How much coffee is all right? - Page 3

I have roasted my own for years too. If there's a single varietal you love...and you know exactly which grade, of which crop, from which plantation, in which region, from which varietal it is...and you have access to it...plus you have the equipment and knowledge to roast it absolutely correctly (very easy to screw up)...then great. Blending makes that whole idea far more difficult, and takes a lot of experimenting. That's all fun if you have the knowledge, time and interest to do that. Most people just want to consume it. But to say you can't buy roasted beans as good as you can make at home is simply not true. There are plenty of high quality artisan roasters that employ far more knowledgeable people than you or I who make it their career making the best possible quality coffee...as is the case with a lot of artisan companies. They obviously ship their products daily to the vendors so freshness is never an issue. And I doubt very much that you could make an espresso blend at home that could compete with anything like Black Cat or Epic.

'prepackaged' was meant to only refer to the 'mass produced' stuff... (anything that is roasted/packaged weeks before it hits the store).

I first learned how to roast coffee from a small lil shop, from which I still buy the beans. They actually helped me select the equipment and helped me when I was first learning (and burning some coffee beans). They are really busy right now with 'special orders' (aka christmas presents). I was afraid that SBUX would put them outta business when they opened two locations nearby but, fortunately, the coffee shop has a loyal following and is still running.

Yes it will, and the cells in the brain will get smaller. http://www.amenclinics.com/my-brain-...ritional-tips/ http://www.amenclinics.com/my-brain-...ct-your-brain/

Interesting... In those articles he's anti-stimulant, yet never provides footnotes to back his assumptions. In other articles, he's espousing their benefits and even prescribing them. http://www.amenclinics.com/clinics/i...help/adhd-add/ If it walks like a duck... Maybe it's anecdotal, but again, name me one civilization that wasn't based around some stimulant. Ancient Egyptians had coffee, herbal teas and chewed the hooves of Abyssinian donkeys, ground up, cooked in oil, and then flavored with rose petals and rose hips. Ancient Greeks had coffee (like Kona, grown in volcanic soil) and they drank mushroom-and-plant concoctions for extra oomph. The Romans had espresso and also guzzled herbal stimulants. Chariot horses got some of their get-up-and-go from similar mixtures. Asian and British societies were raised on teas. Naturally caffeinated of course. Nature doesn't make decaf. Decaf is bad for you too... it causes heart problems: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8328 Decaf can cause Rheumatoid Arthritis: http://www.allaboutarthritis.com/All...aff_coffee.htm Oh look, creditable doctors from the University of Chigago saying that CAFFEINATED COFFEE is not only GOOD for your brain, but it's better than decaf: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/h...docs18.article

Everyone needs a little caffeine. I noticed that the people drinking 'decaf' coffee at work are also the ones slamming down six Diet Cokes™ a day....

Hahaha. Did you really put a trade mark by diet coke? Berticus- I understand wanting to do things right, but you were just looking for a quick study aide. I mean, if you want to get into the craft that is fine espresso and coffee by all means explore and research. However, if you're just looking for a boost to keep you going in the morning occasionally, it's not that big a deal to just pound whatever coffee you find as far as health is concerned.

Oops, I meant Diet Coke®

the past 4 weeks i've had i'm guessing around 600mg of caffiene a day. it kept me wide awake averaging 5 hours sleep per week. coffee morning (two on some days) 3 coke zeros or a red bull and 2 coke zeros when i get home usually 2 redbulls/v i'm free now, so no need to do the above. had a coffee and a diet coke, felt tired and did get minor headaches (didn't think i would but i got them)

Those articles are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to read up on it in more detail, he writes a lot of it in his book "Change your brain, change your life" complete with brain scans and footnotes galore.


No, he's not. He's pretty anti-stimulant. He's just listing off some of the various treatments typically prescribed for people with ADHD/ADD, not that he is endorsing them. He goes into more detail about that in his book.


I know. I personally LOVE coffee. But I really was addicted to it big time which compelled me to look into it more.

I am the same way. I don't really catch my first wind, so to speak, until late in the afternoon. Until then, I'm dragging ass and not very productive. That makes me the efficient networker and campaigner that I am. I have some pretty irregular/late hours where I have to be on top of my game. If I don't manage to get to sleep by 11'ish, then my second wind kicks in and then it's not likely I'm going to sleep until 2 or 3am. This is all without the aide of caffeine or any other stimulant. I need a little help in the mornings in order to be somewhat productive, especially at morning meetings where I need to be as social as I am in the evenings. I was working on my masters full time and now I have a part-time internship in addition to my full-time job, so I need a little help to keep going here and there too. Back in college (undergrad) it wasn't much of a problem. I used to power nap. I had Crew at 4:30am, food, class at 7am, nap, class, lunch, nap, class, food, nap, maybe another class/study/drink, sleep, repeat... or something to that effect (I ate more). I would need stimulants to get though mids and finals but for the most part I didn't need anything stronger than a medium drip from Dunkin Donuts. I didn't get into espresso and making my own coffee until I graduated. As for the health benefits for and against. Who cares? It's common sense that too much stimulant use isn't going to be good for you. I just don't prescribe to the Dr. Phil pseudoscientist wanna-be's of the world and their unfounded scare tactics. If you want to, knock yourself out. Medicine has had enough theory in it's history. Witch doctors write books, real doctors publish in journals. Cutting stimulants from your daily regimen certainly won't hurt you and I applaude anyone with the willpower to do it. There is no way I or anyone else with a job and a life could do so either. But to rail against their moderate use without any evidence is just bullshit to sell stuff plain and simple. After all, the man needs his niche hook. I mean, the guy compares coffee to Ritalin, cocaine, MDMA and meth despite the fact that they all effect the brain in very different ways... while at the same time prescribing Ritalin and Adderall (he says he does prescribe them). If he thinks they're harmful than what happened to his oath? Ugh! Lets keep this on Coffee. It's more subjective than clothing, so what I think is good other coffee drinkers may not. There is 100 times as many different coffees out there than what any one store could ever carry. You need to try lots of different types and have fun with it. I don't usually buy the same kind twice unless I'm grabbing something from Trader Joe's or at the shop next door.