Why I started drinking coffee in my fifties

A Mr. Coffee 5-cup coffee maker and a mug full of coffee.

Caffeine dependency was something I avoided for the first third of my life. Then, in my mid-thirties (almost 20 years ago), I became interested in tea and began including black tea and milk in my morning routine.

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Kroger British Blend Black Tea Review

ersatz
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
adjective: Being a usually inferior imitation or substitute; artificial.
adjective: Not genuine; fake.

Grocery store brand products have a bad reputation. Off-brand ketchup and mustard are acceptable. Bargain-brand mayo and (lately in my experience) toilet paper are dubious.

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King Cole Orange Pekoe Tea Review

Assumedly named after the merry old soul of the familiar nursery rhyme, King Cole Orage Pekoe tea hails from Atlantic Canada. Unlike most Canadian tea brands (such as Red Rose and Salada), this one hasn’t changed ownership since its inception over 100 years ago.

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Teavivre’s Chun Ya (Spring Bud) Review

Gaiwan next to a tea cup filled with Teavivre Chun Ya green tea

Green tea lovers should make room in the pantry for Teavivre’s Chun Ya. Whether brewed traditionally or using the gongfu (multiple steeps) method, this one’s a real treat.

You might think the strong, sweet, floral, nutty aroma would render a bitter taste, but you’d be wrong. The full body of this tea — which holds up after multiple steeps — is smooth and buttery.

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Trader Joe’s Green Tea Review

Trader Joe's Green Tea Package
Trader Joe’s Green Tea, 48 Tea Bags, Enjoy Hot or Iced

You don’t expect a green tea at this price point to significantly arouse your senses. At $2.49 for 48 tea bags, you’re sacrificing the distinctiveness of a single garden estate tea for the smoothness and consistency of a blend.

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