Help me make coffee suck less

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Replies

  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Wait....why can't you function?? Are you sleeping enough? Do you have uncontrolled/undetected chronic conditions? Are you eating right? Getting enough exercise? One should not "need" coffee to function.
  • wildgritsbenoit
    wildgritsbenoit Posts: 1 Member
    I LOVE coffee. I drink it strong and black. But if you don't like it why don't you drink black leaf tea? There is more caffeine in that anyways.
  • rlaramee2
    rlaramee2 Posts: 28 Member
    If you hate coffee, why would you force yourself to drink it? Just drink a Red Bull or, better yet, a 5Hour Energy.
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  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Have you considered just not drinking coffee? There are ways of getting caffeine in your body without drinking coffee.

    My go-to coffee includes a tablespoon of sugar free hazelnut creamer and 3-4 Splenda packets depending on the size of the cup. Black coffee tastes like death to me. I'm more of a Starbucks girl (yep, I'm basic), but I do enjoy my hazelnut coffee in the afternoons. Not sure why, but it makes me think of Christmas.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited May 2016
    nosajjao wrote: »
    I've never considered a 5hour Energy to be in the realm of "better yet". More like the realm of "WTF are you thinking?"

    Seriously, though, @nosajjao, 5HED is not that bad. For example, it might be better than snacking on a bag of moldy chewing tobacco with nothing but a bowl of snot to wash it down.
  • SolotoCEO
    SolotoCEO Posts: 293 Member
    Why drink coffee if you don't like it? If you want caffeine - there are other sources.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited May 2016
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    I'm a teacher, and I absolutely hate coffee. However, I force myself to drink it on select occasions when I just CAN'T function. I usually add a couple tablespoons of creamer to my coffee, but those calories quickly add up and make my total breakfast calories way too high.

    I tried putting my unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my coffee yesterday, and it was absolutely disgusting.

    Help! What can I add to my coffee to make it low-calorie AND taste halfway decent?

    @ebrass73 -

    Good question!

    (And pretty clearly put - seemed plain to me that it was neither, "Am I crazy for wanting to drink coffee if I don't really like it but it gives me energy and I want to learn how to enjoy it?" nor "Should I enlist a medical team to help me diagnose the yawns I sometimes get during the work week.")

    Any success so far?
  • yumesoraki
    yumesoraki Posts: 4,859 Member
    Once upon a time in undergrad, I hated coffee, so I get it. I loved the way it smelled, but could just not drink it in any form (latte, mocha, even those super sweet things). I drank a lot of diet soda to stay awake during the day while working 2 part time jobs and taking classes(dragging a 2liter to class is kinda frowned upon btw).

    One of the other things I really liked when I was exploring coffee initially was similar to people here adding syrup, but for me I added Ovaltine (regular chocolate is 40 cal, classic malt 70cal for 2 Tablespoons for 1 cup).
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    I'm a huge fan of the sugar free powdered coffeemate. I currently have the sugar free vanilla caramel. I use 2 tsp of that and a packet of splenda in my instant coffee over ice. It's not stellar, but it's 25 calories and does the job of waking me up!
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    sllm1 wrote: »
    Just don't drink it?

    I take one-a-day energy (or active metabolism) vitamins. They contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Except you don't have to drink the coffee.

    Caffeine pills?
    Have you tried green tea?
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    2 tbsp of half and half in high-quality coffee, and I'm good to go on 40 calories.
  • e_v_v
    e_v_v Posts: 131 Member
    To all who have asked--I have very weak, sensitive teeth, so drinking soda isn't an option for me. I already drink a LOT of green tea; it just isn't enough caffeine. I love hot drinks, so that's why I'm asking for coffee recommendations.
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    Take a caffeine pill with a hot beverage that you do like.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited May 2016
    vegmebuff wrote: »
    sllm1 wrote: »
    Just don't drink it?

    I take one-a-day energy (or active metabolism) vitamins. They contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Except you don't have to drink the coffee.

    Caffeine pills?
    Have you tried green tea?

    I vote for keeping the teeth healthy for sure but hating coffee so much you need stuff to add to it to make it suck less, sounds like you need to get away from the coffee and maybe go to hot cocoa or hot teas of various tastes or something else besides coffee!

