A Whole New Cup Of Joe

By Thomas Morrone CFP®, CPA

I have been a coffee drinker for more than four decades and thoroughly enjoy my morning cup to get the day going. When my affection for coffee started, it was not originally about enjoying the taste but the yearning for the caffeine. My connection with coffee started in college because of the long hours of studying and the need to stay awake even though my body wanted to go to sleep. In those days, I preferred to drink my coffee “light and sweet”. Therefore, I was not only getting a jolt from the caffeine but was getting a quick sugar rush as well. It is funny how a taste is acquired for items that are ingested. After college, I gradually eliminated all the sugar and most of the milk. So, for the last 40 years or so, I preferred my coffee with just a little milk. About a year ago, I was having some digestive issues and the Doctor recommended, among other things, to minimize the dairy products consumed. I switched to almond milk for my breakfast cereal but could not get used to the taste of the almond milk in the coffee. Now I drink my coffee black. Now, if I take a sip of coffee that accidentally has sugar in it, I almost spit it out because it is way too sweet.

Since I started drinking coffee black, I have come to appreciate the taste of a good cup of coffee. By no means am I a coffee connoisseur but one thing I can say with some certainty, there is good coffee and bad coffee. Of course, personal taste plays a major role and there are so many options. Numerous times throughout the day and while driving in the car, countless people can be seen with a Styrofoam cup from either Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks or their own personal travel coffee thermos contraption of some sort.

Coffee is more than a hot drink, it is a very common means of social interaction; “let’s get a cup of coffee”. Coffee shops seem to be everywhere these days. Many relationships, personal and business for that matter, have started over a cup of java. Grabbing a cup of coffee is easy, quick, inexpensive and can be cut short or dragged out depending on how the conversation is going. There is still the caffeine element that I need to keep in check. When I was in college, staying awake was the goal, now if I drink coffee after dinner, I am up all night. Even in the morning, after two cups of coffee, I start to get a little jittery. That quick cup of coffee that turns into two or even three cups can get the heart rate pumping. Thankfully there is decaf.

Coffee preparation has evolved over the years as well. There has always been fresh brewed as an option but that was time consuming and wasteful if only one cup was wanted. Instant coffee was another option, but the watered-down taste was undesirable. There has been all type of coffee makers over the years and have tried them all. There were and still are the makers with the messy filters filled with wet coffee grinds that need to be carefully discarded before you can brew a fresh pot. More than once I have dropped a filter filled with coffee grinds and had to deal with the cleanup which was never enjoyable.  The latest version that I absolutely love is the Keurig that brews a fresh, single cup of your favorite coffee with the push of a button. You can get K cups in just about any flavor or brand of coffee, regular and decaf.

Now, when I want that second cup of coffee, I can grab a decaf K cup.

Until the next Tom’s take…

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