This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out: It’s possible that the invention of the “pause and serve” feature on coffee makers is humanity’s greatest achievement.
It’s damp here this morning. We have a chill day planned, including breakfast at a diner, a ride to a farm that sells honey, eggs and preserves on the honor system and a trip to the library, which is always fun.
Bill was disappointed to learn that the library no longer accepts book donations (the DeSantis effect). We’re in constant danger of being crushed by a toppling tower of reading material. But I told him we can probably hit up some little free libraries or maybe unload tomes at a thrift store.
Meanwhile, I’m listening to distant hawks screeching and watching a Tri-Colored Heron stalk prey in the shallow water by the riverbank. Not a bad way to start the day.
Open thread.
Baud
I don’t even know what pause and serve does. Too many extra buttons on most home appliances. They need to install AI in them.
Betty Cracker
@Baud: The beauty of it is you don’t need to activate the feature with a button — even a cheap Mr. Coffee machine lets you pull the carafe during brewing, pausing while you pour out a cup, and then it resumes brewing when you replace the carafe. I’m old enough to remember when you had to wait out the brewing cycle or else whip another cup onto the hot plate to catch the spillage.
mali muso
When I was waking up at 4am to write my dissertation before going in for my full work day, the timer function on my coffee maker was what got me through. Hearing the alarm beep that early was only made bearable by the scent of fresh coffee wafting upstairs.
currently sitting in the dark, waiting for the dog to stop his early morning barking before I go get him so that I can not reward the behavior we are trying to train out of him. Like having a baby again.
Baud
@Betty Cracker:
Oh, yeah. I didn’t know that’s what it was called. Very nice.
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
Trump gave the OK for Iran to attack our military base in Qatar. How is this not bigger news? He said this at the NATO summit on Wednesday. Almost no press coverage since. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/27/trump-said-he-okd-irans-plan-strike-al-udeid-his-top-military-adviser-said-troops-there-fended-off.html%3famp
BretH
My English teacher says always simplify when possible
VeniceRiley
I bought my wife a coffeemaker. Turns out, she *gasp prefers instant! Set in her ways, she is. It’s my 3rd immigration anniversary.
Meanwhile, it’s Reggiepup’s 3rd birthday. He got swimming lessons.
Baud
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:
I’m sure Professor Bigfoot will be here shortly to answer your question.
David_C
For the book problem, maybe open a Florida branch of Wonder Book and Video (our local, and world-wide used book store)? So much bad from the Supremes (who have lost their edge since Diana Ross and RGB left) but they may have left the stay on RIFs in place, so the fired federal employees may come back. Crossing fingers.
For ACIP, Angie Rasmussen was on fire: https://rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/tiny-coffins-across-america
ICYMI, she wrote about the Bethesda Declaration a couple of weeks ago: https://rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/sign-the-bethesda-declaration
David_C
And as a tea drinker, I am fine with the traditional heat water, add to tea, drink method. 🙂
Ramalama
I am still amazed with the new can openers that remove lids that no longer slice your fingers if not careful.
My parents required the kids to make coffee every day from the old coffee makers that splashed down on the burner if taking the pot out early. I cannot drink coffee as a result. Just hated doing it every day. Which, now that I think about it, was such an easy chore compared to other shit I as a kid had to do. Bathe the dog that had mange. Hand out flyers in summer heat if 90 – 100 degrees for $2 an hour. Walk literally one mile to and from school every day (bussing fights with townspeople who hated renters and their kids).
Professor Bigfoot
@Baud: Well, I ain’t wrong, am I?
ETA— I kinda hate that I AM right.
How we get out of this godawfulness without widespread violence, I just simply do not know; and I hope some of the very smart folks here can show it to me.
Nukular Biskits
Good mornin’, y’all!
Suzanne
Co-sign on the pause-and-serve. Damn, I need that coffee now.