    But you need caffiene fix, use the caffeine tablets from your pharmacy. Cheap and easy..

    This thread is sort of old, haven;t found an alternative yet... LOL ???
  • 737jac737
    737jac737 Posts: 54 Member
    #1. You need to start with good quality coffee and it needs to be mild. Read the labels and do Not choose medium or dark roast. Look for a mild Kona coffee from Hawaii, or if you live near an HEB, Taste of San Antonio is good. #2. You need a tablespoon of Promised Land Whole Milk.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    Have you tried cold-brewed? You soak the ground coffee beans in cool water for 12 hours or so, and the result is much milder (but contains less caffeine) than hot coffee:
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_brew_coffee

    It can be warmed in the microwave or added to a warmed, yummy mixture of cream/half-half and flavorings.
  • ontheneedles
    ontheneedles Posts: 4 Member
    edited May 2016
    If you don't need them very often, you could try caffiene tablets. You can get them in the pharmacy next to the allergy relief meds. I wouldn't recommend doing them for long periods of time, but they really help for the occassional frumpy day.
  • ncgirl1984
    ncgirl1984 Posts: 1 Member
    I love coffee but what I do sometimes instead of drinking it is make coffee yogurt. Yup, sounds gross but it's delish. You get good quality instant coffee (it's strong, I think one teaspoon probably equals a cup, I like Jacobs) and splenda. Buy plain Greek yogurt or make your own. Add some coffee and splenda to your taste, mix, mix, mix, and enjoy. You're still getting your caffeine, with a shot of protein. My next mission is to make coffee frozen yogurt to substitute my beloved coffee ice cream.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    ncgirl1984 wrote: »
    I love coffee but what I do sometimes instead of drinking it is make coffee yogurt. Yup, sounds gross but it's delish. You get good quality instant coffee (it's strong, I think one teaspoon probably equals a cup, I like Jacobs) and splenda. Buy plain Greek yogurt or make your own. Add some coffee and splenda to your taste, mix, mix, mix, and enjoy. You're still getting your caffeine, with a shot of protein. My next mission is to make coffee frozen yogurt to substitute my beloved coffee ice cream.

    That sounds good. Thanks for the tip!

    Let us know how the frozen experiment turns out?

    PS You can also use liquid sucralose or stevia blend without the carb fillers that are added to the powdered stuff.
  • cal800
    cal800 Posts: 1 Member
    edited May 2016
    As some said make sure the pot is fresh. I like using evaporated milk it tastes good and is healthy too. I do prefer it sweet and use Splenda / sucralose.
  • belus06
    belus06 Posts: 6 Member
    ebrass73 wrote: »
    I'm a teacher, and I absolutely hate coffee. However, I force myself to drink it on select occasions when I just CAN'T function. I usually add a couple tablespoons of creamer to my coffee, but those calories quickly add up and make my total breakfast calories way too high.

    I tried putting my unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my coffee yesterday, and it was absolutely disgusting.

    Help! What can I add to my coffee to make it low-calorie AND taste halfway decent?

    I like my coffee black, but when I want to spicy this gs Up I hit it with a scope of chocolate protein, mix it well with spoon or pre-mix it. I call it Promoch, no milk just proteins and coffee.
  • OldHobo
    OldHobo Posts: 647 Member
    This has been at the top of the board for days. One way to get stuff to suck less is to do it yourself.
    • Go to a good vendor of green (raw) coffee beans. The best one I know is Sweet Maria's.
    • Pick out some beans or maybe a selection of them. There's a lot of good advice on the site.
    • Choose a roasting method. If you don't want to spend $s for roasting equipment use the cowboy method. After you've tried it once or twice I'll give you my experience with it if you ask nicely.
    • Invest in a burr grinder. You kinda have to have one of these.
    • Choose a brewing method and get your equipment for that. Can be cheap and simple or expensive and complicated. You can make good coffee either way.
    • Experiment with beans, roasts, and brews 'til you get it the way you like.
    • Roast once per week and grind for each brew.
    By the time you've done all that, will take a year or two at least, you'll have earned access to a very small and exclusive club and can explain what you like in clearer terms than it doesn't suck so much.