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Two of my favorite things (Early Intel Mac edition).
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It is really nice - cold here too, fresh snow on the mountains and all that cold air rolling down hill to us. Having had one now, if I did not have a fireplace, I’d install a wood or pellet stove or even one of those electric fireplaces is nice if you don’t want to punch a hole in your wall or ceiling. A lot of ways to slice that apple 
Enjoying it right now with my morning coffee and apple device actually.
Simple pleasures.
Enjoying it right now with my morning coffee and apple device actually.Simple pleasures.
Indeed. And sometimes it seems so easy to forget the smaller joys of life...
Is that fireplace wood burning or gas? The bricks look a little too clean to be wood, but that's just based on memory of what the fireplace in my childhood home was like.
The problem with electric fireplaces is so many look tacky. But the last years we were in my childhood home we didn't use the fireplace--my mother felt the chimney should be cleaned/inspected, and we never got around to it. The last year we were in the house, I put some electric logs into the fireplace. They were decent, and allowed a "fire" on Christmas that year.
We have a wood fire stove downstairs and this one is upstairs and is a gas flame. We have an electric one in our bedroom for extra chilly nights. You are right, wood fire is dirty comparatively but gas doesnt smell like wood. That is one thing about wood specifically - the aroma you get. Anyhow, I run this gas one daily because it is so clean comparatively but for when the power goes out, that log burner is a life saver.
We rented a house for 17.5 years and being built in 1990 or so, it came with a fireplace. We used it maybe once or twice before the first kid came along in 2003.
Around the time my son started trying to walk, the wife banned access to the fireplace by placing cardboard in front of it and then a bookshelf.
Our current home was built in 2007. No fireplace. Which is not odd for most newer homes in PHX. At this time it's 60º out. By the time it gets cold enough to actually justify using a fireplace it's going to be 3 or 4am. Usually that's when most people are asleep and central heat is on.
My parents house that I lived in got much colder and it had a rather large fireplace. No central air (AC or heat) and only one gas vertical heater in the living room. So the fireplace got used. But mostly, winter there called for heating blankets.
I hated that house. I either froze in the winter or sweated buckets in the summer.
Around the time my son started trying to walk, the wife banned access to the fireplace by placing cardboard in front of it and then a bookshelf.
Our current home was built in 2007. No fireplace. Which is not odd for most newer homes in PHX. At this time it's 60º out. By the time it gets cold enough to actually justify using a fireplace it's going to be 3 or 4am. Usually that's when most people are asleep and central heat is on.
My parents house that I lived in got much colder and it had a rather large fireplace. No central air (AC or heat) and only one gas vertical heater in the living room. So the fireplace got used. But mostly, winter there called for heating blankets.
I hated that house. I either froze in the winter or sweated buckets in the summer.
I was thinking just that. When does Phoenix ever get cold enough to justify a fire place
I like the idea of wood burning fireplaces, but I have a feeling I'd use a gas one more because of convenience.
Although I'd love live with a wood burning fireplace again for a while... Just to experience it again. Plus I read some energy crisis era material on how to get more heating value out of a fireplace. Part of me would enjoy experimenting.
I lived in a place one winter that had a wood stove. It was not a fun wood stove--no glass doors to let me see the fire. But it was a relief knowing it was there in case of power failure. Of course, that was the one winter when there were ZERO power failures. Predictable, I guess. Although I did use that wood stove--particularly during a cold spell when the heat pump struggled to keep up.
I have thought I wouldn't mind primarily heating with wood. Although I don't see myself as one of those types that would go out on weekends chopping up wood. But if one is paying $$$ for fuel, wood would allow the money to go to someone local and it would help the local economy.
You mean you don't feel like getting up at 3 just to light a fire? LOL
Erik is reading my mind. It is no fun to have to get up in the middle of the night to add a log or three but those times we needed it, it was great to have & fun for the kids (well kinda - it got them interested in making fire too which is alarming to a father of three ornery boys- quick hide the matches!).
