I love that Brian, whose daily consumption of 14 shots of espresso includes an iced caramel macchiato, drinks out of a moka pot because he is "health conscious."
I had to Google "marienda" Valentona. A whole category of meal I was not aware of!
Now you got me remembering how when I was little my grandmother would have coffee and pour me a little cup that was maybe 1/3 coffee and 2/3 milk. Sort of a toddler's latte. Sooo good!
You know what drew? I can actually find this out for you!
In my survey, I asked people to say to what extent they agreed with the statements "I am a genius" and "I talk a lot!"
So now I can feed the stats into ChatGPT and see what the correlation is. Ready?...
Okay, Ray says, "The correlation between “I am a genius” and “I talk a lot!” is 0.17, which is a weak positive relationship. There’s a slight tendency for people who say they’re a genius to also say they talk a lot—but it’s not a strong or consistent link."
So then I asked Ray for the strongest correlations with "I am a genius." They are:
-I am fun to hang out with (+0.38)
-I am an unusual person (+0.37)
-I am an original thinker (+0.34)
-I am reliable (+0.30)
-NYC loves me (+0.30)
The top negative correlations:
-“Life’s a shit sandwich, and then you die” (more agreement = lower genius rating) (−0.17)
-“I am offended right now” (−0.15)
-Youngest age willing to date (the younger the minimum dating age, the slightly lower the genius rating) (−0.06)
Ray continues, "So people who say they're a genius also tend to see themselves as quirky, original, reliable, and generally well-liked. Less so if they’re feeling offended or nihilistic."
This is more than you wanted, Drew, but I am so fascinated by this stuff!
I adore my platonic match though sadly she lives in a different city. We are lucky, as it looks like our pool of suitables is small.
Since retirement I've been missing those dreadful work meetings which I used to get through by drinking enough coffee to make my teeth throb. My Aharon makes French press which is okay (I grew up on Cuban coffee). I noticed that I've been really happy when I've had access to an espresso/cappuccino machine so I got myself a basic maker (DeLonghi Stilosa) and have watched approximately 10,000 YouTube videos on how to "dial in", what accessories to get, what kind of coffee, how to grind it, let the beans "breathe", etc., etc., and discovered that I like basic coffee made with the stock equipment best, steamed almond milk, no sugar.
I too tried life without coffee after reading Michael Pollan say that he "slept like a teenager", but it only gave me teenage angst, not great sleep.
It is funny there is nothing I love more than a cappuccino, T-POP, but I've never wanted an espresso machine at home, mainly because I think it might ruin the experience of the cappuccino being this big treat when I go out.
May you stay forever coffee-young. Cancer treatments and autoimmune flares made it suddenly impossible for me to drink coffee anymore. I've found a blend of chicory root, dandelion root and carob give me that smooth, comforting sip, but, alas, no caffeine. I know it seems like you could never live without it, but believe me, you will if you have no choice. For now, please enjoy and savor it.
Ada I know in my heart you are right. I'd adjust. But yes, for now I'm enjoying as much as possible!! And I'm glad you found a substitute that gets at least half the job done.
My flex used to be that I have NEVER had a cup of coffee, not even a sip, not a taste. I'm a big tea drinker. Recently I was informed my grandpa would give coffee to the babies. "Sorry, you've probably had coffee," my aunt said. But not willingly. Does that count? Am I insane? Do I need coffee?? Will my life instantly improve?
Wow Emily that is wild!!! You've never even been curious to try? You could put this on your tombstone "Never Had Coffee." And never mind your Aunt.
1) She clearly wants to take you down because you have such an amazing fun-fact to trot out at dumb "ice breaker" exercises at office parties and she likely does not!
2) She said "probably"
Would your life instantly improve with coffee? There is only one way to find out but please don't do it!
