Perc’d COFFEE
Recently I added a simple, inexpensive Cuisinart coffee bean grinder
to my java routine, which now includes
Pure Water, 
Farberware percolator,
Peet’s beans
and either organic half-and-half or soy hazelnut or almond or coconut creamers. (Half-and-half is now the only dairy product I still use, and I only use it when I’m in the mood for animal in my coffee.) When I eat food with my coffee I take it black.
I found the grinder on sale for $26 in a Williams Sonoma in Montclair, NJ. (Yeah I know – you can’t get a potholder there for less than $100. I can’t believe it myself.) WHAT A DIFFERENCE freshly ground makes. A friend told me recently, commercial coffee like Maxwell House, Folgers, Chock full o’ Nuts, etc. are warehoused sometimes for YEARS before they make it to supermarket shelves. The Peet’s French Roast I got from Giant has a “Best if used by…” date that’s only a month or so later than the date I got it. Big change, that. This is the first whole bean I’ve tried, but I like it. The other thing is, my local market doesn’t carry a huge selection of whole bean, so I take what’s there.
I found that listening to the grinder is the easiest way to determine the coarseness of the grind. I fill it with whole beans to just below the inside line. I can easily hear the difference when the beans get powdery, as opposed to the sound they make when they’re still in big pieces. It takes just over about 20 seconds. The picture below shows the perc basket not even halfway full of finely ground beans. I have found that’s all I need. Before I pour, I let the basket drip out, and then I remove it. It’s a PITA, but it keeps excess grounds from getting in the pour. For the last cup in the pot, I use a tea strainer that I picked up from Teavana.
I haven’t been making green smoothies too much lately but I’m sure they’re gonna make a comeback in a big way… soon. And I never use soap to clean my percolator. Just running water and a clean brush. Some kitchen items are not meant for soap. The percolator and my cast iron cookware, to name a few.
Miko Del.com 