Column:
Caffeine for coffee fiends
Find out if you're ordering your coffee right.
Published Nov. 13, 2009
I never drank coffee before I found a job at a café. I wasn't sure how you were supposed to drink it — what you were supposed to put in it or what separated good coffee from bad coffee. Now I've been around it enough, I know there's no one simple answer. But enough time spent on double duty behind the bar and behind the register, I do know you might be doing it wrong.
Now I don't mean you're doing it wrong when you order a cappuccino and send it back because it has too much foam (because you are).
But if your goal is to stay awake and stay alert, you don't necessarily need to be shelling out close to $4 every time you need a shot of caffeine.
For starters, a small cup of coffee has more caffeine in it than espresso — which you can order in any number, but traditionally come in one, two or three shots. Although it might take a second or two to down (put it on ice if you're in a hurry), you're going to get a jolt stronger than you would even with the biggest latte you can order. And it's going to be much cheaper, too.
A lot of people approach lattes as if they are havens of caffeine. In reality, depending on the size of your drink and where you purchase it, the amount of espresso in your drink will not change. Shocked? I was too when I first found out. Although coffee was never my thing, I drank it occasionally to try to stay up for all-nighters. My theory? The bigger the cup, the greater the caffeine (and the closer to God). But not necessarily true.
Two shots of espresso in your latte or cappuccino is pretty standard. If you upgrade a size, you'll likely still get the same amount of espresso. The extra money you're paying and the bigger cup is just going to more milk. I like milk as much as the next guy, but I wouldn't put my trust in a lot of foamy milk when I need a jolt to keep working, studying or essentially functioning the morning after a cram session.
My other tip: Although not all students have enough room in their dorms or apartments for a big clunky coffee maker, caffeine hoarders can save a lot of money by purchasing a 3-cup French press and a small bag of coarsely ground coffee from a local roaster or grocery store. It pays for itself within the first month if you drink coffee on a daily basis and usually get your kicks at Starbucks or at any number of cafés across town. A three-cupper is small, efficient and pretty darn cute. Give or take, in under six minutes you'll be able to take with you a mug full of coffee to your 8 a.m. — all without shelling out a lot of money or waiting in a long line.
The moral of the story is though those of us who make coffee for you everyday love seeing you everyday, you can save a few bucks by cutting down on your trips or by making your coffee at home now and then. And even when you visit, now you know how to spend your money. Now, go get some sleep.
