Can I get you a cup of coffee or (caffeinated) tea?

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 9:28 am

I hear this question wherever I go.

I don't drink coffee (nor any other caffeinated product) and people seem surprised that I can go through the day without coffee.

So I thought I'd create a poll to see just how common is this daily coffee/caffeine habit.

I'm curious.

zaq

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 10:03 am

What are you asking exactly?
A. Would we indulge in a caffeinated beverage if offered?
B. Do we indulge in caffeinated beverages on our own, or
C. Do we need caffeinated beverages to function?

sequoia

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 10:11 am

I’m super anxious so no caffeine for me.

Just herbal tea Smile

lfab

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 10:13 am

I don't like coffee, tea, or soda. So no caffeine for me (although I will admit that there are days that I wish I liked coffee because I could really use an energy boost).

FranticFrummie

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 10:15 am

I can have one cup of decaf coffee in the morning, and that's it. Otherwise it messes with my heart rate too much.

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 10:22 am

zaq wrote:

What are you asking exactly?
A. Would we indulge in a caffeinated beverage if offered?
B. Do we indulge in caffeinated beverages on our own, or
C. Do we need caffeinated beverages to function?

Many people, as a matter of daily routine, have a morning coffee, or noon coffee, and some have multiple coffees a day.

So many times I meet a friend on the street and I hear, ''hey, can I get you a cup of coffee?" and they're shocked when I say no. Like you might be shocked if you offered a kid a lollipop and the kid said no.

It seems that daily coffee is so prevalent, and I'm curious about it.

I'm asking A, B, and C.

zaq

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 11:00 am

When people offer you coffee or tea, they aren’t offering you caffeine per se. Coffee and tea are social beverages in a way that water, milk, soda and juice are not. There is the whole brewing ritual, the add-ons (cream? milk? honey?sugar?sweetener? lemon? Pastry?), the need to take time to drink a hot beverage.

Cocoa could be in the same class but isn’t. Today it’s viewed mostly as a drink for children. But chocolate, as it was called then, became a popular beverage in Europe as early as the 1500s. In the 1600s, “ chocolate houses” sprang up in England and by the 1700s were as widespread as coffee houses.

The popularity of both coffe-and chocolate-houses in England declined by the end of the 1700s, and tea became the more favored drink.

One lingers over hot beverages, and they become an excuse for socializing.

Ruchel

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 11:29 am

I drink chocolate milk... or ice tea.. or juices... or milk... or water

zaq

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 11:38 am

I don’t know why your friends are shocked. They need to get out more. Even people who love coffee don’t necessarily want it right this minute. Especially if they anticipate a long trip home.

sequoia

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 11:41 am

I love hot chocolate!

InnerMe

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 11:43 am

Hot chocolate for me too, please.
If it's gotta be coffe or tea, make it coffee. But with lots of sugar and very hot.
Thank you.

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Nov 07 2018, 12:05 pm

I dislike tea and consider it mainly something to drink with lemon andlots and lots of honey when I have a cold or flu or recovering from a stomach bug. Herb tea is ok but both kinds lack “body”. They’re basically flavored water and I hate the flavor of black tea. Hence the honey to kill the taste.

I drink coffee because I like the smell, the taste, the cozy feel of the hot mug in my hand, and because it satisfies hunger when taken with a lot of milk. . Sort of. IMaking coffee half and half with milk gives me two cups for the caloric value of one. Caffeine does nothing for me so I take decaf if it’s around but will take caf if that’s all there is. But not at night because it leaves me still tired and fuzzy-brained but sleepless.

I also drink coffee to be sociable. Especially if there’s cake to go with it. And because in some situations that’s the only thing around that’s kosher. Water is totally not a social beverage. It’s what you drink when you have to talk a lot in a nonsocial situation like giving a speech or teaching. And juice is relatively high in sugar and calories for not that much nutrition.

I like coffee but it doesn’t bother me if I don’t have it. I also like coffee candy, yogurt, liqueur and ice cream, not to mention coffee with ice cream in it or coffee poured over ice cream. You could also substitute the word “chocolate” or “cocoa” for “coffee” in the previous sentence. But not “tea”.

imasoftov

Thu, Nov 08 2018, 3:39 am

Thanks, but show me to where you keep the coffee stuff and I'll make my own.

WitchKitty

Thu, Nov 08 2018, 4:09 am

I like the smell and taste of coffee but I don't like what it does to me. it makes me feel jumpy and hyperactive.
So I really only drink coffee if nothing can get any worse...
My friends are also surprised when I refuse. Especially if I sleep over and I only want water in the morning.

Simple1

Thu, Nov 08 2018, 7:12 am

I don't drink coffee. I also need a good night's sleep to function, while I see many others who can stay up very late. I often wonder if there's a connection - like do some people need the coffee because they're sleep deprived?

Reality

Thu, Nov 08 2018, 9:00 am

I don't drink coffee or tea. I prefer water.