French Press coffee - good and very bad page 2

[pamola10]

I've noticed that my caffeine effect (mild shakiness) are nil when I moderate the coffee with cocoanut milk (lots of it). I used to love lattes in my dairy days. But even with the milk I'd have nasty effects with the second cup. Now I can drink two full mugs without feeling anything like jitters. But only when I really bump it up with that delicious, fatty cocoanut milk.

Good to know that coffee can be so powerful.

[Sandra in BC]

Whether I use my french press, or my classic corning ware stovetop percolator, or my good old sunbeam drip coffee maker, I use the same amount of the same ground coffee, and about the same amount of water. They all taste different, probably because of the different water temp and amount of steeping time. I don't notice one being more 'caffeinated' than another.

The biggest difference between the french press and the filtered drip (with paper filter) is that I get more of the natural oils from the beans with the press. The paper filter seems to catch the oils.

[PrimalChat]

Recently I have been enjoying a mug of French press coffee, black, in the morning. It sure makes good coffee. But the coffee is very strong. I have been getting sicker and sicker every day that I've been having a cup of this coffee. The last two days I've suffered terrible gas and an inability to sleep. Today I just felt horrible. I have had to pee a million times. I feel anxious and unwell. I'm bloated and my stomach is huge. How can you be peeing so much AND be bloated??? Anyway, caffeine intoxication. No more French press coffee! It's very good but it's also very very bad.

If I were you, I'd look at what kind of beans you are using. Arabica beans have 1/2 caffeine as Robusta beans. If the coffee is still strong, cut back on how many grams you are using. More info can be found on French Press Authority.

[Chaohinon]

I don't think it has anything to do with the press. What kind of coffee are you using, and how freshly ground? Anytime I drink bagged pre-ground coffee (folgers, et al) I end up feeling like I have the flu, and on a few occasions stayed sick for days. Fresh stuff from a local roaster is entirely the opposite.

[sbhikes]

I was using the same French roast stuff I always buy from Trader Joe's. I cut way back on the coffee and feel infinitely better. At most I put about 2 level measuring teaspoons in the press now instead of an 8th of a cup. And when I get my second cup later, I make it half a cup. I think I will taper off the stuff because since I've cut back not only do I feel better but I think I have better definition. Could be a reduction in edema around the knees and ankles where it's most visible for me.

[Sanas]

The bullet-proof coffee/executive guy says most coffee is festered with mold, so you should buy his expensive, guaranteed-mold-free stuff. He says it makes a huge difference.

Too much coffee hurts me too. Stomach pain, general unwellness.

[PrimalMama]

The bullet-proof coffee/executive guy says most coffee is festered with mold, so you should buy his expensive, guaranteed-mold-free stuff. He says it makes a huge difference.

Too much coffee hurts me too. Stomach pain, general unwellness.

Yeah, his upgraded coffee is pretty awesome for a sustained brain buzz...
...and if you think he's just promoting it because he sells it, think again, because he has plenty of tips for finding the best coffee no matter where you are - here's the basics:

Here’s the Bulletproof Executive way.

Never use decaf. Ever. Caffeine protects the beans from more mold. You need it in your coffee or you shouldn’t drink it.
Never choose robusta (cheap, instant) beans. These are moldier, which is why they are higher in caffeine too (as a defense against mold on the bush). Drink arabica.
Insist on wet process beans. Many higher end African coffees use natural process, which means they dry the beans in the sun, giving them time to mold. Wet process coffee uses far less time and rinses the beans, making for lower-toxin coffee.
Aim for Central American varieties grown at higher elevations where mold is scarce. (Bonus points if they’re blessed by shamans, one-armed monks, or picked by orphans…)
Single estate is better than major brands. If it is sold by a national coffee house, its mixed with countless other sources, and you can guarantee that some toxic mold made it into the coffee.
If you can’t find good beans, order an Americano because steam helps to break down the toxins.

There a ton more on his site... and I personally can TOTALLY feel the difference between a cup of "clean" coffee and a cup of regular coffee.

[bulletproofexec]

To be fair, my coffee is $2/bag more than a bag of Starbucks beans, and the guys who pick mine are Rainforest Alliance Certified, so they get paid a lot more than Fair Trade even. There is lots of (moldier) coffee more expensive than mine.

[Drumroll]

I've heard that some people are actually sensitive to coffee. And no, I don't mean the caffeine in it. You can have issues with that, sure, but I'm talking about the bean itself.

I have a friend who (like I do), drinks tea like a fiend and has no issues at all. But one cup of coffee and it's crash and burn. I think he has an allergy to something specifically in the coffee itself, and it's not the caffeine causing the issues here. Your case might be similar?

[TheFastCat]

good old caffeine :/