Every conscientious PC gamer knows that the fuel you put in your body can change your gaming experience. Over the past two decades, the cup of jo has become an integral part of the modern gaming set up, supporting the caffeine highs that carry over into the morning for those emergency raids, competitive compositions, or to drive on into the hours after the sun has come up.
Why Coffee is Going to the Gaming Arena
The culture of PC gaming and coffee runs a little deeper than pure caffeine dependency alone. The focus, agonizing level of awareness, speed of reflexes, and endurance required in gaming can all be greatly improved with a well-timed cup of jo, and professional esports athletes and streamers alike have made their early-morning brew just as iconic as their set ups.
While those sugar-packed energy drinks may offer short, but immediate bursts of energy, once that energy dwindles, energy drink enthusiasts can reach a low that quickly exits a competitive match or gaming experience. On the other hand, a expertly crafted cup of jo or two will provide a slow, sustained energy release that you ideally want during a long gaming experience. Furthermore, the ritual of resting, brewing coffee and sipping it will also provide you the natural break points during extended gaming to combat gaming fatigue, and subtle reminders to help keep you at your peak gaming performance.
Essential Coffee Station for Gaming
Setting up the ultimate coffee station in your PC gaming space requires some thought. You want your coffee maker, grinder, and coffee supplies, to be within arm’s reach of your game chair so you always have easy access without breaking stride during an epic life or death battle. If you have some room available and are into espresso, it might be worth investing in a small espresso machine or some type of single-serve coffee that is high quality and won’t take up a ton of space.
Temperature control matters. Who wants to sip a cold cup of coffee during a crucial boss battle or mid-quest? Luckily, there are warm cup and heated mug options that are gaming specific that keep hot coffee hot throughout your gaming session. Some gamers are even including mini-fridges in their setup to pour fresh cold brew concentrates, or keep milk or cream stored.
When to Caffeine Game
Once you have had your coffee, I assumed when you began your piece of jo was at the time of greatest effectiveness a cup of jo can have, 15-30 minutes for most. Before big matches or important streaming events, make a calculation on your coffee consumption. Most gamers use 100mg-200mg of caffeine, which is about 1 cup to 2 cups of single-origin coffee, to feel the proper dose for alertness without jittery side effects you prefer not to have engaged in precision gaming.
Various methods of brewing coffee create different levels of caffeine and help with absorption rates. Cold brew, for example, produces a more sustained level of caffeine in the body over a longer period. This is perfect for a long call of duty session, where you will want to maintain and extend a good level of energy. Other methods of brewing coffee, like an espresso machine, create an instant and intense level of focus which is helpful for games that require split second reactions. This is helpful if you are trying to win a competition match.
Gaming Coffee Accessories
When it comes to the modern gaming experience, coffee has been able to integrate with the environment seamlessly. For instance, heated mouse pads that have cup warmers integrated into the design, or spill-proof gaming mugs or coffee cups that are weighted to prevent them from being knocked over at some critical moment in the game.
If you are a streamer, or you game in an environment where there are other people, it may be wise to purchase some coffee equipment that has noise dampening capability. That way, your work to get your daily cup of jo doesn’t interrupt audio, for your game or streaming quality.
Timing Your Coffee for Best Gaming Performance
Coffee timing can have an impact on gaming performance. Many pro gamers have specific cup of jo schedules based on their practice routines and tunament schedules. Morning cups prime the brain for skill-based practice. Afternoon caffeine can help keep the brain focused on direct competition and onboard learning required for team strategy meetings.
Be careful with your coffee and avoid drinking coffee too late in your gaming day, as late caffine can hurt sleep recovery and sleeping recovery is important to maintaining peak gaming performance. You should stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before your intended bedtime to help ensure quality sleep.
Coffee and Health Considerations for Gaming
While a good cup of jo can improve gaming performance, too much coffee is not good. Ingesting excessive caffeine can lead to tremors in the hands, anxiety in reflections of anticipation and use of movement refinement intended for precision gaming, too much caffeine can lead a gamer to lose control of their fine motor skills. When you fuel up with a cup of jo, make sure to hydrate! If you go deathmatch style on coffee during a long gaming session, make sure to go half coffee and half water, or keep drinking water to recover from the effects added together with caffeine.
Your gaming chair with a beverage holder should hold your remote control and keep both your coffee and water bottles; depending on your coffee and hydration situation you’ll have the best possible advantage. Fully or part of your gaming system could include hydration reminders or caffeine tracker applications to help ensure not overconsuming throughout the day.
Establishing Gaming Coffee Rituals
The optimal gaming coffee rituals should be as routine as your warmup routines. This could be the grinding of beans while your PC boots up, brewing a fresh pot the night before a weekend of tournaments, or even having cold brew ready from the night before for a really early morning stream. Building a ritualistic preparation for your cup of jo creates a mental state of preparation for the gaming activities.
There are a number of great successful streamers that have made the brewing and coffee drinking part of their content. They have extended an invitation to their viewers to see their cup of jo ritual, and they have used it to create community and relaxed interaction time before the intense gaming begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best coffee brewing setup for gaming stations?
A: Single-serve machines like Keurig or Nespresso are great options if seeking a machine that is relatively space-saving and easy to use. They will also provide you with consistence with regards to the end result of your coffee-making experience. If seeking greater quality and coffee taste, pour-over is a great option. Compact pour-over setups, or a small French press, can easily be incorporated into the smaller gaming setups, especially if electricity is not necessary near the gaming link.
Q: How much caffeine should I consume before competing gaming?
A: Most gamers will find that 100-200mg (1-2 cups of coffee) hits the sweet spot for the consideration of upper alertness without jittery feelings. If you are sensitive to caffeine, I would start at the lower end of that range. Lastly, you shouldn’t consume more than 400mg of caffeine in a 24-hour period. Play with the timing of caffeine consumption whenever you have a big match – and attempt to consume caffeine 15-30 minutes before an important match.
Q: Will coffee help my reaction times with gaming?
A: Yes, moderate caffeine consumption can improve reaction times, focus, and alertness – critical elements of competitive gaming. However, excessive amounts of caffeine can cause jitters and hurt performance, so determine how much is comfortable for you.
Q: Should I drink coffee while streaming?
A: Coffee can help sustain energy levels during a long streaming session, but you should consider bathroom breaks, and jitters on camera. You may want to have the bulk of your coffee before you start, and have water during.
Q: What coffee station/ gaming accessories are best?
A: Heated mouse pads with built-in mug warmers, spill proof gaming mugs, quiet coffee gear for streaming sessions, desk organizers for coffee supplies that keep them out of the way from gaming equipment, would be the essentials to a serious gaming coffee station.