Splitting Image
Sad news for the most discerning music fans. Radio show host Dr. Demento is retiring after 55 years.
At this point, he is probably best known for heavily promoting Weird Al Yankovic early in his career, but he also gave a lot of airplay to Stan Freberg, Peter Schickele, Allan Sherman, Spike Jones, and a lot of other parodists and musicians with comedic leanings.
He’s been at it since 1970. Definitely the end of an era.
Nukular Biskits
@Baud:
If only we could post images here.
That definitely fits the “Not sure if trolling …” meme. LOL.
NotMax
Weekend watch.
First they came for the penny and I said nothing….
;)
Professor Bigfoot
Oh, and G’MORNIN’!
Now I’m off to mow the lawn in the short period between too wet from dew to cut and too MF hot to be out there pushing a mower— I’M A HEART PATIENT, y’know! ;^D
p.a.
I’m more a tea guy, but I have a single-cup machine (not a pod) that gets used regularly. But I gotta say, whatever coffee, whatever home machine, mine or others’, it’s almost never as good as the local coffee/donut shop stuff. Even Dunkin’, which is poor, or Starbucks, which is burnt, are, to me, better. I even buy their stuff, and at home… not as good. Even when I buy their product. Yes I clean my machine. Maybe that’s the problem?
Home tea always better than outside. Except one place in Maine, which I can’t remember the location.
Truly the worst timeline.
Nukular Biskits
As much as I hate to admit it, I am currently drinking coffee courtesy of our Keurig. Coffee from a Keurig may not be the best (and, that admittedly also depends on the brand of “K-cups” used) but it is consistent.
For a while, I was grinding my own beans and making coffee with my stainless/insulated French press. That coffee was FAR superior … but it’s messy and requires cleaning between rounds.
@BettyC: Love the coffee cup. And I still have yet to see those little ungrateful bastards at my feeders.
Lacuna Synecdoche
Betty Cracker @ Top:
You’re right, that’s crazy.
Humanity’s greatest achievement is obviously the backspace key.
P.S. That’s a really nice coffee mug in the picture.
Nukular Biskits
@NotMax:
Look here, you little ____. I don’t need any more rabbit holes to dive into!
;>)
J.
Huh. Didn’t know about “pause and serve.” My husband uses a French press and bought himself one of those thermal coffee mugs to keep his coffee warm. (Due to migraines, I gave up caffeine and alcohol, though I’m still getting migraines regularly. Sigh.)
Jeffg166
I lugged about 800 books to Goodwill.
lowtechcyclist
@Betty Cracker:
I don’t think I’ve ever had a coffee maker that pauses the brewing when you pull out the carafe. With every one I’ve had for the past few decades, when you pull out the carafe, brewing continues, but the water accumulates in the filter basket until you put the carafe back in.
Nukular Biskits
@p.a.:
And I thought it was just me that thought Starbuck’s regular coffee tasted that way.
Full disclosure: I do drink their cafe mochas. I wonder if a regular espresso tastes burnt as well. With all the chocolate and (oat) milk, it’s hard to tell.
Nukular Biskits
@J.:
Maybe instead of giving up the caffeine and alcohol, you should give up the husband?
I frequently hear they’re the source of a LOT of headaches.
;>)
Betty
@Betty Cracker: Ah. I didn’t know it had a name. It makes sense though.
NotMax
A particular favorite among coffee mugs.
;)
Lacuna Synecdoche
@Nukular Biskits:
Nope. I’ve been complaining about Starbucks being over-roasted swill for about 30 years now.
Nukular Biskits
@NotMax: LOL. I WANT!
Jeffg166
Krugman has a YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH4w2dfgHcw
Princess
The Balloon Juice Jackal feed has vanished from Blue Sky and I am sad. ETA somehow I had unpinned it? Fixed!
That pause and serve thing is a genius invention. Good morning, everyone.
p.a.
