Butting Heads: Coffee or Tea?

The case for cofee

Coffee is my drug. It’s the reason I get up in the morning and the only thing keeping me going throughout each and every day. In high school, I remember first trying a sip of the infamous remedy, and I was instantly hooked. My best friend and I walked around the hallways — thinking we were elitists or something — for having two large Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffees. Although I may still be that person, I need the drink for more than just the “cool” factor nowadays.

College made the obsession even worse. Freshman year, I made the stupid mistake of waiting until the night before to write a 10-page research paper. If it weren’t for coffee, I would have probably failed the class. It’s like my savior. Going through a breakup? Grab a coffee. Have some super exciting news to share? Order a latte to celebrate. Need to discuss something or meet someone for the first time in a public place? Do it over coffee. It’s the perfect ice-breaker activity. It’s not like people say, “let’s meet for tea.”

Tea just doesn’t compare. Coffee comes with variety, different flavors, creamers and various shops to order from. You can perfect each cup to your liking. Personally, I prefer light-roast coffee, but once in awhile, I’ll try a dark-roast, depending on my mood. I always switch up how I like my coffee too; sometimes I lean toward a mocha or latte, but debate getting a cappuccino. Espresso shots are vital, too.

Ultimately, as a college student and journalist, the choice is clear. I think the stimulant factor really makes this decision easy. One cup of coffee equates to an energy drink, minus the mid-day crash. For example, I had a cup of coffee this morning, and I still managed to stay awake for a solid 16 hours afterward. Tea would help me feel warm and cozy for about five minutes, and then fade away. Coffee, on the other hand, not only gets me excited to conquer the day, but puts a smile on my face. (Anyone who is not a morning person understands.)

I just don’t trust people who don’t drink coffee. How do you survive? Is there something I’m missing out on? If anyone has another way to still be a competent human after less than five hours of sleep, I’m all ears. But for now, time to grab another cup.

A taste for tea

Whether starting your day, ending it, or just looking for a delicious way to quench your thirst there is no better choice than tea. Tea comes in a variety of styles and tastes that satisfy even the most discerning palate.

Tea comes in four main varieties: white, green, black, and Oolong. Surprisingly enough, though, all four of these come from the same plant. Camellia Sinensis, the plant from which tea comes, is grown all over the world, unlike the coffee bean which can only be cultivated near the equator.

No matter how you slice it, coffee only comes in one flavor: coffee. Some may argue that there’s french vanilla, hazelnut, and a dozen other “flavors” that coffee comes in, but at the end of the day they are all coffee flavored. Whether it’s arabica, robusta, or that weird civet poop coffee, the only real options you get with coffee are whether you add cream or sugar to it while it stains your teeth a wonderfully fashionable shade of yellow.

Some may say that it depends on how you brew the coffee, but even the weakest cup of coffee still tastes like coffee. White teas however have a completely different flavor profile from green, or black, even though they come from the same plant. The very chemical nature of the leaves changes depending on how they’re handled.

Tea also comes with a variety of health benefits. In a story he wrote for The New York Times Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine,  cited a variety of studies showing the health benefits of drinking tea. Those who drank three cups of tea a day had their risk of depression drop by 37 percent, stroke by 21 percent, and heart disease by 27 percent.  

Even the most fanatical, amber toothed, coffee addict recognizes that tea is better in at least some cases. Don’t agree? Let me ask you then, how would you feel watching a parent give their 3-year-old a cup of coffee? How about a cup of iced tea?

Tea has a naturally lower caffeine content that still provides a nice pick me up in the morning, without making it difficult to go to bed at night. Coffee must be decaffeinated by soaking the beans in chemicals–gross. There is no need to go out of your way to get decaf tea just so you can drink a cup after 9 p.m. When it comes down to it, there really is no contest.

Leave a Reply