Wanting to start a coffee addiction

[palmerd1603]

Hello, My name is David and I am 24 years old. I have been a die hard tea drinker for the whole of my life. Currently I consume between 1 and 3 gallons of cold tea a day.

I have always loved the smell of coffee. I have brewed it in the house just for the aroma. I have made a decision to try again to drink it. The last time I tried I was 8 years old and it was because my mother drank it. The bitterness didn't bode well.

The Purpose of this post is to get feed back and suggestions as to the type of coffee, preparation, doctoring (if needed), and anything else that is helpful for a successful conversion.

Thank you in advance for the support and I look forward to conversing more on the subject.

 

[PinkRose]

Hello David,

Welcome to the Coffee Forum website!

I have known many tea drinkers who tried switching to coffee. Some were successful, and some were not.
Do you really drink 1-3 gallons of iced tea a day? It sounds like you prefer a cold beverage over a hot one. Do you sweeten your tea?

I've found that people who prefer iced tea over hot tea have better success with their "coffee switch over" if they start out with an iced coffee drink such as a frappuccino, etc. (cold, sweet combinations of coffee, and milk, sweetener, and flavor such as vanilla or chocolate).

However, if you want to do a quick switchover to hot coffee, you may want to find a good local cafe where you can get a decent cup of medium roasted brewed coffee and then add your own milk and sugar to taste. I would stay away from the dark roasted coffees at first. Your taste buds are used to the mild tea flavor, and a dark roasted coffee will be an unwelcome shock to your sense of taste. Also, Espresso based drinks, such as a Latte or Cappuccino, have steamed milk, which will help get you used to the coffee flavor without overpowering you. I would stay away from a place like Starbuck's because they are known for having dark-roasted bitter coffee. Find out where your friends go for "good coffee". That's always a good place to start.

Some of the parents, who are regular sustomers in the cafe where I work, are introducing their kids to coffee by ordering their drinks with half hot chocolate and half decaf so they can get used to the coffee taste without too much caffeine. Then, they plan to switch to regular brewed coffee with the hot chocolate, and gradually add more coffee until they are used to the coffee flavor by itself. I see the process and I wonder why they're going to so much trouble to teach their kids to drink coffee. But "ours is not to question why"

Good luck!

Rose

 

[palmerd1603]

I do truly drink drink that much tea. I do sugar it, though only marginally. I love hot tea as much as cold, but living in Arizona and having been raised by a Texas grandmother, iced tea has been a staple in the household diet.

 

[coffeedistributor]

Hey, David! I too wasn't a coffee drinker myself, because of the caffeine in it that acidifies your body. Then one day my father approached me with a specialty coffee originating from Asia. He stated it was a healthy coffee, that gives you a natural energy without the caffeine crash or jitters. Now, Danny! Honestly When I tried this coffee I was so amazed on how much energy I got from it, and the good part was that it was healthy for me. Since then I've been hoked and I drink no other coffee. Let me know if you have an interest, because I can guide you in the right direction!

 

[lil1104]

Hi David,

I would suggest you try the "mild" one such as Cappuccino, Latte. It seems like you prefer cold drinks (since you drink 1 - 3 gallons of cold tea per day), you may enjoy iced Cappuccino or iced macchiato (or try adding caramel or other syrup) - they'll give both sweet taste and aroma. I didn't like the bitter taste of coffee at the first place, either. And that was how I developed my liking of fresh coffee.

 

[JavaRob]

Great tips everyone. I too am looking at expanding my coffee drinking habits. I've been going to local and chain coffee shops to compare tastes and to find what I like. I do this so I know what products to invest in for my home brewing needs. Well keep the tips coming.

 

[palmerd1603]

I am interested in knowing what kind of coffee that is.

 

[palmerd1603]

Well I am now a coffee drinker. There is a small coffee roaster here in town and their beans are great. I can get black coffee and it is just wonderful.

 

[PinkRose]

Congratulations! That didn't take much time at all. I hope you have years and years of enjoyable coffee experiences.

Rose

 

[yourcoffeecompany]

I have found my favorite coffe to be an Ethiopian blend. When ground and weighed correctly (in my opinion) there is no coffee smoother.

 

[Randy G.]

Three gallons a DAY?
That's THIRTY-TWO twelve ounce glasses a day!
That's one, 12-ounce glass every thirty minutes when your awake in a normal day.
Excessive consumption of liquid (a hard-to-quench thirst) is one symptom of diabetes.
Three gallons is also a taxing request on the kidneys.
I am not a medical professional, but that sounds excessive...

Unless you work in a steel mill next to the smelting pot!

 

[latonyarock]

here in south india people love to drink coffee along with milk and ofcourse with a pin of sugar depending upon taste. Most people are almost addicted to coffee here than tea and the reason being the freshness it brings to the mind and body