@Nukular Biskits: I drink black, no sugar, so I get the full effect, caffeine and taste. I never get the tastes I read on the packaging; fruity? No. Hints of cherry? What? No. Earthy? Well… I guess, since it grows from the earth.
Espresso black, no additives since it’s just shot-sized.
NotMax
@Princess
An earlier thread noted it has migrated to a different server on Bluesky. I presume the link on the front page has been updated.
Suzanne
@Nukular Biskits: So at my office, we have a Keurig. But we’re all characterized by liberal guilt, so we got reusable cups, and we rotate going to the local roaster place down the street for coffee beans.
I have shared my coffeemaker problems here. We tried to fix the one I bought two years ago, but could not figure it out. So I splurged on a Moccamaster. It looks so great in my kitchen, brings that Italian chicness. And the coffee itself is fantastic. I made the first pot this morning, Mr. Suzanne is making the second pot right now.
lowtechcyclist
@NotMax:
Can’t they just provide the text? I gave it two minutes, then said fuck it. If they want to do a cute video to make their point, fine. But if they could lead off with a link to the text of what they’re saying, it would give everyone the choice of watching and listening v. reading.
FWIW, I’m delighted that they’re finally going to stop minting pennies (waaay overdue) but it’s hard for me to care one way or the other about the nickel, which is what your link is about.
Suzanne
@Nukular Biskits: If I find myself at Starbucks, I always ask for the Blonde Espresso, rather than the default. Doesn’t cost extra, and tastes much less burnt.
NotMax
@p.a.
Come sip by me.
;)
Nukular Biskits
@p.a.: I wouldn’t call myself a “super-taster” (or whatever the term is) but I can definitely pick up on the subtleties of food & drink. Having said that, some of the flavor/aroma/aftertaste descriptions for coffee, for example, are more marketing than reality, IMHO.
I haven’t had a real unadulterated espresso in years. But I definitely remember the first. Former mgr had invited me and a coworker to his house for a REAL Italian dinner (he was 2nd gen) and made espresso using his grandmother’s heirloom set. It was wonderful! So I had a second. And then a third.
Ever see the movie version of the comic strip “Over The Hedge” where the squirrel drank a super-caffeinated drink and could run faster than laser beams?
different-church-lady
@Baud: LOOK, YOU POUR HOT WATER OUT OF THE KETTLE OVER GROUNDS IN A GOLD SCREEN FUNNEL AND YOU LIKE IT!
Professor Bigfoot
@Nukular Biskits: That’s basically what sent me down the Keurig route… holy crap has it been that long?? 15 years?
Anyway, yeah, I used to be that guy who kept the beans in the freezer, let them warm to room temp before grinding, then brewed through a Melitta filter… and TBH, it was just not that much better than what I’m drinking now; and this is a WHOLE LOT less hassle!
Found a nice dark roast kcup at (wouldja believe) “Ollie’s” for cheap and been drinking PLENTY of that, even as we speak. ;)
ETA— didn’t I tell you guys I have a postage stamp yard? :^D
p.a.
@NotMax: I won an Ember mug at a raffle: rechargeable (separate base charging station) self-heated mug with wifi connection to adjust the temp. Had it several years. It was black. My “microwave water for tea” cup is also black. You can see where this is going, right?
One pre-caffeine morning I filled the ember, microwaved it. Briefly. “What’s that smell? Oh fuck!” It- of course- had metal contacts for the charging station, a battery, and a heating element. I’m just glad the microwave plate survived with just a tiny nick where it merged with a point of the heating contact. What I inhaled… don’t want to know.
different-church-lady
@mali muso:
Your dog is trying to have a baby?
Scout211
Good morning, all. We are in for a few days of 100+ weather here. Ugh. But it’s a dry heat, so it’s just hot, not muggy. But it’s still hot.
