# Looking for a quick, cheap and palatable solution to obtain caffeine dose



## seanspotatobusiness (Jun 10, 2015)

*Message from Glenn: This is a legitimate request from a member - I am tidying the thread up. Serious answers only please*



*
*I have no special interest in coffee and I have disliked the bitter taste of the majority of coffee I ever drunk (usually for the stimulant caffeine). I need a stimulant to offset the remnant drowsiness that my nightly antidepressants introduce and I think that coffee might be the best solution.

I have twice tasted coffee that I found to be enjoyable but I don't know what went into them. One was at a friend's house some years ago (no longer in contact; it didn't take very long to make) and the other was at a café and flavoured with a syrup.

I'd like the solution to be cheap, easy to make with minimum or no special equipment or practise (instant coffee that just dissolves in hot water would be perfect) and immediately pleasant (rather than requiring that I "acquire" the taste for it). It was once suggested that I might prefer lighter roasts because darker roasts produce more bitterants.

I would appreciate it if someone could suggest a coffee product that may be suitable. Thanks a lot.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Try a nice strong cup of tea , the empire was built on it . Wars were won with help from it . You can celebrate with it and you can cordone with it . It will quench your first , it will wake you up. It will comfort you and when friends come round you can catch up over a 'cuppa'.

Tea is easy to make , relatively cheap and readily available .


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

seanspotatobusiness said:


> I think you're being facetious but maybe that's not a bad idea. It'd be like a coffee milkshake.


I think it's a good solution to what you're looking to achieve. Or any of those pre made coffee drinks in bottles that Starbucks do. Lidl do a couple too; I tried one for giggles. It wasn't funny.

They're rank but so is instant.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Does it have to be quick?

When you say cheap, are you thinking a few £ outside of regular kitchen utensils, or maybe a relatively cheap machine?

I'm assuming at this stage that grinding the coffee yourself is out?


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

Red Bull?


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Viper bar
View attachment 14741
not for the fainthearted


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ridland said:


> Who is being trolled here? I've lost all sense of perspective.


Seemed like a perfectly innocent question to me - someone not aware of the complexity & effort, that we take for granted when we make coffee, asking for advice from people he assumed were "in the know" & could potentially save him time & hassle.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Or this: http://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php%3F23412-The-Coffee-Pill-A-easy-and-quick-way-to-have/


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## CamV6 (Feb 7, 2012)

Hot chocolate with some instant coffee in it maybe?


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Have you considered Caffeine Gels?

http://www.scienceinsport.com/sis-products/sis-go-range/sis-go-specialist-energy-gels/sis-go-energy-caffeine-gel-double-espresso-60ml/

Many sportspeople take these, but if you do, even during sport, make sure you take on adequate fluids or you will cramp up


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## CamV6 (Feb 7, 2012)

Nespresso capsule machine? They do all sorts of flavoured coffees and you can pick the machines up quite cheaply 2nd hand


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

ProPlus used to get me through exam time at Uni!


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## "coffee 4/1" (Sep 1, 2014)

find a roaster to do you a (gulf-roast) no need for pourovers, filters,mocha-pot, just add boiled water, you will need a hand grinder, how easy is that for caffeine hit.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Dolcé Gusto is another pod type machine. They do a massive range of different drinks on their website (Caramel Latte Macchiato for example..) . If you aren't used to 'artisan' coffee they aren't too bad - the milk capsules are sweetened though. I have a machine in my garage as I don't use it any more (was given to me by a friend who works for Nestlé). They're cheep enough on fleabay, but the capsule cost soon mounts up if you drink a lot.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Stage 1 buy an Aeropress and use pre-ground coffee. Very forgiving and versatile. If you like that go to stage 2.

Stage 2 buy a Porlex / other hand grinder under £35 use with Aeropress and buy some freshly roasted beans.

If stage 1 or 2 isn't enough of a caffeine hit jump straight to step 3 or buy an espresso machine.

Stage 3. Fill football sock full of pre-ground coffee and repeatedly whack yourself in the face with it.









In all seriousness an aeropress is a good cheap starting point, especially when realising that coffee doesn't have to taste bitter.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I can understand not wanting to drink a stimulant like red Bull in the morning. I'm being quite genuine when I say that there is also a reasonable amount of caffeine in tea (if you really don't like coffee). Or there's "Camp" which is coffee and chicory essence. Not sure of the caffeine content but it's quite sugary which offsets some of the bitterness. Hot or cold, make with milk. Breakfast in a glass.

Picking up on what Glenn posted, there are also effervescent tablets of electrolyte with added caffeine. These are called SIS Go Hydro caffeine+ and are intended as a sports drink and hydrating liquid. They're quick and easy and require nothing other than a glass of water. Available from cycle shops, probably other sport shops and even supermarkets.

I've done the hot choc with a spoon full of instant in it myself in a caffeine 'emergency', (i.e. no beans or no time).


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

seanspotatobusiness said:


> *Message from Glenn: This is a legitimate request from a member - I am tidying the thread up. Serious answers only please*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry. Misunderstood.

Do you like instant coffee? That would be an easy option. Lots of different products and alleged differences in quality - including pseudo-Barista-made options.

Or there's loads of options and unusual interpretations of coffee based drinks on the shelves in the supermarkets some blended with different flavours. The premix coffee drinks are often very sweet if that makes them more palatable?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

French press & good quality preground from the roasters who advertise here is simple & relatively easy, if you have some time to kill (20-30min), just need the press, coffee, water, kettle & scales.

Faster brews typically take more hands on action.

Francis Francis make some machines for Illy's Iperespresso capsules, not unlike Nespresso in concept, but not as dark roasted & bitter, especially if you try the Guatamalan & Ethiopian single origins (Monoarabica).


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I used to take a 200mg caffeine tablet before the gym. Felt borderline unwell the first few times.


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## salty dog (Jun 6, 2015)

What a dilemma! Anyone with any history of taking tablets for this or that will recognize difficulties here and have some sympathy.

You don't sound as if you particularly like the taste of coffee, but to get the coffee drink you are after I think may need to invest a bit of skill and practice. I don't want to sound insulting but you can get caffeine tablets. They would fit most of the criteria.

Other than that perhaps a small Bialetti and some experiments with lighter grinds might produce the blend of speed and flavour you are after.

Good luck with your quest.


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

Do you live close to anyone on the forum? (I didn't look in your info yet)

if if you do, perhaps they can make you an Aeropress coffee or similar. I'm quite sure then you won't recognise it as the bitter 'coffee' you know and dislike....


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I think it a little sad & not really reflective of the knowledge base of the forum to suggest alternatives to coffee. The idea that you need to invest many hours & lots of money to enjoy a good cup of coffee, isn't perhaps a message that we should be reinforcing, Seanspotatobusiness states that he has enjoyed coffee in the past, so he is open to the concept of an enjoyable cup. It may not be the most stunning cup any of us has ever tasted (I could be wrong), but I'd guess that few of us woke up one day hating coffee & decided "today is the day I'm going to invest 10,000 hours and a couple of grand in 'liking' coffee!". We have mostly had an accidental, eye opening, cup that has sparked our curiosity and led us to choosing to invest in exploring coffee.

Many of the responses here seem more likely to extinguish that 'spark', before it can lead to similar experiences to those that we have had.


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## BeanandComeandGone (Jun 11, 2015)

Another vote for pro-plus, however have you considered moving your antidepressant dose to the morning?


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