These really should come with some sort of warning label. I can recall sitting at the counter of a chi chi dessert bar where a pal was slinging espresso. She had a little dish of chocolate-covered espresso beans at the counter. I perched on a bar stool for probably three hours just chatting, catching up, drinking her mistake drinks - and munching bean after bean after bean...

When it was time to go I realized that my motions were all exaggerated - as if it no longer took as much effort to move my limbs. I had difficulty walking. Then I realized that my heart was hammering and I had broken out in a cold sweat. Needless to say, I did not sleep that night.

These things really should come with some sort of warning label.

chocolate covered coffee beans

They are evil and addictive... but so is E2, so it can't be that bad...right?

It goes something like this:

  1. You eat one...mmmmm...sweet...mmmm...
  2. yugh...bitter coffee bean!
  3. Quick better eat another to take the bitter flavor away!
  4. ahhhh, that's better, mmmm sweet again...
  5. repeat...
Before you realise what's going on, you wake up on the floor dazed and confused 4 hours later, look at your monitor and realise you've just coded a new kernel from scratch...

Like I said, it can't be all bad...

I just bought an 8-ounce pack of those, after having a 3-ounce pack over the last 3 days.

arrowfall: The trick is to nibble them. Eat one at a time, and only every few minutes. Do not gobble them like popcorn - you'll regret it in an hour or so, no matter how much tolerance you have built up for caffeine. Trust me on that one. I usually drink 2 16-ounce cups of black coffee per day, and it took about a dozen beans for me to feel it. I can't imagine what a full pack - never mind bowl - would be like.

The advantage of these little monsters is that, since they're solid and must be somewhat digested, they don't bring the shock, or the nausea and/or outright sickness, that can result from drinking straight espresso or taking caffeine pills with minimal water. They also taste better than at least Starbucks' espresso - I don't have access to anything else.

The corresponding downside, of course, is that, when, say, rushing to class or needing to wake up quickly for some other reason, they just don't cut it.

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