Quest For A Cuppa

Or, Ego enim occidit calicem capulus (I would kill for a cup of coffee)

I think I’ve made it pretty clear about my open love affair with the mighty coffee bean. As far back as I can remember I have loved coffee. As a small child I would sneak sips from the cups of my parents or grandparents whenever possible.

It’s not just for the caffeine, either. I love the taste, whether it’s real or decaf. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to cut back on the caffeine a bit, just so I can get some sleep at night. Right now, though, I’ve developed a new problem. All the new meds I’m taking seem to have aggravated my gastritis, to the point where I not only can’t handle caffeine, but can’t handle acid either. So decaf is out now as well.

One year I gave up coffee for Lent and used a product called Pero as a substitute for instant coffee. You’d never mistake it for real coffee, but it was an acceptable temporary replacement. Afterward, the jar sat on the counter for years. I dusted it off and started using it again. Since I already put a lot of cream and sugar in my coffee, I do the same with Pero and it’s fine. I decided I better get some more, since this regime with the meds is going to go on for some time. Thus began my quest.

At first I could not find Pero anywhere. The Walmart website said they had it, but I couldn’t find it and didn’t want to pay shipping to order it. None of the other stores in Oroville carried it either. I went online to see what my other options were. The one that got the best reviews was the Teeccino brand ground coffee substitute. The next one was Cafix instant. At S&S Produce in Chico I found both Teeccino (several flavors) and Cafix. I later did find Pero at Walmart and got one of those as well. Here’s the breakdown of the three.

Pero. Instant. 11oz container. $6. Makes approx 130 cups. Ingredients: barley, malted barley, chicory, rye. I like it. With cream and sugar it’s fine.

Cafix. Instant. 7oz jar. $8. Makes approx. 100 cups. Ingredients: roasted barley, rye, chicory, sugar beets. I like it. Again with the cream and sugar.

Teeccino. Brewed. Flavor: French roast organic. 11oz bag. $11. Makes approx. 30 cups. Ingredients: carob, barley, chicory, ramón seeds, natural coffee flavor. I like it with one exception…there is a hint of the carob, which I don’t care for. I can add a packet of sugar free hot chocolate mix and that helps a lot. With everything supposedly being organic, I wonder at the “natural coffee flavor” and what they mean. At any rate, it tastes good.

So that’s what I’m drinking for the time being. And I’m OK with that. Once in a great while I will brew me some decaf and can get away with the odd cuppa now and then.