Coffee Kultur -- this was HILARIOUS. I try to eat & drink a pretty diverse mix of things. I don't even mind the below average occasionally because it reminds me of what I'm missing. On rainy days in the Twin Cities (infrequent) if I am alone I go to IKEA and eat a BAD breakfast that includes free coffee. On the continuum of the coffee I make at home (excellent) to pond swill, IKEA coffee is much closer to the latter. Invariably (like today as it rained) the modest breakfast was fine. I won't go to IKEA unless the plan is to read by the big windows looking out and interrupting even a winter day with sunshine. My eye infection is finally clearing so I took along "Too Big for a Single Mind" -- the story of the emergence of the quantum world. Anyhow after a meh breakfast and decidedly unsatisfactory coffee I read 2.5 chapters of the wonderful book and then 8000 steps on the meandering concrete path to the door. On the way home I stopped at Caribou Coffee and had a GREAT CUP of coffee with a free refill and read one more chapter. That cup of coffee cost more than my eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes with free coffee. Quality matters though because I enjoyed the Caribou coffee and environment much better. I sat by the fireplace that is a fixture in my favorite Twin Cities coffee shop chain. When I got back I opened Substack and was greeted by the 10 cup a day crowd. Fun. I loved your mix of ten cup a day types. It reminds me that most alcoholics just drink vodka. Neither of these groups seem to be in it for the taste. Being meticulous in the prep if you are drinking more than a half a gallon of coffee would be too time consuming. My only conclusion from your wonderful interviews is there is a floor to what is acceptable coffee I think if you are drinking THAT MUCH. No human could drink ten cups of IKEA coffee daily -- their body would reject it after the 2nd cup. Sorry so much about me and coffee. For the record I am most every day two large cups. Some days it is just green tea instead. If I lived in Portland or Seattle there is no way I could survive a more frequent IKEA habit. Luckily in my current life, I find myself reading at IKEA and sipping BAD COFFEE about twice a month.
Finally, thanks for the platonic matchmaker service. I am enjoying getting to know my match so far. I hope they feel the same
REALLY FINALLY -- in re: Stephen Lowell and his coffee habits -- the 'I drink ten cups' is a pet peeve for me. Stephen is drinking from a big cup for so his ten cups means about 2.5 pots of coffee. Might need to wear a catheter bag. It's like someone saying my truck is pretty good on gas. I can get to the cabin on half a tank. Um it all depends how big your cup or fuel tank is.
Mark! I love hearing all your coffee thoughts of course and am also delighted you are enjoying your match so far.
As for Mr. Lowell, please keep in mind that he measures his coffee by the pot. Five cups per pot. So he may be using a 2.5 cup mug but I think we can trust his math.
I will say, though, that big mugs or horrible bc the coffee gets cold before you finish! I like the eight-ounce mug and coffee boiling hot. And even then I might nuke it at least once before I finish!
The best thing about your response is Mark in lieu of Mr Dolan.
I did a mini rant when I was writing about coffee years ago. We have a 1-2 cup maker as well as a Cuisinart drip machine when we have company. The machine the Cuisinart replaced was a 12 cup machine. The Cuisinart embraced modern marketing wherein a service of chips became six chips instead of eight. The pot is the SAME SIZE as the old pot but now has demarcations for 14 cups. As a lover of units of measure 4 ounces is a gill and I believe that is about how much coffee is in one of those Cuisinart 'cups'. Mr. Lowell is drinking 28 cups of coffee according to the Cuisinart conglomerate and their marketing department. Anyhow back to everyone's peculiarly specific coffee habits. When we use the Cuisinart we IMMEDIATELY pour the finished brew into a thermos so it stops cooking. Our thermos has enough room for the pot less the 2-3 servings we pour first. When life is relaxed I love the 6 or 8 oz size as that's just about right before it starts needing the magnetron :) As always Anne is right as according to the official book of weights and measures a cup remains 8 ounces despite the protestations of Mr. Lowell. Mr Lowell according my math is pouring five gills per serving or for the math lovers about 120 teaspoons of coffee in his so-called cup. I will leave it to the addicted to convert this into those dubious names Starbucks prefers.
I don’t remember how old I was when I started drinking tea and coffee, but I remember being SHOCKED when I heard of kids not being allowed to drink it until they turned 10. So presumably it was way before then.
I’m in New Zealand, and my match lives in San Diego, so we are meeting for coffee on Easter Island haha
I’ve never been able to handle much caffeine. I realized three years into long COVID that I’m what you’d call an HSP (highly sensitive person), in that stimulation and stimulants send my nervous system over the edge quickly. But I do love my dark roast decaf! A cup and a half a day right out of the all-steel percolator.
Oh my goodness, so much coffee!! I just don't understand. I've never been a huge coffee drinker because it makes my already tweaky nervous system twice as nervous, but in the last couple of years I've gotten hooked on what I call "Coffee Cookie Time." That's when I drink half a cup of Bustelo instant coffee (sweetened and creamed to the brim) in bed with a stack of Tate's cookies or chocolate covered pretzels. Just got some lab results back and my blood sugar is too high. No more Coffee Cookie Time :(
Am I alone or are other coffee drinkers actually in it for the sugar?
I will tell you this, Caitlin H., I always claim to LOVE coffee but I will not drink it black. What I love is coffee with milk, or cream, which is an entirely different beverage. And then with cream and sugar! That is really next level and is no longer a beverage but qualifies as a dessert.
I am sorry to hear coffee and cookie time is OVER because it sounds GREAT.
