Ask HN: What's your relationship with coffee? - felixmc
======
nicolashahn
I make about 16oz of slightly above average strength coffee when I wake up at
9-10am and drink on average about 12oz of it throughout the day until 3pm
where I cut it off completely. I've found that this makes my mornings and
early afternoons very productive (I think faster and can focus better) but I'm
still able to fall asleep at night around 1-2am (as long as I exercise enough
and have good sleep hygiene in general). I get a little slow around 4-5pm but
overall it's a net positive addiction. I also usually drink much less or no
coffee on Sunday and can sleep 9 or 10 hours that night.

I think my genetics mesh well with caffeine. My sister and everyone on my
mom's side of the family loves coffee and none of us have any side effects
from it. I discovered I liked it in college and it significantly boosted my
motivation, grades, and life in general, so I kept with it. I tried going off
it for a few months when I thought it was causing me sleep problems, but the
cause was something else and I've been happily drinking coffee almost every
day since.

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Pharylon
I like coffee. Mostly because it tastes good, and I kind of like the ritual.
In the last few years I've really gotten into it more. I use a coffee press
and grind my beans fresh every morning.

However, I don't like being a zombie, unable to function until I've had my
first cup, so I moved my "first cup time" back to 9:00 am. That means I keep a
coffee grinder at my desk at work. I also limit my intake to about two cups
per day for the same reason.

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lr4444lr
I find tea provides a longer, better modulated boost, without the
gastrointestinal distress or bad breath.

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dumbmatter
I drink decaf sometimes because coffee does taste good. Caffeinated I only
drink rarely, like when traveling and I need to wake up really early.

I remember growing up seeing people brag about how much coffee they drink and
how much caffeine they consume and how addicted they are to caffeine - it
seemed like a stupid macho dick-measuring contest. Later in life I learned
about caffeine tolerance and addiction, and that confirmed my initial biases
about regular caffeine consumption.

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graeme
I quit. I found it gave me digestive upset, and physical stress. (I.e. more
likely to tense my muscles in response to a small external stimulus)

It’s been about a month, and a number of things sre better without it.
Digestion is normal, far more consistent energy than before. Also much faster
to get out of the house in the morning, which is nice.

