To ask you to choose which coffee machine (for someone who hates coffee!) and how to force myself to love coffee as top drs have told me I HAVE to drink it and lots of it

[CocoBellaSparkle]

Dear MN’s,

I’ve been telling myself to not NC .. (years ago I did a lot ) but I’d rather just be ‘me’ so on that note .. some may have briefly seen/noticed that I’ve got a very bleak outcome .. very later stage ‘C’ caught unfortunately too late and it’s spread and no cure and removal / transplant / chemo will be fatal .. so untreatable and no cure

Anyway got that annoying little bit said and out of the way 😄 sooo my top Doctors/Specialists/ Nurses have all said that for my particular illness (annoyingly would have been better advice in the very early days now it’s more ‘the horse has very much bolted off ..) but nothing to lose in still trying this - coffee is THE healthiest thing people on my shoes can consume for this type of cancer

I DETEST coffee and always have .. i’ve had about 3 or four cups in my whole life .. and those ones not only tasted awful but gave me the shakes , worst migraine and sickness and bad tummy

Genuine question MN’s - can you (or have any of you) hated coffee and made yourself fall in love with it or even tolerated it ?

I love the idea of being a NORMAL person (cause i’m fully aware i’m the abnormal one as everyone loves coffee I believe) and to love coffee and to meet friends for coffee , to appreciate a nice mug of coffee, to have that ‘coffee kick ‘ in the mornings, to enjoy coffee from independent small family owned coffee houses to discover different coffees etc

And now my cancer doctors and nurses are telling me it will only be a good thing for me to drink the stuff so thought would ask you which coffee machines you have ?

i ask as hospital say the instant stuff isn’t really the ‘best’

I love the idea of the touch screen machines BUT they’re crazy expensive (especially for a now single mother , very poorly so had to give up my amazing career and living off savings which has trickled like water AND uber pricey for a coffee HATER 😄)

Now I know (or think ) that the machines that are coffee beans to cup are the best and the pod machines are frowned upon (especially with those who know and love their coffee!)
but I have two boys too and they hate coffee .. so do you think a pod one would be best ?

I’ve had a tassimo in the past (mainly for hot chocolate for my then very little boys and sometimes myself )

My budget is ideally not over £250 (i’ve just moved and finished furnishing my apartment and now I think i need to rob a bank just to live 😄) and have been looking into
Tassimo
Lavazza
L’Or
Nespresso

Plus bonus points - cream coloured /retro look
easy to use (not a faff)
milk frother (don’t think these come with pod machines though - i could be wrong ..,)
also to have pods that have different choices of coffees so maybe I could (force myself ) to actually like a type of coffee ☕️

Also a machine with pods and/or the machine itself that can make a lovejy hot chocolate
pods that include mocha’s/ cappuccino etc

thank you (if you’ve got this far!) for reading and I’m ready to order a machine asap just thought would ask for any pointers

thank you - CocoBella :)

@QuestionableMouse ODFOD.

Sorry to hear your diagnosis, cancer is a bastard.

DH has a smeg machine, he likes it. I don't like coffee so would make a strong espresso and chug it.

Best wishes with your coffee hunting xx

I'd get the Nespresso one with milk frother you can buy recyclable pods coffee is much better than the tassimo

I absolutely love coffee. I have no recommendation on coffee beans because I think that's pretty subjective. I found a superb Delonghi bean to cup machine on eBay for £25!

I'd start off with a milky coffee - a latte or a cappuccino, and add a dash of sugar free syrup. Once you've built up tolerance, add an extra shot of espresso.

Iced coffees can be really nice as well, especially if you blend them and make them into a frappe type thing.

I'd experiment with a few flavoured syrups and levels of coffee and milk. It's really subjective, like anything. I also think a good cup of really good instant coffee (millicano or Aldi alternative) is a good starting point.

I hope it helps, and you find something that works for you. Sending lots of love and strength

It's not so much about the machine but about the blend. Go for the lightest roast possible (less bitter) add lots of milk and sweetener (if you are watching calories, diabetes etc), and maybe even take it cold... i find the flavour less intense when cool.

What about this Dolce & Gabbana moka (stove top coffee pot)?
https://www.dolcegabbana.com/en-gb/casa/moka-express-large-bialetti-dolceandgabbana-158006363042956.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GB_GAds_PMax_Casa_Products&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItdeLq9m8hwMVKYtQBh3xzCcAEAQYAyABEgIjXvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Even if the coffee still tastes horrible to you I feel like you are going to get some joy from making it. You will need fine ground Italian roast coffee. I like Lavazza Crema e Gusto.
all the best xxx

Just to add, you can get a moka for much cheaper, but I thought this one was pretty!

