I mentioned on Monday that I had a really hard time getting out of bed, that it was raining, and that it was just one of those mornings.
But the show went on and I dropped Skylar off at school, went for a run, did errands, handled life, blogging, cooking, photography, phone calls, and before I knew it, it was 2pm and I hadn’t had coffee.
And I was in caffeine withdrawal.
I turned on my coffee maker and it wouldn’t make coffee.
Surely this was a very cruel joke played by the Coffee Gods on a rainy Monday to someone who’d only gotten through her day on mental promises that a cuppa ‘joe was just around the corner. And yes, I play mental mind games with myself such as, Respond to these 20 emails, then you can have a second cup.
After begging with my old coffee maker, asking it nicely, and pleading gently with it to just make me one more pot, I realized it was dead. Recently, I sensed it was on its last leg because it was loud, clicking, and seemed a little temperamental.
It was an older version of this model and I made thousands of pots in it in the four years I had it.
I liked the carafe-less feature (no glass to break or stainless pots to get spots on i) but just pushing a lever and having coffee dispensed didn’t work out as easily because I usually put my coffee in a tall to-go-cup, and the go cup didn’t fit under the lever dispenser so I’d have to pour coffee into a cup into a short cup and then dump two short cups into my one tall go cup.
After it was evident that my machine was a goner and wasn’t going to brew just one more pot for me, I drove to Coffer Maker Heaven, aka Bed Bath & Beyond.
Good thing I hoard a stash of BB & B coupons and they never expire. (Most stores will allow you to cash them in but it is up to the store’s discretion. At probably over 20 BB & B stores in about 10 states, I’ve never been denied. I have been told by a few readers their store is a stickler for rules and won’t redeem expired ones, but that neighboring stores allow it.)
Coffee Maker Overload.
So many choices.
Just what I didn’t need was shopping for an appliance when all I did need was coffee.
It was an ironic twist seeing all the coffee makers but not a drop of coffee.
There were more expensive ones that ground beans and gave you a foot massage while you waited for your coffee. Or something like that.
But I really didn’t want anything too fancy.
The shorter the height of the machine, the better given my limited kitchen storage space.
I wanted a 12-cup maker, but didn’t care if it had a glass or stainless carafe, nor if it was program-able, or had autoshutoff.
So I debated between these three
And I got this one.
With a coupon, after tax, it was $25 bucks; which is 4 or 5 trips to Starbucks.
It makes 12 cups, is shorter in stature than most and fits underneath my cupboards on my countertop much better than my old one did.
Plus, I like that it’s not too fancy. I don’t need a high tech coffee pot because when I need coffee, I don’t want too much tech.
I just want coffee.
I’ve only made one pot from it, but the coffee was just fine.
This is what I brewed.
And I slurped it down.
x 2
Ironically, I just did a post about coffee last week
And I have a Coffee Reviews Post
Excuse me while I have a Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Square (No-Bake, Vegan, GF) and enjoy some more coffee.
Do you have a coffee pot that you love? Do you think brand, price paid, or other factors impact the taste of the coffee?
I bought an espresso maker (which also makes coffee but it’s not as convenient as just making a pot of coffee and I rarely use it; along with the juicer and dehydrator I rarely use.
For me, it’s the type of coffee more so than the brand of coffee maker that seems to make the most difference.
What’s the last appliance you bought?
This Lovely Lady was my last prior to the coffee maker.
P.S. I hope you’re celebrating National Peanut Butter Day.
Maybe with a Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint (No-Bake, Vegan, GF)
Thanks for the Chobani Yogurt Giveaway entries
K those chocolate PB oat squares look AMAZING. I’m definitely making those this week sometime.
I don’t have my own coffee pot and actually, I’ve never even had coffee believe it or not. It’s against my religion but I REALLY want to try it. I think it smells divine.
Since I don’t drink coffee I’ve never been shopping for a coffee maker. But I like the low tech version of things. I don’t want anything too complicated when I’m hungry or thirsty. I can’t even remember the last appliance I bought. It’s been a long time!
I have a pretty basic Toastmaster that I got for $18 in a clearance. I like it because I can program it the night before to brew coffee before I even get out of bed, and during the morning rush I don’t have to worry about turning it off (auto shut off). I’m a college student, so it has saved me many mornings, including today! I also have a french press for weekends or evenings. :)
I had a panic a few weeks back when my 2-day old coffee maker stopped working. Thankfully Target took it back and I ended up buying a Mr. Coffee – a little 5 cup programmable with a stainless carafe. It’s perfect. Unfortunately I just need a small coffee maker and I went through a couple of Cuisinart (thankfully BBB has a good return policy) coffeemakers that would last less than 6 months!
good to know your Mr. C has worked well for you.
