Once you reach my level of caffeine addiction, you start to need more effective and sustainable forms of it. Consuming the required amount to function in energy drink form becomes increasingly hazardous to your health. Here’s my back story; two years ago on my typical day I would consume a four-pack of Rockstar along with at least one pot of coffee.

Wake up … Rockstar. First class: Rockstar. Lunch is, yeah, a Rockstar. Drive to work — survey says: Rockstar. At work; cups and cups of coffee. I ran on this mix, along with two to four hours of sleep at night, for a year. How I managed not to die, I have yet to figure out.

Coffee: Best. Discovery. Ever. I consume, in general, at least two cups of coffee a day and this keeps me humming along through the day with no crash. To anyone who has made the switch like me, you’ll notice one thing: a cleaner energy buzz. Coffee caffeine has a much more sustainable and longer lasting buzz than energy drinks.

The wonderful bean comes in just as many different varieties as energy drinks as well. For you those of you who are just starting you transition, Rockstar and Monster both make a coffee drink that merges the gap into the wonderful world of coffee.

For that quick spike that an energy drink gives you, I recommend picking up a can of Starbucks Doubleshot. The small ones, not a tall boy.

Another good choice is the Starbucks bottled drinks. They make due when you don’t have an establishment nearby, but I mean at this point, where ISN’T a Starbucks within a mile of you?

When you are ready to dump head into a love a coffee, I recommend you look around for a place to pick up a good brew. I’ve tried Biggby, Starbucks (obviously), Caribou, Tim Hortons, Dunkin’ Donuts and Seattle Drip in the retail division and in the home division I’ve tried Maxwell House, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks (again, obviously), Eight O’Clock and Folgers. I cannot count the number of smaller, independent brands I’ve tried as well.

No one coffee company is right for everyone and coffee is an acquired taste so you will have to experiment to find the one that works best for you. A tip for those of you who want to save a little cash and brew at home: Remember to clean your coffee pot. About once a month your will want to run some vinegar through your coffee maker then clean water after that. It will help improve the taste of your coffee immensely.