I am a dedicated decaf drinker (because migraines) but I mostly don't mind it because I can drink as much coffee as I want! I also enjoy a weird coffee substitute called Cafix, which isn't really at all like coffee but somehow gives a similarly comforting vibe.
The saddest thing is that I can't have Vietnamese coffee--it's the most delicious thing ever but so caffeinated that it sends me to a very bad place. And real Vietnamese restaurants never have a decaf version :-(
After reading your delightful post I realized that what I call my 3 cups of coffee every morning is really only 1.5 cups because half of each mug is heated whole milk; so a latte I guess. We receive monthly coffee deliveries from Ohori’s roasters (Organic Sumatra is my favorite) in Santa Fe because it’s just so good. My now-husband used to live there and once sent me a pound of it as a surprise before our first trip to Santa Fe together. We’ve never stopped ordering it. It makes me so freaking happy to wake up every day knowing I can have a big, hot mug of my favorite coffee!
I like your math strategy, Lala. If I calculate along similar lines(my current preferred coffee/milk ratio is 2/1) I am enjoying 3.64 cups a day, which is really not crazy at all.
And yes I relate to waking up happy just because COFFEE!
I love that Brian, whose daily consumption of 14 shots of espresso includes an iced caramel macchiato, drinks out of a moka pot because he is "health conscious."
A highlight of the conversation for sure, Rob!
What is a moka pot?!
A moka pot is a healthy way to consume insane amounts of caffeine. It's also a stove-top coffee maker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot
*gasping in european*
this newsletter has unlocked memories of my mum pouring some coffee in my sippy cup of whole milk for my merienda when I was like 3 or 4 y.o!
I had to Google "marienda" Valentona. A whole category of meal I was not aware of!
Now you got me remembering how when I was little my grandmother would have coffee and pour me a little cup that was maybe 1/3 coffee and 2/3 milk. Sort of a toddler's latte. Sooo good!
Coffee Milk! ❤️
COFFEE MILK
I'm concerned about all your "genius" readers. Is there overlap with your previously discussed "long talkers?"
You know what drew? I can actually find this out for you!
In my survey, I asked people to say to what extent they agreed with the statements "I am a genius" and "I talk a lot!"
So now I can feed the stats into ChatGPT and see what the correlation is. Ready?...
Okay, Ray says, "The correlation between “I am a genius” and “I talk a lot!” is 0.17, which is a weak positive relationship. There’s a slight tendency for people who say they’re a genius to also say they talk a lot—but it’s not a strong or consistent link."
So then I asked Ray for the strongest correlations with "I am a genius." They are:
-I am fun to hang out with (+0.38)
-I am an unusual person (+0.37)
-I am an original thinker (+0.34)
-I am reliable (+0.30)
-NYC loves me (+0.30)
The top negative correlations:
-“Life’s a shit sandwich, and then you die” (more agreement = lower genius rating) (−0.17)
-“I am offended right now” (−0.15)
-Youngest age willing to date (the younger the minimum dating age, the slightly lower the genius rating) (−0.06)
Ray continues, "So people who say they're a genius also tend to see themselves as quirky, original, reliable, and generally well-liked. Less so if they’re feeling offended or nihilistic."
This is more than you wanted, Drew, but I am so fascinated by this stuff!
Love it! Thanks!
Bravo, Anne! You (and Ray) are next level!
Thank you for conducting this critical research. :)
I know the question on everyone’s mind is – "What would the Buddha say about drinking coffee?"
Trusting whatever my assistant ChatGpt says on the matter, here is her/his [truncated] opinion:
“There’s no scriptural rule against coffee itself.
The Buddha’s concern was always how and why we consume.
If coffee supports your clarity and compassion—and you drink it with awareness and moderation—then it can fit comfortably within Buddhist practice.
If it becomes a source of craving, agitation, or heedlessness, then it’s a sign to step back.”
¡Salud!
Oh wow I love this mordy. It's about the intention. Why didn't that occur to me?
I adore my platonic match though sadly she lives in a different city. We are lucky, as it looks like our pool of suitables is small.
Since retirement I've been missing those dreadful work meetings which I used to get through by drinking enough coffee to make my teeth throb. My Aharon makes French press which is okay (I grew up on Cuban coffee). I noticed that I've been really happy when I've had access to an espresso/cappuccino machine so I got myself a basic maker (DeLonghi Stilosa) and have watched approximately 10,000 YouTube videos on how to "dial in", what accessories to get, what kind of coffee, how to grind it, let the beans "breathe", etc., etc., and discovered that I like basic coffee made with the stock equipment best, steamed almond milk, no sugar.
