The Bar 2014 Edition

[Captain Goddammit]

Trilo, every rare now and then an appliance really lives up to or surpasses expectations... that K-cup coffeemaker is one!
I couldn't love it more. Terrific device. It's FAST too. You can just leave it on, I checked mine with a watt meter, it costs you practically nothing since it only keeps a small quantity of water hot all the time. If you keep it near the sink and you have one of those handheld sprayers you can just fill it with that, that's what I do.
You're not locked into using the K-cup thingies, they do have screen cups that you can spoon your own coffee into. Mine even came with it.
It's great. You drop in the coffee, hit the button and coffee starts filling your cup. You don't even have to clean it much, nothing but water goes through the machine. If I were a little more flush with cash I'd send you one for Christmas.
Customer satisfaction, in my case, 110%!
Thel K-cups I just bought say "compostible" on the bags they are packed in... they are a paper filter but have a plastic ring on top, I'm not sure what's up with that, if it's some sort of biodegradable composite or they mean just the coffee grounds. I use the spoon-in-your-own-coffee thing when I can, but I throw in a K-cup when I'm late for work and gotta have it FAST.

[Thecatman]

If you keep it near the sink and you have one of those handheld sprayers you can just fill it with that, that's what I do.
You're not locked into using the K-cup thingies, they do have screen cups that you can spoon your own coffee into.

That sounds like a good idea but because our water here in northern Nevada is so "hard," we use bottled distilled water. All of our faucets have a white crust around them from the minerals and calcium in the water and we don't want that clogging any plumbing in the machine.
I forgot all about that screen filter.

[Ratty]

I recently read a review in Consumer reports. It talked about buying the filters so you can use your own coffee. Now where is it?

[Captain Goddammit]

The machine I bought from Cuss-Co came with one, and I've seen the little screen cups you spoon your own coffee into at department and grocery stores too.

[Elorrum]

I've used one of these for years, similar brand, small footprint, uses any coffee I find, I use the full cup of water, and make one cup of coffee, don't really consider it espresso. It's not a fully pressurized machine x bars of pressure etc. and consequently doesn't have a high price tag. On the one I have, you have to unscrew the lid to pour the water in, and it takes a little longer than the k-cup. My sister has a k-cup, and the use your own filter is smaller to fill, and harder to clean, than this machine's grind holder. I like how the keurig machine just opens up and you pour the water in, or the larger ones have a reservoir. For this machine, clean up is just knock the hard puck of coffee out of the grind holder (rinse it off for company.) I run vinegar through it from time to time to remove scale. The steamer works for milk, but I never use it.

[Captain Goddammit]

For this machine, clean up is just knock the hard puck of coffee out of the grind holder (rinse it off for company.)

You can do exactly that with the K-cup style screen filter too, what's the difference?

[Elorrum]

For this machine, clean up is just knock the hard puck of coffee out of the grind holder (rinse it off for company.)

You can do exactly that with the K-cup style screen filter too, what's the difference?

The difference I have found is that the k-cup is fine mesh and since it isn't as pressurized the grinds are looser, and need to be rinsed out and washed. The espresso machine really packs it down, and it just plops out. The espresso machine also holds more coffee, and makes a stronger cup, which I prefer.

[ygmir]

I'm not sure if I just committed sacrilege...........or have invented an ultimate taste treat:

I but my pork down the street, and get the belly unsliced (bacon).......tonight, I sliced it the thin way, and made.......yes, wait.........a "bacon steak"!!

OMD it was so good. about as big as a super big pork steak, but boneless and bacon.

*readies self for Hail Mary's and cat o nine tails.*

[Elorrum]

I hear the sound of cardiac specialists buying new Mercedes.
Seriously, if you can do it, do it. A bacon steak sounds quite tasty.

[OregonRed]

I'm not sure if I just committed sacrilege...........or have invented an ultimate taste treat:

I but my pork down the street, and get the belly unsliced (bacon).......tonight, I sliced it the thin way, and made.......yes, wait.........a "bacon steak"!!

OMD it was so good. about as big as a super big pork steak, but boneless and bacon.

*readies self for Hail Mary's and cat o nine tails.*

I am SO jealous!