You can buy coffee bags that are pretty good! I get the Taylors ones. I am far too lazy and busy to clean the coffee machine so I use these.

@CocoBellaSparkle, a life without salt would be EVEN WORSE to me than life without coffee - and that's saying something!

The salt substitute, potassium chloride, is almost the same flavour-wise. I'd advise asking your team if you can use it: when people are advised to cut out salt, it's usually because of the sodium (salt is sodium chloride) but some people aren't allowed either.

My XH#1 had to stop using salt for six months and wasn't allowed fake salt. I found it was okay if I went really heavy on the herbs and spices, with plenty of garlic - I'm sure we both stank 😂 I was glad when he was signed off, though. If you can't have fake salt either, one thing I'd recommend is the Middle Eastern spice, Za'atar. You can sprinkle it on anything and it does add flavour.

Oh OP - have you got an induction hob?

If so, and you go for a stove top espresso maker you will need a stainless steel one.

Most, including the MOKA pots, are aluminium and won’t work.

Thank you for the netflix recommendations, will get them added to my list!

We really have no idea of the medicinal benefits of foods/plants/herbs etc. It's such a shame all this knowledge has been lost going down the generations. Conversely, look how sick it makes us consuming the wrong types of food (or additives and rubbish I should say).

I’m sorry for your diagnosis and also for all the deleted replies that I’m sure weren’t very nice. We have a Nespresso machine but I don’t have anything to compare it to 🙈 so my contribution to this thread is have you tried iced coffee? It doesn’t taste as strong when it’s cold I don’t think and it’s nice and refreshing.

Sage bean to cup if you can afford one.

Sage Bambino if you can't - super simple, and the one baristas tend to recommend for starters. It's what we have on costs grounds. And I love coffee. Pod machines are all a bit shit, taste wise, if I'm honest (used to have a Nespresso).

There's a truly amazing company called Studio Roasters in the Cotswolds who sell honestly the best coffee I've had outside Australia (who are coffee obsessed as a nation) which is probably because he lived and worked there. My preferred coffee is Columbia Popayan which tastes almost chocolatey - have it with a latter or cappuccino and it will be nice. Promise. You need the espresso grind ones. Freshly ground small company coffee is, again, massively nicer than supermarket as it goes stale very fast (this is why bean to cup is so much better).

In terms of liking coffee - I hated it till living in Australia twenty years ago, because British coffee at that time was rank. I liked the smell but hated the taste. Then I tried a latte over there for breakfast because my family (half Australian) were bemused by my stance and realised good coffee was just different. I hope you have that experience, too.

A guy has a fantastic blog about coffee and is really approachable and non-snobby and he also gets great discount codes for machines. It's Kev, here.

Finally, as someone who has also had cancer - 9 cm breast tumour - and is presently NED but after one that size with no margin on DCIS cells the jury is out on how long for - I know some, though clearly not all, of what you are contending with, and I send love, solidarity and sympathy over the shit paths our lives sometimes take.

Cancer really can bring out some bizarre reactions and behaviour (in others, not the patient).

thank you everyone and sorry to anyone i haven’t tagged and personally thanked (yet!)

@Coconutter24 i think i’m in the mindset of denial even though that the same time I know this is very real and my future is not looking promising or long

I am not even allowed to have chemo as will kill me so I have long hair , i wear a really good quality daily self tanner and it’s the best (im qualified MUA and i’ve also tried everything on the market id anyone wants me to pm this i will ) as (and its not just about ‘looks’ ) but having a full head of hair with monthly fresh highlights ) sometimes a little help with some added hair ext . so if jock healthy hair , gradual tanner (not fake or orange but ‘i’ve just got back from southern france colour ) and im not elderly and im still relatively slim etc so people dont think i have ‘c’ .. and i fool myself (even though eyes are so sore and peeling right now) dark circles like horrific ! but im still in denial and i know nothing will ‘save’ or ‘cure ‘ but im thinking if ANYTHING can buy me extra days then im happy ..
on returning from hospital yesterday i gave my tube seat up to another lady and my teenage son said to me ‘are you an IDIOT mum?’ but i don’t think i seem like i have cancer or look like i do

i think ill only allow myself something nice to eat and/ir drink when they awful day comes ..

Is chocolate okay for you as Hotel Chocolate do a range of chocolate flavour coffees. I don't know about the strengths of choc or coffee in them but they might be an option.

Also I read somewhere that if you "try" a food or drink 8 times you will get to like it, or at least not hate it.

There are other things that have some similar properties to coffee, for instance green tea which is anti-inflammatory, contains anti-oxidants and a little caffeine. Some berries, dark chocolate, turmeric and a lot of nuts and seeds have various benefits including being anti-inflammatory and containing anti-oxidants. It might be worth asking if a combination of any of these would be as good as the coffee.

