Thursday, March 29, 2012

Intoxicated on Caffeine (My First Brew)


Last year, I wrote about being wired on Starbucks (http://aboutlifeandrunning.blogspot.com/2011/02/wired-on-starbucks.html), which is still getting a lot of hits on this blog. That is not due to the quality (or lack thereof) of my writing but rather due to the popularity of Starbucks worldwide. This post is about being wired on cheap coffee.
All these years I never felt the need to buy a coffeemaker because I only drank instant coffee at home. A few days ago, the first ever automatic drip coffeemaker – Mr. Coffee, turned  40 years old and that got me interested in finally trying one out. Of course I’ve used those machines before at work but never had one of my own. I was walking around a store and visited the home appliances department and spied some coffeemakers. I checked the prices and they seemed reasonable but I held off for another day due to the want/need debate in my head. I ordered it online at night for pick up the next morning. It was just one of those 5-cup deals. In addition, I also bought a can of coffee called Master Chef which was the cheapest one on the shelves, even cheaper than the store brand. I just wanted to use it as a starting point so I can compare it to the brand names later.
Upon arriving home, I took out and read the instructions, washed the decanter and filter basket and attempted my first home brew. Hmmm, that first cup tasted a little too bitter. I thought I followed the recommended measurements but it turned out too strong due to me not reading the instructions back to back. Instead of measuring the coffee in level tablespoons, I measured them in heaping tablespoons. For one thing, here are some discrepancies: 1 U.S. cup = 8 oz., Master Chef coffee cup measurement = 6 oz., and Mr. Coffee measures it at 5 oz. I could almost feel my hair standing on end just after a few sips. With the heaping tablespoons, I must have taken a hit of at least double the recommended dose. If there is such a thing as caffeine drunk, well, that’s how it felt because I wasn’t only feeling wired, I was also feeling a buzz which lasted for 7 or 8 hours. Much later in the evening, I felt dizzy, nauseated, and lost my appetite. I don’t know if that was related to being overcaffeinated or what, but it felt terrible. I had to force myself to eat some instant noodles late into the night because I hadn’t eaten since noon time. Fortunately I also had some lime soda which helped me burp because I didn’t have any antacids around.
So there you go. That was my body’s reaction to my first home brew of super strength coffee. While the cheap coffee turned out too bitter, I think it would have been okay if my measurements were correct. However since my coffee overdose, I haven't had a cup in two days so I can get decaffeinated and detoxified. 




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