Double Shot: Reactor Break Room
Walkability/Accessibility: The reactor break room is on campus, which is as close as it gets. Unfortunately, any information on how to access it is withheld from the public under the Atomic Energy Act. We asked for directions and were told, “We comply with all state and federal regulations,” and “we have security procedures in place.” [F]
Price Point: Everything is free! [A+]
Coffee Quality (and Option Variety): The only coffee available is a jar of ground coffee from an undetermined amount of time before the pandemic. We’re pretty sure drinking that coffee would get you worker’s compensation. There’s a nice metal screen pour-over cone, so you can make coffee without any disposable filters. We asked what flavor syrup they had, and they said, “That’s the deionized water dispenser.” However, along with the Chemistry department, this is one of the only places that offers liquid nitrogen for your coffee. [D]
Food Quality (and Option Variety): The reactor’s wide variety of vanadium disks, lantern mantles, and other radioactive sources is truly unparalleled. All the food was served on beautiful vintage orange Fiestaware. They even had tasting flights where you got a little bit of each inside little plastic tubes. When we asked them to warm up some of the food, they walked us down to a really weird microwave surrounded by lead bricks in the Chemistry basement. The food was still cold after, but it did taste better. [A]
Atmosphere: Despite having no windows, the reactor break room presents a very cozy atmosphere. There’s a comfortable couch with an Ikea Blåhaj (shark) and a Blåvingad (whale) to keep you company. With a sound system and a five CD changer, nice ambient music makes it a relaxing place to spend your time. [A]
Alternative Drinks: We were unable to even get a glass of water, despite the fact that there was a huge pool of it right there. Apparently it’s “contaminated” and “not safe for consumption.” The tea options were alright, though they are bagged, but at least those are new and not from pre-pandemic. We wanted to use the big uranium water heater in the middle of the bay for tea, but they said it only goes up to 40 °C. This is the first place where they haven’t had any chai available. At the very least, it’s something different than the exact same chai concentrate! [D]