I have been a dedicated coffee enthusiast for decades. I used to buy Starbucks beans mail order before they opened their first cafe. Developed a taste for all kinds of medium roasts. A very odd thing has happened. It started when a blend I drink a lot changed their beans and turned into a really terrible coffee. I've been switching around to other coffees and suddenly noticed I was drinking half of what I used to. Now I find myself drinking it just for the caffeine and not really enjoying even some excellent beans someone gifted me with that they picked up while in Guatemala. I also am drinking a lot more tea and may be on my way to becoming strictly a tea totaler. Has this happened to any shaving Bros .here?
Coffee freak losing the taste
- Thread starter sternej
- Start date
Just keep trying new beans if you really want to stick with coffee. You are probably a bit jaded your favorite bean switched up on you. Which is influencing your taste.
But if you switch to tea...you're not alone. I gave up coffee bout 4 years ago because I wanted to drink less caffeine. Which was foolish because now I just drink more tea.
But if you switch to tea...you're not alone. I gave up coffee bout 4 years ago because I wanted to drink less caffeine. Which was foolish because now I just drink more tea.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Most days lately I’m switching to tea after my morning coffees. (2 cups at home, 3/4 of travel mug, 1 cappuccino at work)
It’s added to my work routine enjoying some variety like English breakfast, earl gray and green for late afternoon.
I suspect you just need a change of pace.
It’s added to my work routine enjoying some variety like English breakfast, earl gray and green for late afternoon.
I suspect you just need a change of pace.
I drink both and it hasn't happened yet. But I have yet to find a Starbucks coffee I like. My impression is that the beans are over-roasted intentionally to provide the same taste in every Starbucks location - and they seem to be successful, albeit at the cost of killing most of the subtle flavors that make coffee such a delight. Making it very strong is a reasonable compensation for selling stale, over-roasted coffee, but I'm not buying. (At this point my wife would chime in with, "Tell us how you really feel.")
Lots of coffee out there. If you don't have a good local roaster many people buy their beans on line. And there is certainly nothing wrong with switching to tea, temporarily or permanently.
Lots of coffee out there. If you don't have a good local roaster many people buy their beans on line. And there is certainly nothing wrong with switching to tea, temporarily or permanently.
I'll take your word for it that Starbucks was ever good, though as much as I detest them I will get their blonde roast when I'm on the road, as it has the necessary "bite" to keep me going. Anyway, I don't mean to get started on Starbucks.
I think the problem is that there is so much bad coffee out there, much of it coffee in name only. It has been almost thirty years since I had a genuinely good cup of coffee - it was in '96 on a Copa airlines flight out of Miami to Bogata to do a recording. I saw the stewardess pour the coffee and my first thought was "how long had that been sitting in the pot?" It was black as can be and seemingly thick. But when I tasted it, I was transported to an entirely different plane of reality - Smooth, and unbelievably rich in flavor, not bitter or acidic (I take it black) and seemingly not overly caffeinated. I get misty-eyed just remembering it! Over the years I've come close to recreating it - through French press and "Cowboy coffee" (boiled), but never reliably. The "coffee club" bean subscriptions my wife has gotten me over the years haven't come close either - Some criminal things have been committed in the name of "French Roast"!
What I have found about coffee in general is that like the OP, I will unconsciously taper back when I've had enough or am just not into it. Much as I love coffee, if I force it in those instances then I start to feel sick. I too turn to tea as an alternative. It tends to be lighter of a drink, though certainly not necessarily in terms of caffeine. Depends on my mood. Often it's coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.
There's no shame in switching over to tea. The OP will likely turn back to coffee at some point, or not. Changing tastes is a part of aging. Go with the flow.
I think the problem is that there is so much bad coffee out there, much of it coffee in name only. It has been almost thirty years since I had a genuinely good cup of coffee - it was in '96 on a Copa airlines flight out of Miami to Bogata to do a recording. I saw the stewardess pour the coffee and my first thought was "how long had that been sitting in the pot?" It was black as can be and seemingly thick. But when I tasted it, I was transported to an entirely different plane of reality - Smooth, and unbelievably rich in flavor, not bitter or acidic (I take it black) and seemingly not overly caffeinated. I get misty-eyed just remembering it! Over the years I've come close to recreating it - through French press and "Cowboy coffee" (boiled), but never reliably. The "coffee club" bean subscriptions my wife has gotten me over the years haven't come close either - Some criminal things have been committed in the name of "French Roast"!
