It has been one of those weeks without enough sleep and entirely my own fault. Busy work days and then wanting to squeeze an entire 2nd day out of the evenings. I am particularly bad about it during the summer when the days are longer anyway and there's no one here to remind me about keeping a reasonable schedule. I become a night owl but I still have the alarm set for 6 am.
Therefore, coffee is my friend.
This grinder is a funny thing. It works well for me all summer and then when JC is back home and takes over coffee-making duties the grinder will periodically go berserk and grind either super coarse or ultra fine. I love this grinder, though, especially for the looks. It has a very sleek, retro industrial look. And I don't even think they make it any more - I found it on ebay a few years ago. It is the Kitchenaid A-9 and it definitely isn't for everyone. I know that I'm willing to fuss over something in exchange for great style - but my reward is seeing it on the countertop and other people would probably promptly put it up for sale on ebay.
That is why ebay works.
We tend to buy dark, oily beans and take the time to clean the machine periodically by running white rice through it. That seems to be a workable combination and it has been a reliable, stylish coffee bean grinder for us.
For years I've had some variation of a stove-top espresso pot and about three years ago I found this one in a thrift store - and it has become the workhorse of the kitchen. It is made of substantial stainless steel, has a unique locking handle instead of the more common screw top and makes a great cup of coffee. It is the Giannini Giannina.
This is a huge espresso pot - I think it is the nine-cup - but for me it makes 2 Americanos and then enough left over for a hefty iced latte later in the day. We Americans like our coffees BIG!
In large American coffee mugs, like these. It is no wonder those lovely vintage cups lanquish away in thrift stores - these 12 oz thick white china mugs are the ones I reach for every morning. These I purchased new - yes, new, in our wonderful local kitchen store, Anne Maries. They are made by a company called Side Saddle and they all have humorous cowgirl quotes.
And then, to finish off the perfect cup of coffee, there is half and half. And nothing else will do. In a pinch, up at the cabin, I keep cans of evaporated milk but it is a distant second to half and half.
That's how I roll on these sleep-deprived mornings... what is your secret?
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