I too tried life without coffee after reading Michael Pollan say that he "slept like a teenager", but it only gave me teenage angst, not great sleep.
"It only gave me teenage angst" LOL
It is funny there is nothing I love more than a cappuccino, T-POP, but I've never wanted an espresso machine at home, mainly because I think it might ruin the experience of the cappuccino being this big treat when I go out.
May you stay forever coffee-young. Cancer treatments and autoimmune flares made it suddenly impossible for me to drink coffee anymore. I've found a blend of chicory root, dandelion root and carob give me that smooth, comforting sip, but, alas, no caffeine. I know it seems like you could never live without it, but believe me, you will if you have no choice. For now, please enjoy and savor it.
Ada I know in my heart you are right. I'd adjust. But yes, for now I'm enjoying as much as possible!! And I'm glad you found a substitute that gets at least half the job done.
Cigarette coffee—love that!
So evocative, right?
The Lucy Stafford illustration is the best! I have liked all the previous ones, but this coffee treat checkerboard is divine!!
Isn't it adorable? I am so fortunate to have Lucy on the CAFÉ ANNE team. She does them for free, you know!!!
A very generous action, with a significant possiblity of brightening another person’s day!
My flex used to be that I have NEVER had a cup of coffee, not even a sip, not a taste. I'm a big tea drinker. Recently I was informed my grandpa would give coffee to the babies. "Sorry, you've probably had coffee," my aunt said. But not willingly. Does that count? Am I insane? Do I need coffee?? Will my life instantly improve?
Wow Emily that is wild!!! You've never even been curious to try? You could put this on your tombstone "Never Had Coffee." And never mind your Aunt.
1) She clearly wants to take you down because you have such an amazing fun-fact to trot out at dumb "ice breaker" exercises at office parties and she likely does not!
2) She said "probably"
Would your life instantly improve with coffee? There is only one way to find out but please don't do it!
since you said please, i will not!
Coffee Kultur -- this was HILARIOUS. I try to eat & drink a pretty diverse mix of things. I don't even mind the below average occasionally because it reminds me of what I'm missing. On rainy days in the Twin Cities (infrequent) if I am alone I go to IKEA and eat a BAD breakfast that includes free coffee. On the continuum of the coffee I make at home (excellent) to pond swill, IKEA coffee is much closer to the latter. Invariably (like today as it rained) the modest breakfast was fine. I won't go to IKEA unless the plan is to read by the big windows looking out and interrupting even a winter day with sunshine. My eye infection is finally clearing so I took along "Too Big for a Single Mind" -- the story of the emergence of the quantum world. Anyhow after a meh breakfast and decidedly unsatisfactory coffee I read 2.5 chapters of the wonderful book and then 8000 steps on the meandering concrete path to the door. On the way home I stopped at Caribou Coffee and had a GREAT CUP of coffee with a free refill and read one more chapter. That cup of coffee cost more than my eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes with free coffee. Quality matters though because I enjoyed the Caribou coffee and environment much better. I sat by the fireplace that is a fixture in my favorite Twin Cities coffee shop chain. When I got back I opened Substack and was greeted by the 10 cup a day crowd. Fun. I loved your mix of ten cup a day types. It reminds me that most alcoholics just drink vodka. Neither of these groups seem to be in it for the taste. Being meticulous in the prep if you are drinking more than a half a gallon of coffee would be too time consuming. My only conclusion from your wonderful interviews is there is a floor to what is acceptable coffee I think if you are drinking THAT MUCH. No human could drink ten cups of IKEA coffee daily -- their body would reject it after the 2nd cup. Sorry so much about me and coffee. For the record I am most every day two large cups. Some days it is just green tea instead. If I lived in Portland or Seattle there is no way I could survive a more frequent IKEA habit. Luckily in my current life, I find myself reading at IKEA and sipping BAD COFFEE about twice a month.
Finally, thanks for the platonic matchmaker service. I am enjoying getting to know my match so far. I hope they feel the same
REALLY FINALLY -- in re: Stephen Lowell and his coffee habits -- the 'I drink ten cups' is a pet peeve for me. Stephen is drinking from a big cup for so his ten cups means about 2.5 pots of coffee. Might need to wear a catheter bag. It's like someone saying my truck is pretty good on gas. I can get to the cabin on half a tank. Um it all depends how big your cup or fuel tank is.
Promise my comment will be shorter next time.
Mark! I love hearing all your coffee thoughts of course and am also delighted you are enjoying your match so far.
As for Mr. Lowell, please keep in mind that he measures his coffee by the pot. Five cups per pot. So he may be using a 2.5 cup mug but I think we can trust his math.