What I have found about coffee in general is that like the OP, I will unconsciously taper back when I've had enough or am just not into it. Much as I love coffee, if I force it in those instances then I start to feel sick. I too turn to tea as an alternative. It tends to be lighter of a drink, though certainly not necessarily in terms of caffeine. Depends on my mood. Often it's coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.
There's no shame in switching over to tea. The OP will likely turn back to coffee at some point, or not. Changing tastes is a part of aging. Go with the flow.
I love good tea, but have never lost my taste for coffee. Have you thought of roasting your own? The experience may spark more interest in the flavor, and you can roast it to your individual preference. You can start easy enough on a cast iron skillet or metal bottom popcorn popper. If not, perhaps there is a local roaster that can provide beans you would enjoy.
Best guess: hormones. As we age things shift and change. One of the casualties in the war of time is taste. Something we loved once upon a time can become something we cant's stand. It could be a phase and it could be more "permanent".
I don't enjoy caffeine and quit my favorite beans and blends a few years ago.
I might suggest you go cold turkey on the coffee for several months say up to 9. This might give your body time to "rediscover" coffee anew. There had been times during my coffee drinking journey where I had to stop because the caffeine headache and nausea were not comfortable.
I am very in tune with my body and discovered I had a natural rhythm if I listened carefully enough. I intuitively knew when I could back to drinking coffee and ended up enjoying the whole thing all over again.
Hoping that made sense.
Journey on.
I don't enjoy caffeine and quit my favorite beans and blends a few years ago.
I might suggest you go cold turkey on the coffee for several months say up to 9. This might give your body time to "rediscover" coffee anew. There had been times during my coffee drinking journey where I had to stop because the caffeine headache and nausea were not comfortable.
I am very in tune with my body and discovered I had a natural rhythm if I listened carefully enough. I intuitively knew when I could back to drinking coffee and ended up enjoying the whole thing all over again.
Hoping that made sense.
Journey on.
I’ve been drinking coffee almost daily except for the times I am without means to access for 35 years (started at 13 years old and am now 48 years of age). I drink my fair share of tea too(mainly iced and like my coffee without any sweetener, except for zero sugar lemonade sometimes). If you ever decide to drink coffee again i hope it’s a more pleasant experience for you.
I'll admit to being biased up front regarding the following and offer this as much a thought experiment/ponder as anything else.
My diet since my 30s has increasingly become "cleaner", eliminating foods I ate as a kid and young adult, ie: eliminating products made with vegetable oils (canola, corn, sunflower etc...) in favor of using nearly exclusively ghee I render myself, occasionally high quality organic olive oil and avocado oil. (Look up Mercola's thoughts and research on PUFA: poly unsaturated fat.)
I've also increased very dramatically the use of organic only foods and grass/pastured raised meat. I'm still refining.
When I took up coffee in my very late 30s early 40s, I only used organically grown product, unbleached filter paper and filtered/purified water. I ground and prepped the coffee myself. I believe this preserved/lengthened the time it took me to react negatively to caffeine.
Why do I bring this up?
For many caffeine is not an issue: God Bless. For me it is.
However, I suspect one of the culprits in negative reactions to coffee (increased headaches, nausea and potentially hormonal issues, long weaning off period when quitting, and perhaps a shift in how one perceives the taste of coffee) over the long term comes down to the issue that coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed commercial crops.
I noticed when I drank regular organic coffee (caffeine) within a couple of weeks I didn't like the way I smelled: underarm odor increased unpleasantly. Because of my diet (many years of high amounts of chlorophyl) I do not require the use of deodorant. When I drank regular coffee however, within a couple of weeks I smelled. When I'd stop drinking regular coffee I stopped having an increase in odor. Before quitting caffeine a few years back I conducted this test several times over a couple of years with the same result each time.
I do not have this issue at all with organic decaf over many months of drinking it nearly daily.
My suspicion here is that caffeine (a drug) is altering something hormonally.
