Caffeinated drinks: Optimizing their taste and effectiveness
Edwin's Do-It newsletter #44 - 7 practical insights on coffee & tea to try
Hello everyone,
I recently bought a new coffee machine, which got me thinking about what I’ve learned over the years exploring the world of tea and coffee. I’m no expert—just an enthusiast who loves great flavor and values simplicity and effectiveness. Below are 7 insights I’ve gained through research and experimentation. Everyone has different preferences, so take what inspires you and ignore the rest!
1. Great Specialty Filter Coffee Can Be Easy and Affordable
By “filter coffee,” I’m referring to manual drip methods like the V60, AeroPress and Chemex (as seen in the image). When I first got into coffee, I worried it would be complicated to make it taste as good as in coffee shops—but I learned you can achieve delicious results with minimal effort and cost.
The basic process:
Use specialty coffee beans that have been roasted between 2 and 6 weeks ago
Grind the beans right before making your coffee. A low-cost manual grinder is fine to start with, but the quality of substantially increases with price.
Brew them with a simple brewer (e.g., AeroPress or V60) and boiling water (temperature variation typically doesn't matter that much).
As a bonus, the manual process of grinding the beans and brewing the coffee takes a few minutes and can be a nice, meditative break. I, personally, follow a simple Aeropress recipe from coffee-expert James Hoffman. He has many videos that explain various techniques very well.
Because filter coffee often has a richer, more nuanced flavor than espresso, I'd recommend starting your specialty coffee journey here.
2. Espresso Is Tougher to Get Just Right
Making an espresso can look simple, but it requires precise control of temperature, pressure, grind size, and extraction time. Even small errors can ruin a shot. We often assume expensive machines fix this, but high-end features simply raise the potential for great espresso. In practice, those features also create more chances to mess up. Even skilled baristas need several test shots to calibrate the right grind size for a new batch of beans.
As an untrained amateur, It's actually more difficult to make a good coffee with a fancy machine than a standard machine (although fancy machines have much higher ceilings).
Because I simply want good, consistent espresso, I prefer to stick with a cheaper and simpler options such as an automated (capsule) machine. I now settled on a Nespresso Essenza Mini and prefer the darker roast capsules. I've found that those have even less margin for error, since there's little sourness and the coffee won't burn as easily. If you really want the complex, fruity flavors of an expertly pulled shot, consider visiting your local coffee shop—or making your own filter coffee at home.
3. Tea Offers Smoother Energy & Tastes Great
Tea (especially black or green tea) contains caffeine as well as an amino acid called L-theanine, which can help create a more gradual, steady energy boost compared to the sharper kick from coffee (1). Black tea in particular provides a gentler focus with less of a crash.
Whole-leaf tea, with its natural oils and aromas intact, offers a remarkably rich and diverse flavor. When brewed in an infuser (such as this handy one), quality leaves taste far superior to mass-market tea bags. I suggest experimenting with steeping times, as oversteeping can lead to bitterness.
4. Moderation Makes Everything Tastier (and More Effective)
It may not be the most exciting principle, but it’s true: the less often you consume something, the more enjoyable it becomes. Since you’re less accustomed to it, the “spike” in enjoyment is greater. This same principle applies to caffeine; overconsumption dulls its energizing effects. Drinking too much coffee or tea can even lead to dependence, where you need it just to feel normal (2).
Guidelines I follow:
Limit yourself to a low number of cups per day (e.g., two filter coffees or three espressos).
Don’t rely on caffeine to wake you up—use it to enhance focus when you’re already alert.
5. Resetting Your Caffeine Tolerance Is Easier Than You Think
I used to think resetting caffeine tolerance had to be a gradual, drawn-out process, especially for those deeply addicted. We’ve all seen people who drink 8 cups of coffee a day and wondered how they’d ever manage without it. Surprisingly, it’s easier than you might think. If you feel dependent on caffeine—resetting your tolerance usually takes just three days of going cold turkey (3). Once you know this, it’s easy to plan a break during a slower week, while traveling, or even when you’re feeling under the weather. When you reintroduce coffee or tea, you’ll be amazed at how much better it tastes and how much more effective the energy boost feels.
6. Stop Early to Protect Your Sleep
Even if you don’t notice it, late-afternoon caffeine can affect your sleep quality (4). Try to cut off coffee or tea around mid-afternoon—your future self will thank you when bedtime rolls around.
For this reason, I switch to caffeine-free herbal Teas after dinner. Unlike true teas (green, black, white, oolong, and pu-erh), which are made from the Camellia sinensis plant and naturally contain caffeine, herbal teas are made from various other plants, flowers, fruits, and roots that do not contain caffeine.
7. Most “Focus” Drugs (and Kratom) are Trash
Numerous “focus-enhancing” drinks and drugs promise mental clarity, but in my experience, their side effects often outweigh any temporary benefit. Kratom, for instance, can give a brief euphoric buzz but then leaves you feeling unfocused and drained, with significant addiction potential. In most cases, a steady routine of good sleep, balanced nutrition, and moderate caffeine is more effective than chasing a “magic pill.”
References
Haskell CF, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB. (2008). The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. Biological Psychology, 77(2), 113–122.
Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. (2004). A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology, 176(1), 1–29.
James JE. (1997). Understanding Caffeine: A Biobehavioral Analysis. Sage Publications.
Clark I, Landolt HP. (2017). Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 31, 70–78.
I hope these insights help you enjoy coffee and tea even more, while making the most of their productivity benefits in a healthy, sustainable way. If you have any suggestions or follow-up questions, feel free to leave a comment or reply to this post.
Have a good one,
Edwin
Great insights combining both practical tips and broader points as the importance of sleep, nutrition and limited consumption.