We’ve had multiple coffeemakers over the years but the one we currently have is my favorite. It’s both a traditional coffeemaker with an insulated carafe and a Keurig-type single cup server. So when I wake up far too early (like this morning), I can fix a single serve cup and then start the coffeemaker at the usual time. Plus, my family members who drink coffee are more sophisticated coffee drinkers than we are and they don’t like the coffee brand that we use. Coffee snobs! So I get Peets’s k-cups from Costco for them and then they are satisfied. Kids today!
NotMax
@Nukular Biskits
All-purpose quip about that kind of thing.
“A good general rule is to state that the bouquet is better than the taste, and vice versa.”
– Stephen Potter
;)
different-church-lady
@Nukular Biskits: The mid-century idea of coffee being an after dinner drink baffles my millennia-strattling mind.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
I took a class a couple of weeks ago about the history and demise of the penny. The presenter ended the class by explaining why the nickel is next on the hit list, and used your precise Niemölleresque line!
NotMax
@different-church-lady
And that’s when the fun’ll begin.
:)
different-church-lady
@Lacuna Synecdoche:
Nukular Biskits
@Professor Bigfoot:
I wasn’t a big coffee drinker (or a little one, for that matter … LOL) until around when I turned 40. Sure, I’d have an occasional cup if driving late at night or while studying in college but coffee to me was meh.
Then, on a business trip up to NJ, the hotel we were staying was kinda ritzy with a helluva breakfast buffet and the best smelling coffee I had ever encountered up to that point in my life. So, I asked for some. Douwe Egberts. OMFG.
Mind you this was probably about 25 years ago, give or take, but that stuff was awesome.
Having a cup of Douwe Egberts opened me up to the reality that not all coffee was the typical sludge that I had experienced.
different-church-lady
@SiubhanDuinne: At some point they’ll try to round everything up to the next $100.
Nukular Biskits
@different-church-lady:
During my 20s/early 30s, I used to drink LOTSA iced tea well into the evening.
Somewhere around 35 (?), I discovered having my nervous system running at 10,000 RPM while trying to sleep wasn’t smart.
Baud
Good for her
Baud
@different-church-lady:
Except your salary.
Ben Cisco
@Princess: Here you go:
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:z3kpwld75x5aj2f7jyhuwjrw/feed/jackals
Suzanne
@different-church-lady: I like to have espresso after dinner on the weekends sometimes. It has less caffeine than drip, and I don’t have an issue falling asleep.
If I have drip coffee after 2 PM, I’m up until midnight, at least.
Nukular Biskits
@Suzanne:
Espresso has LESS caffeine?
I thought that was the whole point (well, beyond taste); i.e., to concentrate the caffeine.
But, then, don’t listen to me as I grew up in backwoods MS. ;>)
sab
@different-church-lady: Try getting decaf at a diner the morning. It can’t be done.
We are olds and for health reasons cannot handle regular coffee any more. My heart kicks itself into tachycardia and I may need medical intervention to slow it down again.
sab
@Nukular Biskits: Same thing with green tea having more caffeine than black tea. Seems counterintuitive but it’s true.
Suzanne
@Nukular Biskits: Well, espresso has more caffeine ounce-for-ounce, but you don’t drink the same number of ounces. An espresso shot has less caffeine than a cup of drip. So if you have any drink with a single shot, you’re getting less caffeine than with a regular cuppa.
karensky
Ms Cracker, Thanks for a good start to our days!
tobie
I have limited counterspace in my kitchen so for coffee I use either a French press or a Melita cone. The only thing I really miss is the timer function on an electric machine, which comes in handy on days you know you’re not going to get a full night’s sleep and really need coffee waiting for you in the am.
I signed up to phonebank for Spannberger on Monday.
Baltimore’s mayor Brandon Scott got some good press in the NYT yesterday. That was nice to see.
Professor Bigfoot
@p.a.: THAT sucks.
I considered an Ember mug for a long time, but they just don’t make one big enough for me.
