I have this nightmare that one day I'll develop an intolerance to caffeine and *gasp* chocolate. In this dream I walk around licking the rim of an empty cup, depressed and hollow-eyed, not from lack of sleep but from thwarted desires. What would I do without my 3 favorite things in the world? Coffee, tea and chocolate make life worth living!
Because of this nightmare, this product - D+Caf - caught my eye. It tests your beverage for caffeine to insure that - if you MUST drink decaf - your cup really does contain unleaded. I had to try it.
In case you don't know, decaffeinated beverages are not totally caffeine free. Under federal regulations in the U.S., caffeine levels have to be 2.5 percent of the product or lower in order for a product to be labeled "decaffeinated." (Check out this article if you're interested in how decaf becomes decaf. Or this great article if you're a home roaster who needs decaf beans.) Now, according to most sources, an 8 oz cup of regular drip coffee contains between 104-192 mg caffeine. Tea can run between 20-90 mg caffeine per 8 oz cup. What is being sold as decaf varies, too, but this study showed that your average restaurant unleaded can contain caffeine ranging from 8.6 milligrams to 13.9 milligrams, and Starbucks decaf espresso contained 3 mg to 15.8 mg of caffeine per shot.
Which isn't too bad IMO. But obviously if you have to cut caffeine out of your life entirely, drinking "decaf" won't do the trick. (Prune juice maybe? Gaaaah.)
Swenyway, this little D+Caf strip-doo-dad tests for caffeine levels of less than 20mg per 6 oz cup. I did the test using Millstone Hazelnut Cream, regular and decaffeinated, using the same amount of coffee / water and same brewing method. The picture here shows the results of the test strips. Yes, the one on the left is the decaf, the test strips worked.
But I must confess I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for something more precise. Something ... well ok, something less than a tricorder readout, but closer to a pool chlorine test strip maybe, that would show me a range. Colored stripes ranging from green (really really LOW caffeine level) to RED for "danger zone". These little strips are more like a pregnancy test. It's either yes or no. Heh. So, if the little line on the left is all you see, then you're safely in the unleaded zone. If you see two lines, or one dark line on the right, you've got too much go-juice in your cup.
That is valuable info if you have a caffeine sensitivity and really REALLY need to know what you're drinking. I still would like to see more precise information, but I might have to keep a supply of these on hand, just in case my nightmare ever does come true.
Related: Can't Get Enough Caffeine?


















I have some coffees to review, especially for those of you who prefer fresh roasted coffee, but don't want to do the roasting yourself.
I started with the CR Tarrazu, since I have most experience with it. It didn't disappoint, it was fresh enough to suit me, and flavorful. I have to say though, I'm not really a fan of light roast coffee. The flavor is still a bit too green for me. I much prefer a medium roast, that still retains the regional flavors, but moving in taste toward the carmelized bean. Still, this light roast Tarrazu was good.
I bought some white chocolate creme liqueur to try. Is it too early for a toddy? Can I sip my lunch?
It became customary for a community’s young men to go “wassailing” on New Years Day. They visited the houses of their family, friends and the town’s elite, receiving at each abode a bit of meat and an alcoholic drink. The wealthy benefactors were obliged to share their bounty in order to win the loyalty of the lower class and preserve the social structure, so the young men sang and made merry, becoming more and more inebriated after each visit. The man who completed his holiday rounds was revered by his intoxicated peers.
So, you like flavoring in your coffee, BUT ...
Bada-Beans come in three flavors: Crazy Carl's Caramel Fudge, McCoy's Dream Vanilla Bean (which I liked very much), and Hazel's Nutty Hazelnut. The Caramel Fudge was ok, but not up to my high expectations of chocolate flavorings. The Hazelnut was difficult because it didn't smell good, and I have a hard time making my mouth try something my nose doesn't like. I did try it though, and it tasted better than it smelled. I only used one tablet in my cuppa, and the flavor was pretty subtle. My brother needed two tablets to get enough flavor, and then he said he didn't like the aftertaste which may have been caused by the fact that the first ingredient is 
