Coffee anyone?

By DEBRA HANSON-BAYERL
The Manifest staff writer

What’s up with this new coffee fad?
We have gone from black coffee with cream and sugar to lattes, mochas, cappuccino and espressos. We have also gone from an inexpensive drink to a very costly one. Many students drink coffee every morning. We see students coming to school with cups of hot coffee from home or foam cups from their favorite coffee establishment. Whether it is the gas station or a favorite coffee place, we have many in our area.
But what is it about coffee now?
It is all about taste and each person has their own desired flavor. Some just want a steaming hot cup of coffee to warm up, others want a stronger cup to wake them up. Many like all the flavored syrups to sweeten up a boring cup of black coffee, all that sugar also might give them an energy burst.
At UW-Marinette, we have coffee brewing between 8:30-1:00 at the Costa Café.
They serve several types of coffee:
Small Large
Regular coffee $1.00 1.50
Caffe’ Mocha $3.09 3.99
Costa Carmella $3.49 4.29
Caffe’ Latte $2.59 3.19
Morning Kick $2.49 3.29
Cappuccino $2.99 3.39
Espresso single: $1.79 doubles: $2.29
Americano $2.49 2.89
Flavors include: Almond, caramel, cinnamon, coconut, hazelnut, Irish crème, strawberry, vanilla.
Michael Paris, a student at U.W.Marinette, likes the taste of the coffee and enjoys it. He likes regular coffee, but sometimes orders a double shot of espresso.
“One cup will do it for the day,” he said, “if I order a double shot.”
On campus, the coffee preference differs from one person to the next.
Joe Bieschke doesn’t drink coffee often “but likes the coffee available at the campus café.” He said it “wakes him up when tired.”
Stephen Frank drinks “only a couple of cappuccinos each week because the price is too high.” He also says, “The coffee is good, but it’s over priced.” He stated “just a regular coffee is a better price.”
“The café makes a good cup of coffee, but not as good as Zingers,” laughed Professor Jane Otzinger, referring to the Marinette Avenue coffee shop.
She would recommend, “The Americano, which is two shots of espresso with hot water and cream. It makes a very rich cup of coffee.”
Do we drink coffee to wake up, be more alert, boost our memory before a big exam, or just because we enjoy a good cup of hot coffee? Does coffee and caffeine actually wake us up?
Many studies have been done on mental alertness, memory enhancement, and possible benefits against certain types of disease.
It seems the amount of coffee consumed in each person affects them differently. Everyone has their own threshold or limit on how much is too much. Some people shake or become jittery after drinking coffee, others drink it all day and it has no such affect on them. Lori Cooper, a student at UW-Marinette, said “she can drink 3 pots of coffee during the day and fall right to sleep at night.”
Mrs. Larissa Hogan, associate lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology on campus, states personally “coffee makes her shake, and has not drank coffee for 3 months”. In regards to what she thought of some of the scientific facts pertaining to benefits of drinking coffee, she states “Research keeps changing.”
To find out any specific answers to questions you might have, she refers to many reputable web sites: American Association for the Advancement of Science or Harvard Health Letter. Then enter “coffee research” or “caffeine” in their search engine.
Coffee has become a booming business for all establishments who carry coffee products or sell brewed cups of coffee. Coffee also adds flavor to many recipes. Some of them can be found at www.coffeescience.org.
Coffee has become a new fad on an old favorite product. Coffee is everywhere; people are decorating homes using coffee themes: coffee cups and coffee pots on pictures, curtains, towels, wall plaques, clocks, and rugs. You name it and you can probably buy it at local shops and specialty home décor shops.
Have you had your cup today?