I have a tall Corkcicle inslated stainless steel spillproof mug that I use all the time. Big enough for 12 ounces (btw, have I ever mentioned how much I hate imperial measurements?) brewed plus room for my “Snickers” chocolate creamer. (don’t hate!)
Stays hot, and if I remember to close it, never spills- important for a clumsy oaf.
My two major addictions in one cup— coffee and chocolate. 😁
UncleEbeneezer
We’ve tried every style of coffee-making in recent years and eventually settled on one of those cone-shaped drip cups and filters using pour-over method. French press was great but a p.i.t.a. to clean. Same with drip coffee machines and we never got a Keurig because we didn’t have the counter space. I do hate the fact that I can’t pause the dripping when I want a cup NOW! That is one thing I miss about coffee machines.
Suzanne
I am a weirdo who doesn’t care for coffee especially hot. I can taste it better when it’s lukewarm or iced.
lowtechcyclist
@SiubhanDuinne:
The problem with getting rid of the nickel is that a quarter is two and a half dimes, which isn’t a problem as long as you’ve got the nickel which divides evenly into both of them, but it’s rather awkward without it.
ISTM that it would really make more sense to wait until both the nickel and the dime feel obsolete to most people, and get rid of both of them at once.
Torrey
I occasionally drink drip coffee, but my normal brew is homemade cold brew, heated in the microwave (diluted to taste). Since it isn’t cooked during the brewing process, it doesn’t get bitter when microwaved. The flavor is very smooth. It does mean a bit of work every three or four days to create the cold brew, but since it ends up being concentrated, a couple of liters lasts a few days. Also good if heat-brewed coffee gives you stomach problems.
ETA: West Coast coffee is always roasted darker than East Coast coffee. Even so, I recall someone knowledgeable about coffee remarking that Starbucks was really in the business of selling milk.
MazeDancer
What a wonderful day you have planned! Savor every bite and moment.
Scout211
When I have family over I cold brew the ice tea for them and I agree, cold brew is far superior to hot brew. But alas, I don’t have the patience or the refrigerator space to cold brew coffee every day.
Jeffro
@Baud: SO glad to hear here come out strong in defense of Ryan & UVA
These Youngkin appointees have been nightmares for university boards all across VA
lowtechcyclist
@Professor Bigfoot:
Up until parenthood, I was “sure, metric makes more sense, but whatever” but trying to explain inches and feet and yards, ounces and pounds, ounces, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons, etc. to your child really brings home how stupid the whole system is.
Baud
@Jeffro:
I like highlighting people who aren’t social media superstars when they do or say good things.
Torrey
@Nukular Biskits:
I’m not much of a flavor taster, myself, and I find some of those descriptions move in the direction of pure fantasy. Speaking of flavor/aroma/aftertaste descriptions, if you have not yet seen the British cooking show parody Posh Nosh, make a plan to check it out. It’s been around for a while (since David Tennant was young). Richard E. Grant plays the Honorable Simon Marchmont, and his wine descriptions are a delight. There are eight episodes, none longer than 10 minutes.
Rachel Bakes
Husband took our son up to see the grandparents yesterday along with a father/son day and overnight. Since I’ve been with the kid nearly 24/7 since the 16th when school ended I’ve enjoyed the 26 hour and counting reprieve. Spent yesterday watching a movie, taking a nap, wandering our town, then eating Chinese with our daughter while watching part 1 of 1996 Pride and Prejudice. Slept late this morning and had a decadent breakfast of grilled chocolate sandwiches with orange marmalade. Almost time to drive up for a family dinner and reconnect with my son. He starts his summer program Tuesday and we will all breathe a sigh of relief.
lowtechcyclist
@Jeffro:
Me too!
Shouldn’t ‘appointees’ be in scare quotes? Seems that the legislature says it’s voted a bunch of them down, and good for them.
Got to minimize the damage that asshole can wreak in the next six months.
