In Which I Concede ... The Bean Has Me by the Brain

There’s all kinds of good advice available on how to weather economic crises, including variants depending upon one’s circumstances (e.g., urban or rural). I realized yesterday, while conversing with someone regarding stockpiling supplies for oneself as well as possible barter, that I am not only flouting one very good bit of that advice, but I will continue to cheerfully do so for as long as I can.

The sage advice I have turned my back on is to avoid becoming dependent upon some commodity that may not be available come TEOTWAWKI. For some, that might be alcohol of some specific type or even brand; for others, tobacco or other smokable leaf might be it; for me and many others, it’s caffeine. Whether one’s fix comes primarily from tea or coffee, both of those crops are largely imports, and thus would be difficult to replace if supply lines were interrupted or halted, internationally or domestically.

In my case, it’s probably as bad as it can get. You see, when I first started drinking coffee I was introduced to the good stuff; I liked it and developed a preference for it. By “the good stuff” I don’t mean premium brands that are available in supermarkets—at a minimum I mean good quality roasted beans that I grind as needed. Preferably, I mean buying green coffee beans and roasting them myself. That process relies on electricity as well as a steady supply of beans, and thus is probably the worst-case scenario one might envision for survivalist preps. My friend helped me recognize that, but we seemed to agree that it simply isn’t worth it to scale back now to Folger’s or somesuch.

Yes, if TSHTF I will likely face a few unpleasant days of caffeine withdrawal. I’ve faced it before and survived; I expect I can do so again. Yes, I’ve been in situations (especially while traveling) where I’ve not been able to find a supplier to adequately feed my jones. I can make do on “roadhouse swill” if I need to. But I am stubbornly resistant to voluntarily stepping down to that level, or something close to it, on the chance that it will become the only thing available to me somewhere down the line.

My freshly-brewed morning latté has become a small, quotidian pleasure for me. I enjoy grinding the beans, heating the water and milk, and concocting the drink with my Aeropress. When I moved out here I considered giving up coffee, as the equipment I’d been using was MAL’s ... but I realized then that it wasn’t a fear of caffeine withdrawal that kept me from taking that step: I enjoy my morning ritual. (It also helped that MAL sweetly surprised me with a new grinder shortly after my arrival.)

While I understand and appreciate self control, I will never be an ascetic. Life is too short and too uncertain to deny oneself some pleasures. Thus, knowing it may seem folly or extravagant indulgence, I am not now going to voluntarily forego my morning pleasure. I will do my best to ensure I can feed my habit through hard times (the only element uncovered at present is roasting the beans without electricity), and if the day comes when I do have to give it up, then I will face that day as steadfastly as I can—but only when it comes. And my guess is that I will then discover another layer of appreciation for my daily indulgence.

Update: Kirsten has written a very informative post addressing the how-tos of roasting without electricity, along with some other helpful information and recommendations. She’s ventured further there than I have, and even offers some appropriate companion music.