Had been drinking it for years, but only started after college. Note: I quit
all caffeine, including tea. Tea had similar effects on me.

~~~
LiamPa
I gave up for the same reasons, had a migraine for a week although I have
coffee at the weekends as a treat...

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anotherevan
I usually have one to two cups a day, sometimes three. The latest I usually
have a coffee is around four in the afternoon unless I’m drinking socially.

I’ll also drink tea a few times a week.

Never drink instant. I grind my beans on demand and usually brew with an
aeropress if I’m making one, or the appropriate sized moka pot for making
several. (I also have a couple of coffee syphons, which are fun to watch, but
too fiddly and too much cleanup for everyday use.)

I had a gastric bypass 1.5 years ago[1], which has made my ‘stomach’ a little
more delicate. Some days everything is fine, other days it’ll sit a bit heavy
or sour in the tummy. I’m also definitely sensitive to dairy now, and find
lactose free milk more tolerable. Have switched from a cappuccino to a long
black with just a squirt of cold milk when buying at the shop.

I want to try Death Wish Coffee[2] sometime just for a lark, but the cost of
shipping to the Antipodes is ridiculous.

I’m also a big fan of Mr Black[3].

[1] [https://www.michevan.id.au/content/adventures-in-
bariatric-s...](https://www.michevan.id.au/content/adventures-in-bariatric-
surgery/)

[2] [https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/](https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/)

[3] [http://mrblack.co/](http://mrblack.co/) and
[https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_778190/mr-black-
col...](https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_778190/mr-black-cold-drip-
coffee-liqueur-700ml.jsp)

------
valbaca
It's been an interesting one to say the least.

I started drinking coffee in college when I started smoking. I was dual-
majoring and working and tried to have a life too, so burning the candle at
3-ends.

I switched to just black at my first internship where I had to get up at
4:30am

For 6 or so years I was reliant on it, at least two cups and usually 3 a day.
When I was burning out I would be at 5 or 6. It would get to the point where I
needed it to just function and I didn't know who I was without it.

But for the last month and a half I haven't had a full cup.

I quit coffee (and a few other additive things) really just to exercise my
discipline and to not _need_ anything.

The first day I went to a single cup. Then I switched to half a cup for the
first week. It was really tough as I went through withdrawals: eye and lip
twitches, real bad irritability, and having to have a steel will as it's all I
could think about.

Now, I can have it as I please and not miss it if I don't have it. The smell
is still wonderful but I don't want to go back.

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shostack
I wasn't a coffee drinker until the past couple of years when I discovered
that there's a world beyond starbucks over-roasted sugary crap and awful-
tasting pods.

Now, I'm extremely addicted to a perfect vanilla cappuccino as long as it
isn't made with nasty sugar-filled syrup.

It has gotten to the point where french press doesn't do it for me at home, so
I'm going to invest in an espresso machine and grinder and learn how to make
it by hand. I'm also a huge fan of the vanilla powder they use at Better Buzz
in San Diego. That stuff is worlds better than the syrup.

While the caffeine helps after lunch, I find the ritual of having a smooth
creamy warm drink in the afternoon is incredibly relaxing, and is a good
excuse to be "still" and organize my thoughts for the rest of the day.

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lsiunsuex
'have drank coffee every.single.day since about 2000. I'll have 2 in the
morning - 1 generic maxwell house or folgers and the 2nd a breakfast blend or
something else for a little variety. At home, just using a re-usable K-Cup in
a Keurig.

If I need to get out of the house a bit, I'll go work at a Starbucks and have
a tall there - never more then a tall as I won't sleep well. Or - wherever.
Tim Hortons is fine. Panera's is fine. Spent 3 days at the local convention
center last week; their coffee was fine. I'm really not picky.

So, minimum 2, max 4 or 5 a day. Always black. I don't love the taste but I do
like Starbucks the most. But I don't hate the taste either. I used to use a
ton of sugar and milk - that ended about a decade ago now.

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ceedan
I have ~12oz (not a small cup (8oz) but also not a big one) usually every
morning, but not usually out of necessity. I could skip it and function mostly
the same. Sometimes I can tell that it's actually over-stimulating and
prevents me from focusing, especially when I drink it on an empty stomach. I
usually try to have it with a bite of food.

I order coffee whenever I'm out for breakfast/brunch, 2 or 3 cups

I also sometimes have a latte or small cup of coffee before going to the gym,
especially if I'm trying to go after work. It helps me avoid getting stuck on
the couch and relaxing as soon as I get home.

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abby_cohen_221
"it's complicated"

I kid I kid. No but really, coffee is my fuel. About 3 cups a day.

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doug1001
roughly the same as a crack addict's relationship with crack. Writing this
while standing in a long line at Philz.

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hungerstrike
I stopped drinking caffeine a couple of months ago, in preparation for another
attempt at quitting smoking. I also did not need the extra energy boost in the
morning.

Also, it turns out that if you have a cuppa tea or coffee after quitting for a
while it makes you feel the effects very strongly. I don't really like it,
other than the taste.

My path to quitting caffeine was to first switch to green tea in the morning
for a while and then to Tulsi tea which is made from holy basil, which has a
lot of very nice health benefits especially for smokers.

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HokieGeek
I like the smell of it and in some foods it is great. Only somewhat enjoy
drinking it if it's sugared up but I don't like really sugary drinks, so it is
a fine line.

I do love me some tea, though.

~~~
captn3m0
I'm with you. Don't like it if it's bitter, and adding sugar is a big no, so I
end up drinking coffee maybe once/twice a month.

Drink a cup of tea almost every day though.

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mialmond
All resources I've ever read argue that coffee is super helpful. Probably, I'm
a sort of outliner. I drink no more than 1 cup of coffee per day and in 5
years this habit has gifted me with painful heartburns and chronic gastritis.

Initially, I started consuming coffee only because my mom has Parkinson's
disease and coffee is supposed to have preventive properties. I'm afraid I
will end up with ulcer sooner than I will live to Parkinson's onset.

~~~
dnautics
you could always switch to nicotine.

