How to choose coffee that's the most stimulating without the anxiety

I’ve never been able to figure out all the patterns to be able to understand which coffee gives me more of the positive effects – mental and physical energy, good mood; with less of the negative effects – anxiety, shakes, tiredness, angriness. So I’m looking for advice on what are likely to be the main factors and how I can make the best feeling cup of coffee at home.

Anecdotally a great expensive coffee from a good coffee shop makes me feel good. I generally have a flat white with a little sugar. At the other end of the scale cheap coffee from the supermarket prepared strong in a mocha and drunk straight up can make me feel terrible – easy to anger, anxious, shaky. Starbucks coffee makes me feel physically terrible, and I haven’t drunk it for ages. The last time I did I had to sit down as I was nauseus and overcome with tiredness.

I have never found anything that lets me make a great feeling cup of coffee at home. My best feeling cup at the moment is espresso from a mocha, long, with cream and sugar.

It seems like at different times the main factors have been:

• The coffee bean
• The roast (dark roast = more anxious)
• How it’s prepared
• How I consume it (with/without milk, long/short, with/without sugar)
• Freshness of bean
• Freshness of the coffee

And of course I can’t rule out my personal mental and physical health at the time, although caffeine does affect me quite strongly so I tend not to drink it when I’m already feeling anxious.

So, what are the main factors in how a cup of coffee feels? Is it just personal or is there a way I can optimise for the positive effects? I’m prepared to spend a bit more on the coffee if it feels good. I have various mochas to make espresso, drippers and French press.

Thanks 🙂