UncleEbeneezer
Well easy come, easy go. After a couple gigs with the country/surf/rockabilly band I think I’m going to only play with them until the end of Summer then move on. It’s fun but they (one guy in particular) are very much micro-managers of everything I play on drums which leaves me very little room to be creative and becomes annoying too having to hear “don’t do this, don’t do that” any time I try anything interesting. I’ve played with that type of anal-retentive band leader in other projects before and I know it will only drive me nuts and eventually I will tell them off. So, since the music isn’t really my wheelhouse (I prefer funk, jazz) and free time is limited it doesn’t make much sense to play with these guys for too long when I’d rather explore other projects, including one of my own that I’m building now for the Fall.
Josie
@UncleEbeneezer:
This is the same setup I use. I have always hated the taste of coffee that has been in the coffemaker more than two minutes, so the drip cup is great for me. One cup of coffee at a time, made fresh, is the best with a dollop of whipping cream to smooth it out.
prostratedragon
@sab: Lighter roasts of coffee have a bit more caffeine than darker ones.
J.
@Nukular Biskits: He is, and I have thought about it. :-D
Baud
Nukular Biskits
Coffee’s finished (although I am still sipping on my cafe mocha … I do love chocolate … SHADDUP, Prof Bigfoot! LOL).
Normally I make a cup of “regular” using the Keurig and then have my cafe mocha with my breakfast.
I’m not a big fan of frozen biscuits but they sure beat the hell of canned biscuits. This morning was two baby sausage biscuits to which I added some sliced gouda and then cherry ‘maters from the Tomato Jungle.
I’m ready to face the day.
Torrey
@Scout211:
I can’t speak to your refrigerator space, but cold brew is concentrated, so the two liters I make come out to four or more liters of actual drinkable coffee. I use a nut milk bag for the coffee grounds, so I spend about 15 minutes a week prepping the cold brew itself. After that, it’s just pour 1/2 cup into a mug, add water, and hit the microwave.
(Egads, I sound evangelical about the process, don’t I? Sorry, just trying to clarify. Although maybe if one is going to be evangelical about something, coffee brewing is better than what most evangelicals are currently being evangelical about.)
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@UncleEbeneezer:
Rogue Drummer!
Starting in a little over a week, I’ll be doing gear and supporting drum instruction for Girls Rock Denver, a week long day camp for campers 8-17.
9 acoustic kits in one room for a week reminds me of why I play edrums.
Professor Bigfoot
@Nukular Biskits: Oh yeah. Reminds me of the time I was with the University jazz ensemble playing a gig at the Maxwell House Hotel. (yeah, really)
It was a lunchtime thing, and after our set we all went to the lobby where there was this GREAT, ENORMOUS coffee urn (whodathunkit?) and all of us stood around with cups of coffee, murmuring, “damn, this is GOOD!”
Geminid
@Jeffro: It’s times like this that make me regret Virginia’s one-term limit for Governors. I would have loved to have seen Spanberger and Youngkin duke it out.
“Smiling Glenn? Meet Crabby Abby!”
Doug R
@SiubhanDuinne:
When Canada was getting rid of our penny a decade ago, I saw an article that when we phased out half pennies, they were worth more than a nickel is now.
Sure Lurkalot
Less than 2 minute explainer on immigration:
This is the clearest explanation I’ve seen. It ‘s relatable, and humanizes the issue in a way everyone can understand.
Matt McIrvin
@Ramalama: I have strong opinions about can openers. There are a lot of designs out there that are just so ineffective that I don’t understand how they are still on the market.
This page is interesting, though, in that it’s so contrary to my experience:
https://www.christopherroosen.com/blog/2022/7/11/can-openers-useful-and-flawed
The author had better luck with the rotary “drag knife” model than with one that had a geared pair of wheels, whereas I’ve always found that the first kind just don’t frickin’ work and the second kind (invented in the 1920s) do. I guess he bought a cheaply made one whose cutting wheel wore out quickly. OXO sells a good one with a comfortable grip.