I hope you find something you can take and that it helps.

I think I would worry less about the machine and more about the coffee. Buy ground organic coffee. You need to be giving your liver the good stuff and some coffee processing may be counter productive to that. Make it in a caffetiere then you can control the strength.

Now for the alternative stuff. I add a mushroom mix to my coffee. In the amount I add, you can't detect it. Mine is reishi, chaga and turkey tail. Paul stamets is a respected fungi expert and has some good information on turkey tail.

In addition, I want to suggest thinking about the properties of coffee that are beneficial and have a chat with a herbalist. There will be other things that you can add to support your liver function. Napiers are well respected and do inexpensive consultations.

Sending much love to you and your family.

Do you know, specifically, what chemical/ element of coffee is helping you, and if so, can you get a supplement instead?

Yes I use these, I didn't used to drink coffee at all but find them quite drinkable.

Interestingly coffee in moderation helps my condition too.

It was frustrating to see people being nasty to the op, even if they were just displaying their own ignorance

Op has not given any health advice, she has very clearly stated that SHE has been advised by her doctors to drink coffee and clarified that she is aware that what is recommended for her may not be appropriate for anyone else - she could not have been clearer in stating her intentions.

your intentions however are very questionable. To come on a thread started by someone with stage 4 cancer - who is looking for specific advice about coffee machines btw, NOT giving health advice - and throwing nasty comments about is despicable. You sound horrible and unfortunately no amount of coffee, or anything else, is going to help with that.

OP -I’m sorry to hear you are going through this,it must be incredibly difficult for you and your family. I have a breville barista express but they are quite an expensive machine. In terms of different coffees I bought small amounts of beans until I found my favourite so just experiment and see what you like. Iced lattes are lovely btw, def worth a try!

Can I ask what benefits you get from the mushroom mix?

Im in the middle of cancer treatment and I have also been told to drink coffee.
It helps with the processing of the drugs im on plus this (pic)
I have a bean to cup but if you like coffee with milk or flavours get one with pods as cleaning a machine with milk is a right faff

Summerhillsquare · Today 08:22
Disappointed my comment was deleted, presumably after reporting by the alternative health brigade. Even the weblinks shared show very weak associations, "may be" beneficial and so on. This is giving people false hope

Everyone - thank you for your supportive and very kind replies and advice

Sadly and very disappointingly @Summerhillsquare had her message removed because not only did she imply I was bordering ‘dangerous’ for saying ‘coffee is a cure for cancer’ ( when i never implied such a thing!! if anything i’ve actually said my case is now terminal so it’s so far down the road i said that there ISNT a cure !)
but she also said my post isn’t genuine and that im lying!

I even said to MN Headquarters that i’ll show all my diagnosis letters etc ! I actually believe im speaking with people saying such things!

@Summerhillsquare would you like me to send private documents to you ? or tell you about my oldest sensitive lovely boy that couldn’t concentrate on his GCSE exam papers and he’s predicted As! and the school are so lovely they’re looking into his exams as he couldn’t even concentrate and it’s not his fault! If some coffee can even make me feel half human for the week or ‘buy’ me energy to make some memories with my boys then what’s the harm in saying ‘hi coco - this coffee sounds great for you etc’ or just scroll on ! BUT to say I’m LYING ?? and then when MN ‘headquarters’ remove your message come BACK ON HERE to say that YOU’RE ‘disappointed’ that your message has been taken down ??!! Honestly I don’t even know what to say to you ??

OP don't worry, everyone sees this poster (and others who have had comments deleted) for exactly what they are.

I'm so sorry about your diagnosis, I can't even imagine what you're going through and the worry about your boys must be the worst thing.

You're in my thoughts 💐

Very far outside what you asked for but I would buy a pour over cone and get some quite light roast coffee and make short filter coffees.

£20 all in

If you really don't like the taste of coffee try it at different temperatures, that really affects the flavour.

Coffee is just an acquired taste like beer or wine or whatever and once your brain makes the connection between flavour and reward you'll start to actively like it

A quick pubmed search offers some peer reviewed evidence…

Whilst not ‘proven’ (which the OP has clearly said in repeated posts that she’s not trying to claim), there’s seems to be enough evidence of a positive association of coffee with reduced incidences.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28288025/
Coffee drinking is associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32575704/
Emerging data suggest associations between aspirin, statins, metformin and coffee and reduced liver cancer incidence, although none has been proved to be causally related.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30977056/
Accumulated evidence, with consistency across study designs and populations, suggests that coffee intake probably reduces the risk of liver cancer.

for OP