~~~
mialmond
Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by 23 factor. Green tea is an
alternative, but I hate it.

~~~
Tomminn
Parent probably means chewable or vaporized nicotine.

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twobyfour
I've cut it out of my life, with some reluctance. I never loved drip coffee
much, though it's not bad with milk. But I'm hypersensitive to caffeine and
simultaneously hate being caffeine-dependent.

What was really tough to cut out was espresso. Nothing in the world like an
iced latte. Decaf after cutting out caffeine. But I developed a mild lactose
intolerance, and none of the milk substitutes give nearly the same experience.

Oh well.

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luhn
I drink 12-16oz a day. I avoid drinking more than that to avoid the health
risks, like kidney stones. I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to caffeine at this
point, but I haven't been curious enough to test that theory.

I don't find much mental effect from it ("I need my morning coffee to
function" type thing), but the act of drinking hot coffee is quite comforting.

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nunez
I used to drink two cups every day. I knew the perfect proportions and knew
how to brew with those Melita single-cup drip cups.

Now, I usually drink a shot of espresso once or twice per week (either in a
latte or before a morning workout in an “Americano”) and focus on getting my
eight hours of sleep instead.

It’s hard for me to drink coffee now.

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hhsnopek
I started drinking coffee in highschool, 7 years ago, but I only drink on the
weekdays. I rarely drink coffee on weekends, and if I do it's an afternoon
treat. There are obvious mornings where I need coffee to function and
kickstart my day, but I really just enjoy the taste of coffee... Oh and it
keeps me warm in the cold office.

Edit: ~3-5 cups a day

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rharb
I was drinking a lot (4-5 cups a day, usually crammed into the morning) when
we had a Keurig in the office. Caused a bunch of heartburn during any
particularly stressful weeks.

I've cut back to a max of two cups a day, and feel a lot better. I also don't
feel like I need to drink coffee on the weekends to repel a headache until
Mondays now.

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Broken_Hippo
I like it. I generally only drink coffee or water. I've never gotten a "buzz"
from it unless I drink unreasonable amounts, and have no problems drinking it
before bed.

I generally only drink a cup at a time, off and on through the day. At home, I
have a pour-over. I have a travel press that I take to work or elsewhere.

~~~
Tomminn
Do you sleep well? I ask because almost every person I talk to who "has no
problems drinking coffee before bed" also happens to have chronic sleeping
issues, including me, five or so years ago.

~~~
marak830
I was a massive coffee drinker. I have a Starbucks venti sized mug, I'd go
through 6-7 a day, easily.

I haven't had more than 2 coffees a week in the last 6 months, and I still
have issues sleeping :-p

I don't blame the coffee, although I think it comes down to personal biology.

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PascLeRasc
I always have a cup in the morning, and if I have a meetup/workshop/project to
get to after work, I'll have a small cup around 5-6pm. It's also nice to have
a cup at work around 1-2pm but I just have to hide it from that one coworker
who loves to tell everyone how unhealthy it is.

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abalos
I've started drinking coffee just in the last 1 - 1.5 years and I am not
really sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I love the boost that it gives
me in the morning to get into the zone fast. On the other hand, I am
completely useless without it.

I also wonder if it doesn't decrease my attention span.

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purvis
I drink about 12oz of black combined with L-theanine every morning. Caffeine
alone tends to induce anxiety.

