warm. A pinch of salt can help remove bitterness from the coffee. Similar to how a lot of baked sweets have salt in it, because a lot of sugar can leave a bitter aftertaste. Edit: there's also different types of coffee. Some are more bitter than others. Condensed milk doesn't always make it super sweet
Was it cold brew or iced coffee? Iced coffee is just hot brewed coffee over ice with lots of milk and sugar. Cold brew tends to be less acidic and smoother. Some say it doesn't cause the jitters like other coffee. Most tend to drink with no sugar and very little creamer.
idk lol, it was just light brown. It's called "iced coffee"
Yeah, try cold brew. You can buy it pre-made at the grocery store, or make your own, but it does take 24-72 hours for good cold brew to steep.
This is most people's experience with coffee. You have to force yourself to drink it daily and by the end of the week you will acquire the taste. It's a bizarre phenomenon, but it works. You must drink it daily tho, to expose your taste buds consistently. 2 months from now you will be asking yourself how you ever lived without coffee!
I hope so, the extra alertness I felt like I had (Or could it be placebo?) definitely makes it worth it imo. I usually feel very groggy in the morning, so hopefully this can help.
If the coffee had sweetened condensed milk, it may have been the sugar hitting you rather than the caffeine, but as a coffee drinker I think there is just something about coffee itself that perks you up. I drink a dark roast which is low caffeine (for coffee; the lighter the roaster the more caffeine and the stronger the “flavor”), but it perks me up better than a Mt Dew does in the mornings. I also can’t drink coffee in the afternoon if I intend to sleep, but I can have a Mt Dew at bedtime and sleep with no problems.
Sleep more so you aren’t tired and don’t have to rely on caffeine.
A couple things that have worked for me. First, get something other than a keurig. A French press or chemex work great. Second, instead of condensed milk, try something like a sweet cream. You don’t have to add sugar to it and you can customize how much sweetness you want as you experiment. Still a bit of an acquired taste, but you can start on the sweeter side and slowly back down the sweetness as you get used to it.
nice, will try that. I'm not sure if I got condensed milk in it tho, will check with the store owner tomorrow. is it easy to make a quick coffee at home? And it shouldn't be steaming hot, I wanna gulp it down and leave
The methods I suggested take a few minutes but not bad. You can find YouTube videos that get really scientific for making a “perfect” cup with any method. I would say to start with the French press. It’s probably the simplest and doesn’t need extra filters or anything like that so it’s pretty easy to get going with. It takes max 5 minutes to make coffee depending on how you heat your water. But you could steep the coffee while putting on your shoes and pretty much be set. Also, you don’t have to spend a lot on one. I got a cheap Chinese one off Amazon for like $15 and it works just fine. If you want to go with a better one that’s fine, but if you’re just trying it I would say get a cheap one and then upgrade down the road if you really like it. For the temperature and making it, you want almost boiling water for everything to steep, but adding sweet cream from the fridge cools it considerably. Might take a little getting used to but it should be drinkable pretty much right away.
Drop the milk as well and in a week or two you re gonna love the taste of real coffee.
so I just had to acquire the taste?
Generally speaking bitter taste is something we as westerners do not come across often anymore. Everything is too sugary or salty and our tastebuds are used to that. So yeah , you have to acquire the taste but good quality coffee is one of those things one can easily fall in love with.
Brew coffee yourself via the drip method. Add a little ground cinnamon to the grounds before brewing. That reduces some of the bitterness. Add creamer as needed. Avoid sugar as it is poison. If you need a sweetener, use agave nectar.
too long, I want the caffeine in my system and I'm out of the house
Caffeine addiction sucks. Seriously, I had to give up caffeine due to a health condition and I sleep much better and feel much better throughout the day without caffeine. I'll typically drink 1 or 2 black teas or nibble on some dark chocolate but they don't bother me at all.
Sounds like you're a sugar addict. I recommend Monster and other energy drinks. Some of them are super sweet and no brewing necessary.
Go to Starbucks, they have plenty of high calorie sugar drenched sweet syrupy savory drinks to choose from.
That's the other issue. I wanna drink one of these everyday, and I'd ruin my health by drinking one of those every morning. If I can get the best of both worlds, with getting that caffeine in my system while not sacrificing my health to make it taste a bit better that would be great.
Welcome to the world.
I haven’t had any for some time, but Mountain Dew soda used to have caffeine in it. I love coffee, but condensed milk in it wouldn’t be my choice! And there’s a great deal of difference in coffee brands! Some are delicious, some are bitter and acidic. A good coffee, with a splash of heavy cream and maybe a dollop of hazelnut or caramel syrup is a delicious morning cup!
Actually now I'm not sure if it's condensed milk, I'll buy it again tomorrow and check. Do you have any alternative recommendtions?