[theCryptofishist]

I've seen the Keurigs in an office environment. We were touring furniture show rooms. It makes sense to me there, because you don't know who's going to walk in wanting what.
And the most disturbing recent coffee development in my reality is that Dunkin' Donuts is now a coffee brand. A friend buys it because it's not Peet's and not Starbucks and it makes a change from Safeway brand, but I cannot conceive of it being anything other than rotgut.

[Captain Goddammit]

Damn you Ygmir, Charlie just read that and wants to do it... I'm definitely gonna wake up dead after that stuff!

[ygmir]

Damn you Ygmir, Charlie just read that and wants to do it... I'm definitely gonna wake up dead after that stuff!

I crusted it with powders of garlic, onion, paprika, smaller amounts of cumin, oregano, black pepper and sage.

yes, it was akin to an erotic experience.

[fernley1]

We love our Keurig. We also live in northern Nevada and haven't had any problems with it, yes a little white scale sometimes.
We are planning on bringing a smaller Keurig to burning man next year.

[Captain Goddammit]

We are planning on bringing a smaller Keurig to burning man next year.

Abso-fucking-lutely! I waffled back and forth about bringing mine this year, and decided not to. That was officially my Biggest Mistake Of 2013!

[fernley1]

Yes Captain G, it will be nice to have when you need a fast pick me up during burning man.

[ygmir]

*strolls in, starts ECM*
kinda quiet in here..........*throws dust in fan*, spreads sawdust on floor

*strokes Juke, heads for "HOTtub of Sensual EXperimentation"

[media]

[Ratty]

I drink coffee 24/7. For the burn I bring Nescafe 3 in 1 coffee sticks or tea. My little starbucks thermos keeps water hot for 12 hours. There is a lot of good coffee available out there. Once the Baileys in it I can't tell the difference.

Hey! There's something you can make for next year. 2 gallons of Kahlua. I think it's vodka, brandy and instant coffee. (Age for 6-9 months).

[unjonharley]

[ygmir]

I drink coffee 24/7. For the burn I bring Nescafe 3 in 1 coffee sticks or tea. My little starbucks thermos keeps water hot for 12 hours. There is a lot of good coffee available out there. Once the Baileys in it I can't tell the difference.

Hey! There's something you can make for next year. 2 gallons of Kahlua. I think it's vodka, brandy and instant coffee. (Age for 6-9 months).

when I made it:
vodka, ground coffee, chopped vanilla bean, age, and filter. Very smooth.

[Ratty]

Sounds yum. I've never made it but it used to be a popular gift.

[gyre]

I've made it and can't find the recipe I used, but I'm sure sugar was added.
Cheaper vodka works better.
I wanted to try some exotic coffees.
Vanilla sounds good.

We aged it in the back of a sports car for a few hundred miles.
ymmv

[AntiM]

I have some nice Van Gogh Double Espresso. Pretty bottle.

[ygmir]

I have some nice Van Gogh Double Espresso. Pretty bottle.

what? I can't ear you...............

[magicmarty]

Morning, kiddies. Yesterday I had a reunion with my very first real girlfriend who I've not seen or spoken to for 63 years. She does not look the same as she did in high school. Surprise! But then, neither do I for sure. Interesting in how our thoughts about how we broke up were so different. Funny how today, I am thinking of the things I didn't say, that I should have yesterday while we were together. Have to correct that, or maybe not. Someone said "you can't go home again" and it is so true. We are here now and today, yesterday no longer exists. I'm reading Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" and he deals with this precise situation in the part I am at. Immediacy prevails. Have a great day everyone. Carpe diem for sure!

Welcome to so many of you new denizens of the Bar. Good to have you here. Hugs to so many of you that I know ... and don't.

Dives into the NEB

(((LF)))

[gyre]

I'm very pleased that some of my high school co-conspirators are even better people than they were then, and I like them more now.

And I seem to run into musicians I knew ages ago and it's like yesterday.



What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

-- Housman

[gyre]

The Mrs Bentley story?


Now I want to reread it all.
There is a new set of stories I probably never saw, part of the series.

[magicmarty]

Hey Gyre, Mrs Bentley it is.

[ygmir]

*pokes head in door*

HI Marty!!

anyone here?..........

[magicmarty]

Hi YG. Good seeing you at the Decomp. Is Doc doing the train ride again this year? Glad you could use the rebar.