How Important Is Coffee?

[Redcap]

Best coffee I've ever had:

In the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere, in a British Army Traffic Post as we were running a route control exercise at 3 in the bloody morning. It was heaving it down, and I'd just been on pointsman duty for about ten years or so (actually about three hours). Ye gods, it was sublime. It was NATO standard, but none the less, sublime.

The worst I've ever had was a tie between two sources One was from KFC. I have no bloody idea how the get away with calling that crap coffee. It's flavoured water, without any flavour. The other, in fact, the winner, on thinking about it, was from a vending machine, somewhere in south London. Truly an AGH-CHK-PTUI-WTF moment, that one.

 

[BlackBat242]

The best coffee I've ever had was in high school (1978) - out on a "field trip" - I was in JROTC, and we were out with the National Guard Signal Battalion. After midnight, while running an exercise with the IR spotlights & goggles, and moderately cold.

I don't know for sure, but I believe they had dumped a pint can of US Army issue coffee (ground-type, not instant) into the 10-gallon hot water pot and let it cook for a while. Black, and NOT bitter - strong and flavorful.

 

[SanDragon]

*ignores the "Mine Field" sign...*

If coffee Is so important, why is it always a liquor still in the hidey spaces? Hmm???

 

[infojunky]

*ignores the "Mine Field" sign...*

If coffee Is so important, why is it always a liquor still in the hidey spaces? Hmm???

How else are you going to add "Irish" to your Coffee? :coffeegulp:

 

[Timerover51]

Coffee from CJ's, a local coffee and donut shop, is one of the better tasting ways to deal with a headache for me. I will admit to having a donut or two to help things along.

 

[Condottiere]

Add Kahlua to your cup of coffee; I did it as an experiment after running out of ice cream.

 

[whartung]

If coffee Is so important, why is it always a liquor still in the hidey spaces? Hmm???

Because folks can get it readily?

I bet most folks given the choice between going to a desert island with coffee or liquor may well choose coffee (unless they feel they want to just be in a alcoholic stupor to deal with their isolation).

 

[aramis]

Because folks can get it readily?

I bet most folks given the choice between going to a desert island with coffee or liquor may well choose coffee (unless they feel they want to just be in a alcoholic stupor to deal with their isolation).

Sane people take food and water... coffee and booze both are diuretics.

 

[flykiller]

started drinking coffee, started having seizures. stopped drinking coffee, stopped having seizures.

 

[SanDragon]

 

[gchuck]

Coffee

Coffee is a rarity in my campaign, and only available through the 'grey' market.

Though only available from Solomani traders, hence the Confederation, its a rather pricey commodity.

Last transaction that the players did, it was 150Cr for 2kilos.

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

Sane people take food and water... coffee and booze both are diuretics.

You can take as much coffee as you want. Its diuretic properties are a longstanding myth[1] that have been consistently[2] busted[3] by modern research. In essence, coffee (and tea) are only diuretics in the sense that any fluid you consume will increase the likelihood of a future bathroom visit.

But booze definitely remains a major diuretic. Both science[4], and anyone who's ever had to wait for space at a barroom urinal, can tell you that.

[1] Scientists Have Busted A Nearly 100-Year-Old Myth About Coffee (https://www.foodandwine.com)

[2] Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

[3] No Evidence of Dehydration with Moderate Daily Coffee Intake: A Counterbalanced Cross-Over Study in a Free-Living Population (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

[4] Ethanol-Induced Water Diuresis: One of a Spectrum of Renal Defects Resulting from Ethanol Toxicity (https://www.karger.com) [PDF]

 

[McPerth]

You can take as much coffee as you want. Its diuretic properties are a longstanding myth that have been consistently busted by modern research. In essence, coffee (and tea) are only diuretics in the sense that any fluid you consume will increase the likelihood of a future bathroom visit.

While this is true, it may also be missleading.