Elizabelle
@David_C: Cleaned up link for your first Rasmussen ACIP item.
https://rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/tiny-coffins-across-america
Doug R
@lowtechcyclist:
Screwing around with my tiny scale that’s good for measuring out spices and coffee I found out that our “quarters” weigh 2.5 times our “dimes”.
So the same weight=same $.
Elizabelle
Wait, whut? Were people flooding the libraries with books about gay penguins and copies of Maus?
narya
@UncleEbeneezer: Have you ever read “The Wishbones” by Tom Perotta? It was his first novel, I think, and I absolutely inhaled it. One phrase–“the rant zone”–stuck with me. And the subject matter will resonate with your comment.
NotMax
@Nukular Biskits
Got the one I have at Amazon.
Have not checked if it is still offered there but if so note the big annual Prime Days sale starts July 8th. Perhaps it will be available at a special price during that event.
danielx
@Betty Cracker:
That is correct. Plus I always feel like I’m getting over when I get the extra strong first cup before it’s halfway done brewing.
narya
I get my coffee from Colectivo. They started in Milwaukee (as Alterra), but now have several cafes in Chicago and Madison. I have a crappy little Black and Decker coffeemaker that produces two big mugs of coffee, but I’ve also been doing cold brew lately. I got the Oxo rig, and I run water through the beans twice, so I end up with several weeks’ worth. That also lets me do a regular/decaf combo.
Professor Bigfoot
@lowtechcyclist: The dollar bill. THAT should be on the chopping block, replaced by a dollar coin- because let’s be honest, a buck nowadays really is *change.*
Coins last way way way longer.
Trivia Man
@Splitting Image: sunday night ritual back in my freshman dorms. Never convinced anyone else to listen, so it was just me and my reluctant roommate.
Fun Fact: The most requested song for decades was Fish Heads.
Bonus Fun Fact: Barnes and Barnes included Bill Mumy from Lost In Space (later on Babylon 5)
Trivia Man
@Lacuna Synecdoche: anybody else ever retype one entire page because of typos?
NotMax
@a href=”https://balloon-juice.com/2025/06/28/saturday-morning-open-thread-81/#comment-9646722″>UncleEbeneezer
Have a (thus far unused) French press specifically for if the power goes out for an extended period (hurricane season, anyone?). Hybrid vehicle has a standard electric outlet which puts out enough juice to heat water in an electric kettle.
;)
UncleEbeneezer
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Sending you
thoughts and prayersgabapentin, lolLa Nonna
Ooh, coffee, something I know about, so delurking today. IL Nonno makes the best coffee, using a stainless steel stove top 6 cup moka the updated old-fasioned pot, and yes, we still have a gas stovetop. Italy is definitely “caffe” society, so tons of different brands, roasters, choices of origins, etc. Right now we’re drinking Guatemalan or Mexican 100% arabica, medium roast, switched to cold coffee a couple of weeks ago when the weather at 6 am was 80°, coffee kept in the fridge, coffee ice cubes to keep it cold, and always black, no sugar. Italy runs on caffeine.
Chief Oshkosh
@BretH:
The “pause and serve” feature on coffee makers may be humanity’s greatest achievement.
Could be even shorter, but I just started my first cup.
NotMax
Tiny fix. (Hey, it’s 4 in the morning here. Not firing on all cylinders.)
@UncleEbeneezer
Have a (thus far unused) French press specifically for if the power goes out for an extended period (hurricane season, anyone?). Hybrid vehicle has a standard electric outlet which puts out enough juice to heat water in an electric kettle.
;)
RaflW
Because every thread needs a crank: “It’s possible that the invention of the “pause and serve” feature on coffee makers is humanity’s greatest achievement”?
