I recently came across this “life hack,” or rather this (quite elegant) rant from a disgruntled individual who took to the internet to promulgate about why he thinks iced coffee is a scam. He makes several well-reasoned arguments as to why, including value (with iced coffee you are getting less coffee volume per unit money because of the ice), science (some research found that ingesting hot beverages actually makes you cool down more under certain conditions), and respect for the art of coffee making (you “taste the qualities of the coffee” better when it’s hot). My initial instinct was to agree with him because from an objective standpoint, yes you are getting less volume of the thing your are “paying for” for just as much if not more than you would be getting sans ice; I like science and primary literature-based arguments (even though technically he cited a secondary source and not the journal article itself); and I myself can be a bit snobbish when it comes to wanting to enjoy things in their more “pure” form.
The more I thought about it though the sillier it seemed to me that this man was so fired up about this. Despite his good arguments, the one thing he doesn’t satisfactorily address is that some people may just enjoy iced coffee more. He uses the aforementioned study to argue against the point that people find ice coffee “refreshing” and “helps regulate body temperature.” But even if objectively it may not do that (though also it’s just a single study from 2012), if people believe it does and if they feel good drinking it who are we to deny them that. If people are willing to pay for something they enjoy they should have that right, even if it’s not good deal from a good-per-money standpoint, because the value is in more than the good itself. Also, something tells me not all baristas are toiling over the idea that customers aren’t savoring the hidden notes to be found in the giant vat of coffee they brewed in bulk at the start of their shift in anticipation of the morning rush (though of course those that do should be respected if it means that much to them).
And yes I am also being a bit dramatic, he is not advocating for denying anyone their right to iced coffee. I’m just saying that sometimes I think it’s ok to let people make their own potentially questionable decisions in life if it makes them even just a little bit happier for a trivial personal cost.
nANIMOv 