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Jason C. McDonald
Jason C. McDonald

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Programming Fluid Specs

A lot of us drink coffee, and many others enjoy tea or other drinks, but that's about as specific as describing our development environment as a "desktop" or "laptop".

For example, I love coffee, but I also know there is a world of difference between Starbucks, Folgers, Dunkin Donuts, Thomas Hammer, et al; even within those brands, there are many types of coffee.

So, what are the specs on your programming fluid of choice? Be specific: brands, brewing methods, flavors. If I were to get you something to drink right now, how would I do it?

Top comments (17)

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jess profile image
Jess Lee

Depends on the day, these three pop up often:

  1. Starbucks tall chai latte, soy milk w/ no foam, extra hot.
  2. Iced jasmine green tea -- most indie coffee shops have this.
  3. Classic milk tea, no sugar w/ tapioca balls. Ideally from CoCo, Vikki's, or Yaya in NYC.
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mortoray profile image
edA‑qa mort‑ora‑y

I prefer dihydrogen monoxide warmed to about 283 degrees. Naturally occurring electrolytic salts, based on, for example, Na, Mg, or Ca, are desired, though impurities, especially organics and metals disliked.

My drink is best served in non-crystalline amorphous solids, though due to said electrolytes poses an issue around electronic equipment. A friendlier alternative is a long chain organic polymer. Said container should have a torsional snap fit, with optional annular metal loop for storage under transport.

I source my drink from sustainable local suppliers meeting strict regularity quality standards. I enjoy it so much I have multiple direct dispensaries installed in my apartment.

For festive occasions I enjoy my drink infused with carbon, resulting in its effervescence.

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald

Applause

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mathur_anurag profile image
Anurag Mathur 

Love the description!

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald • Edited

Coffee is my favorite programming fluid. Every morning, I brew a fresh pot in a stovetop percolator, which gives much better flavor than a coffeemaker, in my opinion. I've tried a lot of brands of ground coffee, but my favorite by far is Yuban traditional roast. I'll use three scoops of ground coffee, and then I'll fit an extra, empty filter on top of that to prevent grounds from leaking into the brewed coffee (it works).

Personally, I like my coffee black as night! My mother, who co-owns the software company with me, likes half coffee, half milk, with two scoops of sugar.

Depending on our mood, we may add one of the following to the grounds in the percolator:

  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice
  • Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cloves
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Pure almond extract
  • Pure peppermint extract (especially during the holidays)

If I'm out of the office, I'll take coffee however I can find it. I've gotten used to Starbucks, having spent a few years in Seattle, but it still tastes burnt to me; all the same, I prefer it to some weaker coffee. (Anyone else notice that Thomas Hammer tastes really really strange?) If I have my pick of anything at Starbucks, it'll usually be a caramel macchiato.

All the same, the absolute best coffee I've ever had is a local brand called 4 Seasons Coffee; the Costa Rica blend is my favorite from them. Usually I can only get my mitts on this at the local donut shop.

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alephnaught2tog profile image
Max Cerrina

Have you ever tried cardamom?

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald • Edited

I haven't! At least, I haven't tried it in coffee. I'll have to do that one of these days.

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alephnaught2tog profile image
Max Cerrina

I really like it. Sort of floral. A little weird, but I like it.

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dmfay profile image
Dian Fay

Puerh tea, the shou "ripe" style (sheng puerh is "raw", meant to be aged naturally; shou is accelerated down that process and comes out of it rather differently). I brew it in a big mug with a filter. Puerh can be steeped multiple times; if it's off a cake or brick instead of loose you have to rinse it with boiling water before the first time to get it to start opening up. Steeping time ranges from ten seconds to a minute or few as you progress. I let it go until the tea is almost opaque, at which point it's thick and rich with the body of a good cup of coffee. The flavor profile tends to be smooth, earthy, and woodsy. Best I've had lately is Crimson Lotus' "Storm Breaker".

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ghost profile image
Ghost

I keep whole beans from Trader Joe's and (when I can splurge) Cafe Grumpy in Brooklyn. I keep them in the freezer to grind a few spoonfuls of beans in a Ninja which works perfectly for a quick, coarse grind to brew in my small french press.

A few of my favorite beans in no particular order:

  • Trader Joe's
    • Kenyan AA
    • Costa Rican Terrazu

  • Cafe Grumpy
    • Malacara from El Salvador
    • Santa Teresa from Nicaragua
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viki53 profile image
Corentin H. ⚡

I almost exclusively drink water with aloe vera in it.

Sometimes with Chia seeds mixed in, if I'm feeling fancy.

A cup of tea from time to time, coffee if that's all there is.

Regular water the rest of the time, if I'm out of everything else (or just thirsty).

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jakebman profile image
jakebman

My workplace has an espresso machine. It has a milk steamer.

For two weeks, I made espresso-infused steamed milk every morning. But I was getting migraines on the weekends and realized it was caffeine withdrawal.

So now, I make an awesomely foamy hot chocolate with this espresso machine. Steamed chocolate milk is amazing.

But also water. Water is the perfect drink.

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Robb Manes

Counter Culture roasted espresso with a tiny amount of steamed cream. Seriously, if you're near NC or want to order, check it out, it's pretty great.

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mathur_anurag profile image
Anurag Mathur 

Simply put, Americano from the coffee machine to start ththe day. Water throughout the day.

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kased profile image
Meisuleen

Columbian coffee medium roast
Italian cappuccino
Arabic coffee