Possibly add to the potentially hormone shifting affect of caffeine the wide variety of chemicals sprayed on commercial coffee in order to increase yield and keep pests off to the potential, you end up with a cocktail of exogenous unknowns that are impacting your body in ways that can't be and have not been accounted for.
The industry has zero clue as to what might affect the chemicals used to grow commercial coffee will have on the body.
I know this article is clearly biased given their motivation to sell their organic coffee. However, I believe it be accurate in naming the chemicals used on commercial coffee.
puritycoffee.com
There are other articles regarding the chemicals used on commercial coffee, the negative affects of seed oils on your health, and the benefits and potential negatives of coffee if you're curious to research these.
Whatever you drink or eat...enjoy it in robust and great health.
My diet since my 30s has increasingly become "cleaner", eliminating foods I ate as a kid and young adult, ie: eliminating products made with vegetable oils (canola, corn, sunflower etc...) in favor of using nearly exclusively ghee I render myself, occasionally high quality organic olive oil and avocado oil. (Look up Mercola's thoughts and research on PUFA: poly unsaturated fat.)
I've also increased very dramatically the use of organic only foods and grass/pastured raised meat. I'm still refining.
When I took up coffee in my very late 30s early 40s, I only used organically grown product, unbleached filter paper and filtered/purified water. I ground and prepped the coffee myself. I believe this preserved/lengthened the time it took me to react negatively to caffeine.
Why do I bring this up?
For many caffeine is not an issue: God Bless. For me it is.
However, I suspect one of the culprits in negative reactions to coffee (increased headaches, nausea and potentially hormonal issues, long weaning off period when quitting, and perhaps a shift in how one perceives the taste of coffee) over the long term comes down to the issue that coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed commercial crops.
I noticed when I drank regular organic coffee (caffeine) within a couple of weeks I didn't like the way I smelled: underarm odor increased unpleasantly. Because of my diet (many years of high amounts of chlorophyl) I do not require the use of deodorant. When I drank regular coffee however, within a couple of weeks I smelled. When I'd stop drinking regular coffee I stopped having an increase in odor. Before quitting caffeine a few years back I conducted this test several times over a couple of years with the same result each time.
I do not have this issue at all with organic decaf over many months of drinking it nearly daily.
My suspicion here is that caffeine (a drug) is altering something hormonally.
Possibly add to the potentially hormone shifting affect of caffeine the wide variety of chemicals sprayed on commercial coffee in order to increase yield and keep pests off to the potential, you end up with a cocktail of exogenous unknowns that are impacting your body in ways that can't be and have not been accounted for.
The industry has zero clue as to what might affect the chemicals used to grow commercial coffee will have on the body.
I know this article is clearly biased given their motivation to sell their organic coffee. However, I believe it be accurate in naming the chemicals used on commercial coffee.
The Importance of Organic When it Comes to Coffee
The fact that there is so little research available on pesticides in coffee can make a consumer want to take a second look at what’s going on. Uncertainty springs from two places. First, exactly how many pesticides are being used on coffee beans? Second, what kinds of effects do those residues...
puritycoffee.com
There are other articles regarding the chemicals used on commercial coffee, the negative affects of seed oils on your health, and the benefits and potential negatives of coffee if you're curious to research these.
Whatever you drink or eat...enjoy it in robust and great health.
Never liked Starbucks burnt coffee. Seatles Best is good. Verena Street is a nice grocery store coffee. Just finished some of their Julien's Breakfast.
Sometimes changing your brew method will give your taste buds a shake.
Used to be much more into coffee. Had a child and now I start my day with Costco Columbian ground coffee
I switched to organic coffee recently and I'm really enjoying the flavor more now. Currently drinking Dark French Roast O Organics ground coffee from Tom Thumb. Great stuff.
I still drink plenty of coffee, but I recently started to drink more tea. Previously, I only had tea a couple times a month. Lately, I have been drinking it a couple times a day.
I still need to learn more about it. I am still using tea bags. So far, I have Darjeeling, Yorkshire Gold, and Assam.
I still need to learn more about it. I am still using tea bags. So far, I have Darjeeling, Yorkshire Gold, and Assam.
It seems like your taste buds miss what you enjoyed much.
