Teach Guynemer about coffee

[Guynemer]

So ten years ago, I quit caffeine, cold turkey.

Little did I realize then that I would now be on my pediatrics heme/onc sub-internship, be working 10-12 hours a day six days a week, not counting the fact that I'm oncall every fourth night, thus spending 32 or so hours straight in the hospital about twice a week.

Long story short--I need caffeine!

Trouble is, I find pop to be too sweet; it also, in the words of Berkeley Breathed, "tastes like malted battery acid."

So, please, teach me about coffee. I wouldn't know a latte if it bit me on the ass. I can't tell the different between an espresso and a hole in the ground. And, for the love of god, one lump or two?!

Help me, please, before I fall asleep in front of my attending!

[Ecthy]

I don't know too much about different brands... try them all, there's some great stuff out there.

Also there's a variety of how to drink it. Many people just put the powder into the cup and add hot water, instead of using the coffee machine that is so popular in the west. LaAcking such a machine, I for myself do that "more direct" approach, but it does bad to my stomach, and I hate to have all the stuff in my mouth, so don't you use too much coffee powder for that thing.

Let me finish with an Arab saying -

Coffee has to be black as the night, hot as love, and sweet as sin.

--> No creme, lots of sugar!

[Cruddy]

Keep the doses moderate - too much and you will start sweating.

Latte is coffee made with hot milk rather than water.

The milk and sugar are just there to make it taste better.

Just as much caffeine in tea as in coffee - difference is tea has soporifics in it that give a more rounded hit.

I wouldn't pretend to know much more about coffee - over to the experts...

[DanS]

Try tea. It's better for you, there are a lot of different varieties, it's more convenient, and cheaper.

[Imran Siddiqui]

No creme, lots of sugar!

It's the way I drink it .

[Harry Seldon]

I agree; tea is better. I am a sucker for a mocha valencia frappecino from Starbucks every once in a while, though.

[Paul Hanson]

Coffee needs at least 6 spoons of sugar in it to be drinkable. I'd stick with tea personally.

[Cruddy]

OK, what little I do know;

2 basic methods; instant and brewed. Instant is powdered coffee that dissolves in hot water. Brewed is made by infusing ground beans in hot water for a short time, then straining/filtering it so that the "grounds" aren't drunk accidently.

Many different varieties of either. In your case instant (quicker to make) would be best - brewed (can't remember the real name) filter coffee tastes a lot richer. Many, many different varieties, all descended from ancient Arabica (?) plant.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Coffee needs at least 6 spoons of sugar in it to be drinkable. I'd stick with tea personally.

Wuss .

[Wraith]

Everything you need to know is here:

http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq.htm

Wraith
"If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee; it is the intelligent beverage."
-- Sydney Smith

[Paul Hanson]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Coffee needs at least 6 spoons of sugar in it to be drinkable. I'd stick with tea personally.

Wuss .

If I wanted a bitter taste in my mouth for half the day, I'd drink vinegar.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Vinegar? You consider that bitter?!

[Paul Hanson]

Stop showing off.

[Imran Siddiqui]

[Paul Hanson]

I now have this mental image of you sat in front of your computer, taking swigs of coffee and vinegar one after the other, shouting "Pah, I tire of these women's drinks!"