Let me confess my sins.
The Sugar Years
For years, I was that guy at Starbucks.
Venti white mocha. Extra whip.
Or a chai tea latte. Also with whip. Because apparently I needed dessert in liquid form to function before 9am.
I didn’t drink coffee. I drank sugar with coffee-flavored undertones. And I was completely fine with that arrangement.
The baristas knew my order. My bank account hated me. My pancreas was quietly filing for divorce.
Cost of a venti white mocha in 2024: $7.45 Number I drank per week: Let’s not talk about it.
The Slow Transition
At some point, I convinced myself I was being “healthier.”
Switched to iced coffee with milk. No whip. No mocha syrup. Just coffee with… a generous amount of milk. Okay, a lot of milk.
Progress? Technically. I could at least taste something resembling actual coffee now.
But I was still diluting it into submission.
Summer 2025: Something Shifted
I don’t know exactly when it happened.
Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was turning another year older. Maybe I was just tired of the production that came with every coffee order.
One morning, I walked up to the counter and said:
“Black iced coffee. That’s it.”
No milk. No sugar. No modifications. Just coffee and ice.
The barista looked at me like I’d finally grown up.
And here’s the thing:
I didn’t hate it.
The Espresso Discovery
Then came espresso.
Real espresso. A double shot. Sometimes a quad when I’m feeling chaotic.
Here’s what nobody told me about black coffee:
| What I Expected | What Actually Happened |
|---|---|
| Bitter and harsh | Complex flavors I never noticed before |
| Jittery energy | Clean, focused caffeine hit |
| Missing the sweetness | Not even thinking about it |
| Temporary phase | It’s been 6+ months |
It actually tastes like something. Chocolate notes. Nuts. Sometimes fruit. All the stuff coffee snobs talk about? It’s real. I just couldn’t taste it under the whip cream.
It hits different. A quad shot is clean energy. No sugar crash two hours later. No milk bloat. Just caffeine doing exactly what caffeine is supposed to do.
It’s fast. No explaining my order three times. No “actually, can you remake that?” Just espresso. Done.
It’s cheap. $3 for a double shot vs $7+ for my old habit. The math adds up fast.
My Secret Weapon: Cafe Bustelo
Here’s my actual hack:
Cafe Bustelo instant espresso packets.
I’ve carried these little packets in my bag for years. Even back in my sugar days, I knew Bustelo was solid. Dark roast. Strong. No nonsense.
Now they’re my:
- Emergency airport coffee
- Hotel room backup
- “This conference coffee is hot brown water” solution
- Tuesday afternoon pick-me-up
Is instant espresso as good as fresh-pulled? No.
Is it 80% as good and fits in my pocket? Absolutely.
Bustelo doesn’t ask questions. Bustelo just delivers.
What Actually Changed
I think the real shift wasn’t about coffee.
It was about stopping the performance.
The elaborate Starbucks order was a ritual. A treat. A way to feel fancy while being basic. But somewhere along the way, that ritual became autopilot. I wasn’t enjoying my $7 sugar bomb anymore.
I was just… ordering it.
Black coffee forced me to actually taste what I was drinking.
And once I started tasting it?
I started appreciating it.
The Current State
My daily order now:
Quad shot espresso over ice. Sometimes just a double. That’s it.
In my bag at all times:
Cafe Bustelo instant packets. 3-4 of them. Always.
Starbucks visits per month:
Maybe 2. Down from 15+.
Regrets:
Zero.
Should You Try It?
I’m not here to tell you to quit your caramel macchiato. Life’s short. Drink what makes you happy.
But if you’ve ever wondered whether you actually like coffee…
Or just like sugar and caffeine in a convenient cup…
Try black. Just once. Give it a week.
You might surprise yourself.
Or you might go right back to the white mocha. No judgment. I was there for years.
This post is not sponsored by Cafe Bustelo. But honestly, they could reach out. I’m a walking advertisement at this point.