Death of a Coffee Pot

My prized 10-cup drip coffee maker finally died over the weekend. I've used this since the kids were little, so it's at least 12 years old, maybe more. But Saturday morning as I put water in the tank, it ran out underneath the unit almost as fast as it went in. I'm not a big fan of mixing water and electricity, so the coffee maker promptly went in the trash. Over its lifetime, it went through 3 carafes and 2 coffee baskets, so it was definitely well used. I liked this one because it had excellent temperature regulation, and that's key to making good coffee.

But don't worry. There are plenty of other coffee makers in the kitchen! The one that sees the most use is the ubiquitous Melitta one-cup drip unit. This is almost like a funnel that sits atop your coffee cup. It takes #2 paper filters and surprisingly enough, fits perfectly on top of a Nissan stainless steel water bottle. These are must-have items for a winter cyclist!

The other favorite coffee maker - for the stout stuff - is a Bialetti that goes on the stovetop. These are simple Italian coffee makers that produce a very strong brew. The unit has 3 parts, a lower and upper chamber, and a coffee hopper. Water is forced from the lower chamber, up through the coffee grounds, and collects in the upper chamber. This is not unlike an espresso machine, without all the steam apparatus. Watched carefully, and removed from the burner before it starts pushing steam through the grounds, it makes an intense flavored coffee that isn't bitter.

Coffee and cycling go hand-in-hand, at least at my house. There's nothing like a water bottle full of hot coffee on a cold winter morning. For that matter, it's good to arrive home after a cold afternoon ride and sit at the table with a cup of coffee warming my icy hands.