~~~
PascLeRasc
I've recently started adding L-theanine to my morning coffee every day, but I
feel like I don't feel the effects after a few days, so I go a day without and
then it feels normal again the next day. Have you ever had this?

~~~
purvis
It still does a pretty good job at preventing jitters. However, now that you
say it, I think the first few times it had more pronounced effects. I'll have
to try resetting my tolerance!

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troyworks
i have almost no relationship with it, as little or much when i want, whenever
or wherever i want

fresh roast 88pt(grade A) usually natural processed 100% Arabica/peaberry,
coffees, then immediate cold brew in fruit forward ristretto/espresso/full
drip by the gallon, and have it in the fridge with a pump.

a couple seconds to pump the espresso, then add milk, water alcohol vanilla at
any temp to taste. takes just seconds

it's naturally sweet black, and has no stomach upset, or jitters...just fades
out smoothly.

usually a double shot with breakfast and a other at 11, sometimes one in the
pm before a caffeiene nap, and sometimes one in a cockatail ( e..g. irish
coffee if i have writing or debugging..helps me get into the zone)

for the road i just put it in a bottle/flask

it's available on etsy under cloud9 brewing systems.

------
peelle
For the longest time we had a torrid affair. Pot+ everyday. About 1.5 years
ago, I quit cold turkey. What followed was 10 days of horrible headaches,
weird sleep, and moods.

Now a days, I have 1 - 3 cups a week. Usually when I am working out of a cafe.

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forthefuture
I never really got into it.

To me it's the same as alcohol, I'm happy not to have a taste for them.

------
LyndsySimon
I appreciate caffeine, but coffee and I don't get along - it upsets my
stomach. Tea works well.

Most of my caffeine comes from Monster Zero Sunrise at the moment. It's very
low carb (~2g net per can) and is fairly inexpensive on Amazon.

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Tomminn
In my disciplined days I used to have coffee/caffeine only on weekdays. Cannot
recommend this protocol strongly enough. Mondays are amazing because the two-
day detox is enough to resensitize you to caffeine.

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emerged
Every once in a while I'll have a 6oz cup of black. Probably on average 2-3
per week, with l-theanine. I like the taste and process of drinking it but not
jitters/anxiety.

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TYPE_FASTER
I drank two six “cup” pots (really about 2.5 cups each) today. I just got a
badge from the Dunks app that I’ve passed 20k points in the three years I’ve
been using the app.

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pan69
Two cups a day. One in the morning when I wake up. The second one somewhere
after lunch. Rarely I drink more than two a day.

I drink my coffee black. No milk. No sugar. Yummy...

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matchmike1313
I have a cup in the morning and another 2-3 cups up till around 3-4pm. I
usually go to bed at 11:30pm and by that time the caffeine is at a normal
level to sleep.

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Mz
Coffee and me have been getting together three or four times a week here
lately. We are seriously dating and considering getting engaged.

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mamcx
What is a good coffe replacement? (not ilegal!)

ie: For stay alert, focused.

~~~
justboxing
Cardio, esp. even a short 10 minute run in the morning does it for me. I do
drink coffee though, trying to get off of it lol.

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xelon
I drink a cup of black coffee after lunch on weekdays. I don't even remember
it on weekends because of two little monsters at home :)

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dmytroi
After moving to Stockholm, Sweden at least 3 espresso based drinks per day
(mostly cappuccino), sometimes up to 5-6 cups. Winter is hard here.

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gepiti
I never drink coffee. I don't like the taste.

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tetraodonpuffer
love the smell, can't stand the taste, tried it three times in my life
(espresso, cappuccino, in a tiramisu) and could not finish any of them, it's
probably the only food item that I have such a huge disconnect between the
smell/taste, as other items I hate and never have (say, alcohol) I also cannot
stand from a smell perspective...

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marojejian
Relationship with coffee? Pair-bonded for life with a healthy sex life, due to
constant positive feedback that built trust.

~~~
nickthemagicman
This describes my relationship with coffee as well.

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batbomb
Crossland CC-1 in my office, Aeropress in my office, Chemex, French Press, and
Astra Pro at home.

3-4 beverages a day on average.

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sjs382
Black. Three to five 12-oz cups per day, when I'm working.

Very rarely, I'll have a cup or two when not working.

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nyddle
4 espressoa day in various forms: 2 lungo or double espresso + cappuccino

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hprotagonist
1 9-cup moka pot with breakfast. Occasionally an espresso with lunch.

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SAI_Peregrinus
It smells like a mixture of skunk and burning rubber to me. The taste is
similar. My relationship with it is one of avoidance. I add powdered caffeine
to orange juice instead. Also tea.

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antisthenes
Coffee goes in, code comes out.

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steveharville
homemade cold brew only

