When I was younger, and even into my late thirties, just a little bit of coffee would make me so jittery that I would stay up all night and into the next day.
I used to love chicory coffee for that warm, sensory flavor. All it took to wake me up was the refreshing coolness of peppermint tea. It truly awakened my senses in the morning.
There was a coffee pot in the chemo ward. It seemed everyone was drinking coffee. It grossed me out.
But after chemo, I understood why. I simply don't have the energy anymore. And coffee or tea are what I need to start my day.
But since I've never been a big caffeine user, when I'm feeling truly achy and groggy, I only need one, or at max, two cups of coffee or tea to start my day, so I can be at the baseline that I used to be at, without caffeine.
And I don't drink it every day. I think only a couple times a week, on those hardest days.
I do, however, love the taste and smell of coffee, and I enjoy a fancy oatmilk latte from time to time.
My favorite place to get coffee, for the fun of it, is at Muji. They have a robotic barrista. It's wonderful good fun to watch the robotic arm reach around the kitchen and make the espresso, steam the milk, etc. The robot makes small talk, and even draws a little picture in the foam. But "Jarvis" is not infalliable. You see, if "he" runs out of an ingredient, "he" will ask the customer to go get an associate to bring "him" some more milk, etc. The drinks are always really tasty, and since it's robot-made, they consistently taste the same. The only thing those warm cups of happiness are lacking, is the love factor of any good food or drink.
But for that human-touch, that puts love in the mix, I like going down to The Hilton. There's an actual chef that works barrista. He makes beautiful, artistic cups of coffee. He draws forest ferns in the foam. He also makes the most fattening croissants in town. One bite into the buttery texture, and it melts into air. The croissants are out of this world good! And it's not really expensive at all! That's the crazy part.
OMG and I discovered a bagel shop up near me. OMG, now that is an art form! The bagels are light and taste like sourdough, and the cream cheese! Wow! Okay... getting off topic...
And Mcdonalds, of all places, brews really good hot tea. I never knew they had tea until a few months ago. I saw it on the self-serve menu. Oh my, it was lemony, and sweet. But although it was stronger than I like it, there weren't a lot of tannins in it.
When I brew my coffee, I use a french press. I boil the water in an electric teakettle. Meanwhile, I scoop 1/4 cup of coarsely ground blonde roast coffee into the caraffe. I then pour in 4 cups of boiling water. I let it steep for about twenty minutes before pushing down the plunger to separate out the beans.
I like my cuppa to be about 60 percent coffee, and 40 percent goat milk or oat milk. I usually eat very natural, but I love the flavor of Sweet N Low in my coffee. I think I got that from my grandmother. So every morning, I take my saccharine supplement, lol. One packet is enough, since the amount of milk really mellows it out.
But when I'm out and about, my favorite coffee drink is a warm, but not too hot, oatmilk latte. I don't add any sugar to it. It's a beautiful drink on it's own. The milk is the real celebrity in that one, and it takes away all of the bitterness of the coffee.
About a year ago, I found a french press made of stainless steel, with wood accents. It's the longest-lived french press I have ever owned. Every other one only survives a few months, because the beaker glass they use is so paper thin. I highly suggest that anyone who likes a slow-brewed french pressed cuppa should be on the lookout for a stainless steel caraffe.