I am a heavy coffee drinker and show no signs of slowing down. When I occasionally drink tea I prefer the ones that do not have caffeine, because for that purpose I would rather drink coffee.
Hope you will find some blend that will please you again. In the absence of a medical condition I do not believe that has to do with aging or hormones.
Enjoy your coffee
Cheers
I am a heavy coffee drinker and show no signs of slowing down. When I occasionally drink tea I prefer the ones that do not have caffeine, because for that purpose I would rather drink coffee.
Hope you will find some blend that will please you again. In the absence of a medical condition I do not believe that has to do with aging or hormones.
Enjoy your coffee
Cheers
People are more fussy about what they want
than they are about what they need.
I quit soda when New Coke was introduced in 1985.
Everybody preferred the original.
To this day Coca Cola insists that their test results showing the exact opposite, were valid.
On some level the corporation was aware that
New Coke couldn't compete against the original.
They stopped production of the original and it became unavailable.
I couldn't find the soda that I wanted, so I stopped drinking soda.
When Coke Classic was reintroduced, I had become accustomed to not drinking soda.
This is one of those situations where I have to remind myself
that a normal person would have gotten over this by now,
but I apparently haven't.
than they are about what they need.
I quit soda when New Coke was introduced in 1985.
Everybody preferred the original.
To this day Coca Cola insists that their test results showing the exact opposite, were valid.
On some level the corporation was aware that
New Coke couldn't compete against the original.
They stopped production of the original and it became unavailable.
I couldn't find the soda that I wanted, so I stopped drinking soda.
When Coke Classic was reintroduced, I had become accustomed to not drinking soda.
This is one of those situations where I have to remind myself
that a normal person would have gotten over this by now,
but I apparently haven't.
I used to enjoy inexpensive Douwe Egberts instant coffee but now I grind beans for every cup, use filtered water, and a fancy espresso maker. The result is that I enjoy the new coffee just as much, but not more than I used to enjoy the instant coffee, but.... I now dislike the instant coffee. So what have I gained, what is my benefit? The answer is nothing at all, I get no more enjoyment now from my new coffee than I used to get from the old one, it simply costs more money and takes longer to brew. Sometimes, all that change to something better achieves, is to ruin what once we enjoyed, but perhaps the opposite is also true - perhaps by changing to an inferior product for a while it may be possible to regain a lost appreciation. There have been times in my life when I did not truly appreciate something until it was gone, which was a double loss for me. Now I try to appreciate and be thankful for what I have before it is gone, and I don't just mean coffee.
I started on Peets twenty something years ago, not that dissimilar to OG Starbucks. I've since ventured into really light roasts and am now slowly finding that I prefer a little closer to a medium roast.
I used to only drink French press and felt it was the only good coffee. But a few years ago tried pour over and have really enjoyed the change. I have a press pot in my office (215 miles from my house) that I use when I'm there, a few times a year and it's strange how little I like the flavor now.
Try different roasts, try different methods, try local. I still make espresso, stovetop, press (not often) and pour over (nearly daily) and will accept drip when I'm in public too. I love Olympia for beans, and also order from Intelligentsia, Onyx and Caffe Vita, but mostly stick to local roasters, especially those that offer honey or natural process beans.
I did switch to tea, mostly different forms of Japanese green in the afternoons as I wasn't enjoying the double dose of coffee a number of years ago and I really only drink afternoon coffee if I'm trying to burn off the end of a bag that's outlived its welcome.
I used to only drink French press and felt it was the only good coffee. But a few years ago tried pour over and have really enjoyed the change. I have a press pot in my office (215 miles from my house) that I use when I'm there, a few times a year and it's strange how little I like the flavor now.
Try different roasts, try different methods, try local. I still make espresso, stovetop, press (not often) and pour over (nearly daily) and will accept drip when I'm in public too. I love Olympia for beans, and also order from Intelligentsia, Onyx and Caffe Vita, but mostly stick to local roasters, especially those that offer honey or natural process beans.
I did switch to tea, mostly different forms of Japanese green in the afternoons as I wasn't enjoying the double dose of coffee a number of years ago and I really only drink afternoon coffee if I'm trying to burn off the end of a bag that's outlived its welcome.
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