Wake up and smell the coffee

Life is pretty good as I sit here drinking a piping hot cup of fair trade Sumatran coffee. I pity those poor souls who drink no-name instant coffee with powdered milk.

I admit it. I’m a HUGE coffee snob. Even when I go camping I bring along the good stuff. I have no problem sleeping in a leaky tent on a bed of pointy rocks, peeing in the bush, and eating beans straight from the can – but it’s back to the city for me if that cup of Jo isn’t waiting for me in the morning.

Here are some things I’ve learned about coffee over the years.

- Life is too short to drink bad coffee.
- Decaf is only good to drink for “medical reasons” (pregnancy, insomnia etc…)
- Just because it says “organic” doesn’t mean it tastes good. I’ve had some organic coffees that taste like compost.
- The same goes for if it says “fair trade”.
- Organic, fair trade coffee that tastes good is worth its weight in gold.
- Stopping for coffee is an expensive habit (which I’ve never completely kicked). But I figure that since I don’t smoke, don’t drink much, don’t buy a lot of clothes I can justify the indulgence.
- If you are on a budget, drink home brew. You’ll be amazed how much money you’ll save.
- Many coffee houses have customer reward programs. I get every tenth bag free!
- Coffee is supposed to be hot, not warm. Most coffee maker machines don’t get the water hot enough. To get the temperature right every time, pour boiling water through a cone filter.
- Dark roasts have less caffeine than lighter roasts (but I think the dark roasts taste better).
- A Barista once told me that storing coffee in the freezer doesn’t actually lock in its freshness. I’ll have to do more research on that one…
- A shot of espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee (my friend taught me that just last week)
- A coffee a day keeps the yawns away. And the kisses too, so carry breath mints.
- Frozen slurpy-like coffees have a gajillion calories in them.
- Coffee tastes better and stays hotter if drunk out of a clay mug. It also feels more decadent.
- You are definitely Canadian if you know what “double, double” means.
- Even people who don’t like coffee appreciate that the beans smell good.
- Even though caffeine is a drug, it’s safe to consume in moderation. If you drink 8 cups or more a day, you probably have a problem.
- Reheated coffee is never as good.
- Coffee withdrawal is really ugly, but nothing that a cup of coffee can’t cure.
- Worldwide, 500 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day (more than half in the morning).

For more interesting coffee trivia, check out this website. This is the official website for a documentary series called Black Coffee that I watched on TVO. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!

Would you look at the time – I think it’s time for a coffee break! See yah!