Specialty coffee: a waste of money
A double espresso concentrates enough caffeine to disrupt sleep, and café coffee with sugar and milk delivers the same habit for far less money. Come in and see the numbers.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Specialty coffee does not improve what most people are actually after, which is caffeine, and a double espresso concentrates it to the point of affecting sleep. With sugar and milk, café coffee does the same job for considerably less money.
## Caffeine is the product, not the nuances
Specialty coffee is sold on its tasting notes, its origin and its score. The problem is that what gets you hooked is not that. It's the caffeine. And there, café coffee has the edge: a double espresso packs a dose of caffeine that, taken daily, ends up interfering with sleep structure. You don't need to be an expert to notice it: sleeping worse after a couple of doubles is a fairly common experience.
The nuances of specialty coffee exist, nobody denies that. But if the goal is the habit, nuance is an expensive ornament. The **SCA** scores coffees above **80 points out of 100** to consider them specialty, and some people boast an **87**. That number doesn't change what happens in the body: the caffeine is still there, and a double espresso concentrates it.
## Sugar and milk fix the taste
The answer to specialty coffee goes by two names: sugar and milk. A café coffee with a bit of sugar and a splash of milk tastes good and needs no defending. The specialty one tastes good too, but for a different reason: its nuances. And nuances are not what you're looking for at seven in the morning.
Café coffee works as a substitute for specialty coffee because both deliver the same thing: caffeine and a pleasant moment. One does it with sweetness, the other with a speech. The practical result is identical.
## The ritual of the café coffee
Going out in the morning and heading to the same place for your coffee is a ritual that doesn't require specialty coffee. A neighborhood bar with the usual waiters does the job. No **V60**, no French press, no methods that call for a scale and a timer.
Spending an extra **50 euros a month** on specialty coffee makes sense if you genuinely enjoy the nuances. If what you're after is the habit, that money buys nothing that isn't already at the bar counter.
Watch out for caffeine: if daily consumption is disrupting your sleep, it's worth consulting a healthcare professional.
## Caffeine is the product, not the nuances
Specialty coffee is sold on its tasting notes, its origin and its score. The problem is that what gets you hooked is not that. It's the caffeine. And there, café coffee has the edge: a double espresso packs a dose of caffeine that, taken daily, ends up interfering with sleep structure. You don't need to be an expert to notice it: sleeping worse after a couple of doubles is a fairly common experience.
The nuances of specialty coffee exist, nobody denies that. But if the goal is the habit, nuance is an expensive ornament. The **SCA** scores coffees above **80 points out of 100** to consider them specialty, and some people boast an **87**. That number doesn't change what happens in the body: the caffeine is still there, and a double espresso concentrates it.
## Sugar and milk fix the taste
The answer to specialty coffee goes by two names: sugar and milk. A café coffee with a bit of sugar and a splash of milk tastes good and needs no defending. The specialty one tastes good too, but for a different reason: its nuances. And nuances are not what you're looking for at seven in the morning.
Café coffee works as a substitute for specialty coffee because both deliver the same thing: caffeine and a pleasant moment. One does it with sweetness, the other with a speech. The practical result is identical.
## The ritual of the café coffee
Going out in the morning and heading to the same place for your coffee is a ritual that doesn't require specialty coffee. A neighborhood bar with the usual waiters does the job. No **V60**, no French press, no methods that call for a scale and a timer.
Spending an extra **50 euros a month** on specialty coffee makes sense if you genuinely enjoy the nuances. If what you're after is the habit, that money buys nothing that isn't already at the bar counter.
Watch out for caffeine: if daily consumption is disrupting your sleep, it's worth consulting a healthcare professional.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (4 replies).
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