I was browsing my way through the Sydney Morning Herald website this morning, looking for a particular article (which I'll link to when I find it!) when this one caught my eye.
I switched to decaf coffee a few years ago for health reasons, on the advice of my doctor. Initially I thought I'd just have to give up coffee altogether, but thankfully the flavour of decaf has come a LONG way since the first cup I tried a decade ago. After I weaned myself off the caffeine I never looked back. Sure, sometimes I wish I could have that shot of it to wake me up a bit, but on the whole I don't miss it.
Sadly some people still say to me "why bother drinking coffee?". To them I ask - do you drink coffee only for the caffeine, or do you actually like the flavour too? I love coffee - the aroma, the taste, the warmth on a cold day... I realise it's all flavoured water, but I think coffee is more "solid" than a cup of tea (which I also love... love my first cup o' tea of the day. And my second. And my third...). I mean, if a cup of tea is a light salad and pan-fried chicken breast, then to me coffee is the steak and chips. Does that make any sense, or has my brain prematurely fried for the week?
I'm interested to hear what other people think of decaf coffee. And what they think of decaf drinkers.
3 comments:
I understand you perfectly! Coffee is more substantial than tea, especially if it is made with lots of milk. I have been trying to transition to soy milk (difficult when the best coffee place near to me only has one option - full cream milk!)
I occassionally switch to decaf (or no coffee at all) if I am going through a sleepless/anxious patch, because I think I am quite sensitive to it - that and sugar, wheat, dairy, etc. etc.... ;)
I definitely drink coffee for flavour and aroma - which is why things like Starbucks crap and American diner coffee can stay away from me. I did decaf for two years not long ago and was surprised at how much improvement there had been in the stuff. It's still markedly thinner in flavour in most cases, though I've had a few cups where I couldn't tell the difference.
I couldn't agree more about Starbarfs and other coffee like it.
Mel and I love the coffee Dino and the team serve up at Espressino (Madame Brussels Lane, just down from Spring St on Lonsdale in the CBD). We're lucky they're right under where we work.
Life is too short to drink bad coffee!
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