I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to beverages, I'll admit.
I drink both tea and coffee and I prefer both black with no sugar, and only if the following conditions are met:
Coffee:1. At a minimum, coffee is to be French press but using only freshly ground coffee beans. Espresso is preferred.
2. Instant (freeze-dried) coffee is
never acceptable -- I will always choose to go without.
3. My standard go-to brew is a long black (like an Americano but stronger due to typically having less plain water added to the shot(s)).
4. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry or in a particular mood, I'll just go for a shot or two of just plain espresso.
5. The roast should ideally be fairly light to medium for a decent crema.
6. When I make it at home on my machine, I usually aim for about an 8 second brew time before the shot pours from the portafilter.
7. I prefer a finer grind for the beans I use and as the shot is pouring, it sort of has the consistency of warm honey.
8. I only ever use beans which have been roasted within the last 30 days and only grind what I need at the time.
Tea:1. Good quality tea is paramount. None of this dust they sweep off the floor and shove into a paper teabag.
2. If I have time, I'll use loose leaf, but I mostly use teabags made of a plant-based starch material. This eliminates that "cardboardy" taste and gives the leaves room to unfurl.
3. I usually go for quite a long brew time, even up to 5 minutes depending on the type of tea.
4. I also enjoy a nice green tea or even white tea (not to be confused with plain black tea with milk) on occasion.
If you like your coffee as much as I do, I would highly recommend
James Hoffmann's Youtube channel.