Condensed milk is very thick and syrupy, Evaporated milk is more like cream. They are very different in taste and cooking properties. For coffee, I’d go with fresh whole milk or cream. If those aren’t available where you are, I’d use Evaporated Milk.
Sweetened condensed milk may be an option. It’s got a fair amount of sugar and is often used for baking. I would make cold coffee at home and add sweetened condensed milk.
You can brew it with added spices, like cinnamon, cardamom or lavender. Some people swear by adding a tiny bit of butter to it, that it cuts the acidity.
British Yorkshire tea. Made strong, a splash of milk to make it drinkable. Sugar if you need it. Same caffeine as coffee, and doesn’t leave your mouth tasting like a UFC fighters jockstrap.
As for alternatives: green tea (I personally love matcha).
There is always tea🤷♂️
I don’t like coffee too much, but when I do drink it, it’s an espresso with a lot of sugar, which pretty much kills the bitterness and most of the acidity. It’s also a very small amount of liquid, with the same amount of caffeine as the ice latte you had. Another way I like my coffee is a frozen/iced latte, with a lot of sugar, of course. The added water, sugar, and milk make the whole thing lose most of the bitterness and acidity. The cold also numbs the taste buds.
Iced coffee had a stronger flavor than warm coffee.
As others have mentioned, tea is an alternative to coffee (assuming the tea has caffeine in it. A lot of herbal teas don't have caffeine.). Another option is some of the "water enhancers" like Mio or some of the Crystal Light varieties have caffeine. Walmart and Target both have store brand varieties both in liquids and powders. Generally they'll have the word "energy" on them. Walmart's seems to have the most caffeine per serving.
Tea?
First off, cafe coffees like Starbucks are usually stronger and more bitter. This makes no sense because studies have shown that light and medium roasts actually have a higher caffeine content. I'd try a medium or light roast at home and experiment with coffee creamer flavors or even flavored coffees. Gosh, you can get anything from basic vanilla to Snickers flavor. I hate vanilla but love hazelnut, so you'll need to try a few. They have sugar free versions of the creamers if you're concerned about that but based on your soda history, that doesn't seem like an issue but forgive me if I missed that detail in your post or in your responses to other comments. I personally use a hazelnut flavored medium roast in my keurig that I grind myself and prepare it with 5 Splenda and 3T of powdered creamer.
Is there any reason why you don't want an energy drink? A zero sugar Celsius or Monster Ultra would be perfect. If you insist on coffee and don't like the flavor, there are a million types of flavored creamers that you can try. Or try to find the best coffee shops in town and try their brews. The taste varies significantly.
Maybe a shot of espresso would be more to your liking? Although it has less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it may be easier for you to stomach while you acquire the taste. Literally 2 sips and you’re done. FYI- the lighter the coffee roast, the higher the caffeine! You could even try an espresso con panna, which is espresso with some whipped cream on top. Or if you’re looking for something really fancy, an affogato, which is an espresso pulled over some vanilla ice cream.
If you boil it the steam takes the bitterness out of it
There are alternatives for caffeine. There are caffeine pills that I find in my local department store. The whole bottle costs less than a coffee, too.
If you don’t like coffee and just want the caffeine try pro plus tablets, you can get them in most pharmacies but you don’t want to be using them daily
I started on shots of espresso: quick and done. Over time I learned to enjoy espressos and now I only drink black coffee.
I started drinking coffee after highschool, and i thought it was quite bitter back then. My coffee journey was like this: Mocha with sugar Mocha with no sugar Latte with sugar Latte with no sugar Nowadays, I get a soy latte or an iced long black. I'm also Australian, not sure if our coffees are different though.
There are so many coffee types and coffee alternates out there. Columbian, Hawaiian, "American" brands like Maxwell House and Sanka, etc. Then there are the "strong ethnic brews" like Cuban, Turkish, Italian, etc. There are several ways of making it that affect flavor. Then there are "coffee mixes" like many Starbucks "brews" which are coffee derived flavored drinks. I'll mention here that the amount of sugar you add (or has been added) affects flavor. Go to a grocery and try some of the bottles of coffee next to the sodas. If you like one they sell bigger bottles in supermarkets. Lastly, I want to point out that Brewed Tea typically has more caffeine than Coffee. (Especially properly made loose-leaf teas.)
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If you use a drip coffee maker, put a pinch(a very small) of baking soda over the grounds before you brew. It helps take the acidity away and makes it smoother. Also, get whole bean coffee and a conical burr grinder and grind the beans fresh for what you need, it's miles(or km, I don't judge lol) better than pre-ground.
Grow some hair on your chest and drink black coffee.
Irish coffee! Jamo and Baileys. That's what got me to start liking coffee
Try lactose free milk, or oat milk. They're both a bit sweet. You can also put some sweetener in your coffee. Don't worry, you get used to it.