No. Because it can be misused! A couple years ago at a friend’s cabin, he started the coffee maker, and then barely one minute into the brew, he did the pause and serve. He got a a whalloping good cup of coffee, and a few minutes later the rest of us got watery-ass ‘coffee tea’ swill.
But I can still be glad for you that you like it, because I’m a crank but not a complete jerk.
Ramalama
@Matt McIrvin: Cool. But Napoleon requiring food preservation now has the song Waterloo looping in my head.
RaflW
@Suzanne: Aha, after just posting my sad little whine (I am a self aware crank) I remembered that I’ve been considering getting a Moccamaster. Three of my cousins in Sweden all have one. And Swedes are obsessed with coffee (make sense, it’s dark as heckadoodle there from mid-Oct to the end of Feb).
Sounds like you think it’s worth the sizeable outlay?
NotMax
@Ramalama
Whole segment about preserving and canning food (including Nappy Bonaparte) on an episode of the beloved series Connections.
Link to the entire episode on the Internet Archive.
NotMax
@RaflW
Saved up and sprang for one years ago. Pricey? Yup*. Worth it? You betcha.
*With new tariffs, maybe moreso.
;)
Trivia Man
@UncleEbeneezer: Electric kettle and a one serving at a time pour over for me. My big upgrade was a metal filter so it’s reusable. And as it drips, my cat comes in and stands on her hind legs then shouts until she gets some.
Trivia Man
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: “It is ALWAYS the drummer’s band”
Corollary: a bad band can have a good drummer but a good band can never have a bad drummer
Trivia Man
@Professor Bigfoot: was it Good To The Last Drop?
Trivia Man
@Matt McIrvin: I keep a stash of camping can openers for homeless people i deal with. Pack of 40 was $15.
NotMax
@Trivia Man
Gotta bring in the early Muppets.
;)
Matt McIrvin
@Trivia Man: The really simple ones do have the advantage that there’s very little to break, though they demand a lot more in terms of hand strength.
Betty Cracker
Bill, who was a working musician for many years, has a saying: So many drummers, so little time.
;-)
Steve in the ATL
@Torrey: any idea where to find Posh Nosh? Don’t see it anywhere.
Jeffro
Those are the new ones…Youngkin has already been appointing RWNJs to these boards for the past 3 1/2 years, and they’re a mess.
Jeffro
@Geminid: a one-term limit is odious for other reasons
but yes, I’d have liked to see her show Virginia (and the country) the real Smilin’ Glenn
RaflW
@Steve in the ATL: Here’s Ep.1 of Posh Nosh – hopefully the subsequent episodes follow as suggested links?
I’ve always been a big fan. But now that I’ve heard even a few bars of The Raggle Taggle Gypsies it will stick with me for a day or two
Speaking of Brit food comedies, I also quite liked Chef! featuring the temperamental character Gareth Blackstock and his Maison Anglaise crew.
kalakal
Does anyone else use feedly to read BJ? It seems to have stopped updating. I can only see up to a day ago
Torrey
@Steve in the ATL: Here’s a link to the full series on YouTube.
munira
Nice photo. You have the same cup I do except mine is for tea.
rosalind
an acquaintance was talking about his girlfriend having to fly down to S.F. for her coffee sommelier test, and I was like “her what?”. a whole world i was unaware of. just as with wine, a coffee sommelier has to be able to distinguish between all types of coffee and on, and once officially certified have great job prospects.
Steve in the ATL
@RaflW: @Torrey: thank you!
NotMax
@RaflW
There’s Nosh and then there’s Nosh in Britland.
;)
frosty
@Betty Cracker: The cheap (Mainstays $11.48) one from Wal-Mart has that feature, which I thought was too frou-frou until I used it every morning getting my shower mug of coffee.
No other bells or whistles, no timer, no programming, nothing. I plug it into a little timer that I plug into the wall. Works fine, not complicated!
Geminid
@Matt McIrvin:
Nominated!