The main diuretic effect of the coffe and tea is due to the water intake with them (mostly in tea, as it uses to have more water), but, as they are also bladder irritants, them may force more visits to the bathroom, evene though the total urine production (in relation to water intake) is not affected.

 

[Timerover51]

While this is true, it may also be missleading.

The main diuretic effect of the coffe and tea is due to the water intake with them (mostly in tea, as it uses to have more water), but, as they are also bladder irritants, them may force more visits to the bathroom, evene though the total urine production (in relation to water intake) is not affected.

I am not sure that I would notice a difference since I have been drinking it since six months old when my mother laced by baby formula with it so that I would drink the formula. While growing up, my family could go through an 18-cup drip coffee pot at dinner. We did tend to talk a fair bit at dinner.

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

I had a much more deprived childhood than you, timerover51; I didn't get my first cup of coffee until I was five!

While this is true, it may also be missleading.

The main diuretic effect of the coffe and tea is due to the water intake with them (mostly in tea, as it uses to have more water), but, as they are also bladder irritants, them may force more visits to the bathroom, evene though the total urine production (in relation to water intake) is not affected.

Only if you already have bladder issues, and also only if you consume relatively large amounts of caffeine. It takes drinking 6 standard cups of coffee to trigger incontinence in susceptible people. That's 30 ounces to Americans, about a pint and a half to the English, and nearly a liter (887 milliliters) to anyone else. Take that dose and triple it (at least) for a cup of tea. Those numbers are further complicated by the fact that heavy coffee drinkers also tend to drink more alcohol.

And, like you said, total urine production is unaffected (except for that near liter of water you're taking in). And if urine volume is unaffected, then you are not dealing with a diuretic.

 

[McPerth]

Only if you already have bladder issues, and also only if you consume relatively large amounts of caffeine. It takes drinking 6 standard cups of coffee to trigger incontinence in susceptible people. That's 30 ounces to Americans, about a pint and a half to the English, and nearly a liter (887 milliliters) to anyone else. Take that dose and triple it (at least) for a cup of tea. Those numbers are further complicated by the fact that heavy coffee drinkers also tend to drink more alcohol.

Two points here:

I was not talking about incontinece, but about bladder irritation (medically called LUTS , akin of cyistitis, but of non-infectious origin). Of course, any bladder problem (be it neurological, infectious, alredy irrtated by stones, etc) worsens it.

I guess you brew the coffe quite lighter than we i nBarcelona if 6 cups are more or less a litter. here we brew it more strong (like Italians), and a cup of coffy is about 50 ml (though probably the cafeine content is more or less equivalent), and we use to find US (or French, for what's worth) coffe quite watered...

And, like you said, total urine production is unaffected (except for that near liter of water you're taking in). And if urine volume is unaffected, then you are not dealing with a diuretic.

I already conceded it is not a diuretic, but one may find as if it was if one needs to go to the bathrom more often, even if each miction is lower volume due to irritation and total volume is the same.

 

[whartung]

Well, whatever the data reads, as a general rule Coffee does not agree with me in the large. So I don't drink it.

I'm an Iced Tea snob.

 

[AndyW]

Coffee was almost at the level of a ceremony in the days when I was running Traveller. We typically gathered at my best bros house, where his family always had a fresh pot on the range. The coffee flowed continuously and we often played into the wee hours. Our parents were pretty sure of where we were and didn't complain.

 

[Timerover51]

Coffee was almost at the level of a ceremony in the days when I was running Traveller. We typically gathered at my best bros house, where his family always had a fresh pot on the range. The coffee flowed continuously and we often played into the wee hours. Our parents were pretty sure of where we were and didn't complain.

This reminds me of my high school days playing Risk on the weekends at a friend's house, long before Traveller existed. How long ago can be seen from my 50th reunion coming up in another month.

 

[willtron3030]

Relevant 'FREEFALL' webcomic

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3400/fv03330.gif

Spoiler:

Modified caulk gun as microgravity coffee press.