My husband is a huge coffee maker collector. We have four different presses, some weird looking shot thing, a reg coffee pot and a Keurig. Fav tasting coffee comes from the stainless steel press but for pure ease i looooove the Keurig. Nothing beats pushing a button and 10 seconds later having coffee when you are half asleep. I don’t find the more expensive or techie a coffee maker is, the better the coffee. In fact – too many buttons and I just get confused!
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I love coffee but I try not to drink it too often. Please don’t think any less of me when I say this…. I actually prefer instant (but it has to be folgers)! I find that most the time the people in my office don’t know how to brew coffee correctly and it turns out very bitter and burt tasting. The instant allows me to make the perfect cup whenever I want it; any strength, any size with NO clean up. We have actually gone through several fancier coffee makers at my office (probably 3 coffee makers in 3 years?) and recently purchased a no thrills glass coffee pot similar to the one that you purchased. So far it has been great!
Whatever works, tastes the best, and is easy…that’s all that matters. And you’re right, employee break room coffee or office coffee tends to be not really…so good.
I am still reeling from the fact that you made it halfway through the day without a cup of coffee! Wow! I used to have a coffee maker, but now I brew it by the cup each morning. I boil water in my teakettle and grind my Organic Papua New Guinea roast and put a few spoonfuls in a melita filter over my giant mug and voila! I also steam a bit of organic, unsweetened soymilk to put in it. I have been doing it this way for years and the flavor is just unsurpassed this way, in my opinion.
The last appliance I bought was actually my Vitamix, which I have had for several years now. I use my KitchenAid, Vitamix and food processor on a regular basis.
Your peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies are adorable. I just bought all the ingredients…making them today. My boys are gonna love them! :-)
Enjoy the PB & J thumbprints… I can’t believe you actually had to go buy the ingredients but thank you in advance for making them! Other than the jelly, I don’t think there was anything too unique in them ..I know your boys will love them.
Your method sounds perfect, actually. Melita filter. Need to try that. A paper Melita or a wire/mesh one? I love the idea of this. It’s easier cleanup than a french press and probably delish coffee!
I had just run out of jelly (this morning!) and needed a new package of powdered sugar. Super excited for the boys to try these!
As for the Melita filter, I use a paper filter inside of a plastic Melita filter and set that on my cup. It is super easy cleanup and has awesome flavor!
love these posts! I hope your week is going well!
You too, sweetie! Hope you’re settling back in after the conference and traveling.
I have just a basic, no bells and whistles coffee maker and I think it works pretty good :)
Mr. Coffee has never steered me wrong…we even bring it camping in the fall when we get a cabin. Haha. They’re tough little buggers.
On an unrelated note, I made a version of your avocado puff pastries (I used hickory-smoked vegan cheese in mine with black beans, avocado, and salsa) and they turned out wonderfully. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh it sounds great! Can’t remember if you’re vegan or not, but if you know of a pre-make vegan puff pastry or similar that you enjoy that I can recommend for readers, LMK.
Mr. Coffee is the bomb.com. My fiance and I are so addicted to coffee that when we wake up in the morning we say (in a Borat accent) “It’s time to wake up Mr. Coffee”. Really for the price, it can’t be beat.
agreed!
I use a French press every morning and I think it makes the best coffee!
I go for cheaper coffee makers because the more expensive ones don’t seem to last any longer. My last appliance purchase was my juicer. I have to make big batches and freeze them as regular “juicing” is waaaay too time consuming and I must admit some of the excitement/novelty has worn off a little on that one!
Oh my juicer is the appliance graveyard. $5 worth of produce, 10 mins to wash it, 10 mins to juice it, 10 mins to clean up. 30 mins for a glass of juice does not fit into my life these days :)
I love our coffee maker. It’s a Bunn and we’ve had it for…wow, maybe 5-6 years? I am usually pretty frugal/cheap so paying $100 for a coffee maker seemed really frivolous at the time, but it was so worth it. Like you I NEED my coffee. I still need to make those chocolate PB oat squares. I’ve had the recipe magneted (that’s not even a word) to my fridge for a week.
I love my Bunn too. It’s quick and hot.
Magneted is a word, for sure :)
$100 is not even a biggie…it’s the machines that are $199 or $249 plus tax for a basic machine that I’m like huh?! Glad your Bunn paid off.
Nice! Love new appliances. Looks like you found a great one! And I LOVE BB&B’s coupons! I don’t buy anything unless I have one those suckers.
Hope you’re enjoying your new toy! Have a great night!
I put that toy to good use for sure.
Ah, coffee, my life’s blood. My coffee maker looks similar to your new one. I like VIA too, and that instant espresso stuff in the Italian flag bottle. Glad you’re back in the caffeine game!
I have a couple trial packets of the Via; I should have resorted to those. Everyone seems to love em but I have yet to try them!