I will say, though, that big mugs or horrible bc the coffee gets cold before you finish! I like the eight-ounce mug and coffee boiling hot. And even then I might nuke it at least once before I finish!
The best thing about your response is Mark in lieu of Mr Dolan.
I did a mini rant when I was writing about coffee years ago. We have a 1-2 cup maker as well as a Cuisinart drip machine when we have company. The machine the Cuisinart replaced was a 12 cup machine. The Cuisinart embraced modern marketing wherein a service of chips became six chips instead of eight. The pot is the SAME SIZE as the old pot but now has demarcations for 14 cups. As a lover of units of measure 4 ounces is a gill and I believe that is about how much coffee is in one of those Cuisinart 'cups'. Mr. Lowell is drinking 28 cups of coffee according to the Cuisinart conglomerate and their marketing department. Anyhow back to everyone's peculiarly specific coffee habits. When we use the Cuisinart we IMMEDIATELY pour the finished brew into a thermos so it stops cooking. Our thermos has enough room for the pot less the 2-3 servings we pour first. When life is relaxed I love the 6 or 8 oz size as that's just about right before it starts needing the magnetron :) As always Anne is right as according to the official book of weights and measures a cup remains 8 ounces despite the protestations of Mr. Lowell. Mr Lowell according my math is pouring five gills per serving or for the math lovers about 120 teaspoons of coffee in his so-called cup. I will leave it to the addicted to convert this into those dubious names Starbucks prefers.
LOL I hope Mr. Lowell weighs in on this at some point!
Me too!!!! Especially if his middle name is Gilbert and he goes by Gil...
Fully expecting “real” Aharon to start wearing an “AI-haron” t-shirt asap. Either way, I’ll be calling him that from now on :)
Oh Eric, he will be so pleased!
I don’t remember how old I was when I started drinking tea and coffee, but I remember being SHOCKED when I heard of kids not being allowed to drink it until they turned 10. So presumably it was way before then.
I’m in New Zealand, and my match lives in San Diego, so we are meeting for coffee on Easter Island haha
I’ve never been able to handle much caffeine. I realized three years into long COVID that I’m what you’d call an HSP (highly sensitive person), in that stimulation and stimulants send my nervous system over the edge quickly. But I do love my dark roast decaf! A cup and a half a day right out of the all-steel percolator.
An all-steel percolator Amy! Brian would approve.
Oh my goodness, so much coffee!! I just don't understand. I've never been a huge coffee drinker because it makes my already tweaky nervous system twice as nervous, but in the last couple of years I've gotten hooked on what I call "Coffee Cookie Time." That's when I drink half a cup of Bustelo instant coffee (sweetened and creamed to the brim) in bed with a stack of Tate's cookies or chocolate covered pretzels. Just got some lab results back and my blood sugar is too high. No more Coffee Cookie Time :(
Am I alone or are other coffee drinkers actually in it for the sugar?
I will tell you this, Caitlin H., I always claim to LOVE coffee but I will not drink it black. What I love is coffee with milk, or cream, which is an entirely different beverage. And then with cream and sugar! That is really next level and is no longer a beverage but qualifies as a dessert.
I am sorry to hear coffee and cookie time is OVER because it sounds GREAT.
I am a dedicated decaf drinker (because migraines) but I mostly don't mind it because I can drink as much coffee as I want! I also enjoy a weird coffee substitute called Cafix, which isn't really at all like coffee but somehow gives a similarly comforting vibe.
The saddest thing is that I can't have Vietnamese coffee--it's the most delicious thing ever but so caffeinated that it sends me to a very bad place. And real Vietnamese restaurants never have a decaf version :-(
Haha now I MUST try Vienamese coffee, Jenne. In fact, there is a new Vienamese cafe a few blocks away. What should I order?
https://www.diemeatery.com/
I think the one they call Viet Iced Coffee--super strong coffee brewed over ice, with condensed milk mixed in.
After reading your delightful post I realized that what I call my 3 cups of coffee every morning is really only 1.5 cups because half of each mug is heated whole milk; so a latte I guess. We receive monthly coffee deliveries from Ohori’s roasters (Organic Sumatra is my favorite) in Santa Fe because it’s just so good. My now-husband used to live there and once sent me a pound of it as a surprise before our first trip to Santa Fe together. We’ve never stopped ordering it. It makes me so freaking happy to wake up every day knowing I can have a big, hot mug of my favorite coffee!
I like your math strategy, Lala. If I calculate along similar lines(my current preferred coffee/milk ratio is 2/1) I am enjoying 3.64 cups a day, which is really not crazy at all.
And yes I relate to waking up happy just because COFFEE!