Why do working professionals prefer premium pour-over coffee? Why don't young people brew tea?

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Why Coffee Has Replaced Tea in Office Culture

A few days ago, while browsing Xiaohongshu, I noticed many people setting up pour-over coffee stations in their office break rooms. I became curious: why don't people set up tea sets to brew tea in break rooms?

Logically speaking, tea is a culture we've passed down for over a thousand years, so why has our generation all turned to coffee?

The Coffee vs. Tea Caffeine Analysis

Before solving this problem, we need to understand why coffee is particularly effective for office workers.

First, let's look at some data:

Caffeine content per 100g of coffee beans: approximately 1.3%.
Caffeine content per 100g of green tea: approximately 2%-5%.

An 8-ounce cup of coffee typically contains over 100mg of caffeine (a cup of pour-over coffee (225ml/15g beans) contains about 60-90mg of caffeine; a shot of espresso (30ml/15g beans) contains about 85mg of caffeine). Meanwhile, a cup of tea (same amount) typically contains 10-50mg of caffeine (depending on the type).

So, calculating this out, the caffeine content in a cup of coffee is about 5 times that of tea. Why such a big difference? Because of the brewing methods.

After all, nobody puts coffee beans directly into a cup to steep, but tea leaves need to be fully saturated to brew tea flavor. Although there are ground tea powders on the market, they tend to be quite expensive.

The Workplace Caffeine Advantage

For office workers, large amounts of caffeine help them maintain better work performance. To achieve the same effect with tea, one would need to drink at least 1.1 liters of tea.

Because of this, people prefer drinking coffee over tea during work hours. Moreover, with rapid economic development today, our work has become like clockwork, and coffee better suits this fast-paced model.

Coffee Culture in Modern Workplaces

Against the backdrop of this fast-paced urban civilization, tea seems out of place in office environments. For example, if you drink coffee while working overtime, your boss might think you're working hard. But if you drink tea while working overtime, your boss might wonder if you're just there to relax and take it easy.

Today, a cup of coffee has become part of young people's office social life. Daily communication with colleagues from the same department, collaboration discussions with colleagues from different departments—grabbing a cup of coffee creates a relaxed atmosphere that makes communication easier.

The Ritual and Symbolism of Coffee

As a symbol of boutique lifestyle, coffee better aligns with the urban white-collar identity in the eyes of office workers.

Setting up pour-over equipment in the break room creates a more coffee-oriented atmosphere. The sound of coffee beans grinding combined with the aroma of coffee gives everyone a greater sense of ritual. Meanwhile, most tea brewing today uses tea bags, and preparing a set of tea ware in the break room doesn't quite match the office work environment—making it less appealing than coffee.

Additionally, when tired from work, taking a coffee break provides an opportunity to step outside for some fresh air and alleviate work fatigue. Even the cobbler in "Love Mythology" has his own coffee time. Today's young people certainly prefer the freedom that coffee offers.

Image source: Internet

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