In the mountains here, lots of families heat with wood 100% of the time and those people have piles of cured wood 10-15 feet tall and 10x30 feet large. It takes SO much wood to heat a house through a winter. These families cut dead wood out of the forest with a permit to do so, so a lot of it is primarily labor to the folks out the cutting but to have to process all that wood each year is still a ton of work lol.
I like grids, I like electricity, I like gas and wood stoves for company or when said grid has a hiccup. I’m 110% with you on the gas fireplace. I think it’s the best compromise between dry heat and flame ambience with convenience and affordability (think venn diagram)
But and this is a BIG but. You can make COFFEE on top of a wood stove or above the coals of a wood fireplace.
In the mountains here, lots of families heat with wood 100% of the time and those people have piles of cured wood 10-15 feet tall and 10x30 feet large. It takes SO much wood to heat a house through a winter. These families cut dead wood out of the forest with a permit to do so, so a lot of it is primarily labor to the folks out the cutting but to have to process all that wood each year is still a ton of work lol.
I like grids, I like electricity, I like gas and wood stoves for company or when said grid has a hiccup. I’m 110% with you on the gas fireplace. I think it’s the best compromise between dry heat and flame ambience with convenience and affordability (think venn diagram)
But and this is a BIG but. You can make COFFEE on top of a wood stove or above the coals of a wood fireplace.
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I get up at 3 to go to work (work from home). Not exactly my first thought of the day (lighting a fire in the fireplace), LOL!
Two comments on that…Erik is reading my mind. It is no fun to have to get up in the middle of the night to add a log or three but those times we needed it, it was great to have & fun for the kids (well kinda - it got them interested in making fire too which is alarming to a father of three ornery boys- quick hide the matches!).
In the mountains here, lots of families heat with wood 100% of the time and those people have piles of cured wood 10-15 feet tall and 10x30 feet large. It takes SO much wood to heat a house through a winter. These families cut dead wood out of the forest with a permit to do so, so a lot of it is primarily labor to the folks out the cutting but to have to process all that wood each year is still a ton of work lol.
I like grids, I like electricity, I like gas and wood stoves for company or when said grid has a hiccup. I’m 110% with you on the gas fireplace. I think it’s the best compromise between dry heat and flame ambience with convenience and affordability (think venn diagram)
But and this is a BIG but. You can make COFFEE on top of a wood stove or above the coals of a wood fireplace.
First, because I spent so much time in parents house, lighting a fire in the fireplace was something I learned. When I was dating my wife, I wanted to impress her so I built a fire. Only I added too much wood. That house has four large trees in the front yard and the chimney began shooting sparks right in to the lower branches of one of those trees. All I could envision at that point was the fire department and me having to explain how I burnt the house down! So, a bunch of water and smoke later and that was the end of THAT showing off.
There was another house we lived in for a while that had a fireplace in the front room with three sides. Set an ovenmit on fire making popcorn over it once. I was probably 13 or 14. I can recall having to cut up so much wood. Any time we trimmed trees that all got sorted as fuel for the fireplace (both locations). But the house I hated, the fireplace only heated the front room no matter how much wood you had.
Two, in the 1970s we lived in Houston. Homes in the development my dad bought had gas fireplaces. I don't remember it being used much. Houston is another place like Phoenix, where it's "what's the point?"
I don't object to gas fireplaces, but the flame ambiance (if you will) isn't the same as a wood fire.
And they never will be. There is something so special about a wood fire, the smell of combustion, the different light it throws as it burns down etc. Before I lived here, I was in a condo and there was no fire so ai bought a long play dvd of different fireplaces complete with fire sounds, snaps n pops! To your point all different fireplaces with supposed different wood and all different - actually included a couple gas fires in that long play. I still have it
Hard for me to let go of it as we played it for years at holiday gatherings and parties with friends so lots of memories. That and I didn’t have to clean anything other than the occasional wine spill And to keep this in the realm of this thread, I am drinking some pod coffee while my boys are at swim practice (they have a little coffee station for tired weary underslept moms n dadalorians lol) posting on my Apple device.
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One thing I sometimes wonder/worry about is if wood burning fireplaces will get outlawed on environmental grounds. I could see it happening in my state--one area did ban older wood stoves. It would be a real loss.
Note to self: when you get a decent place and start decorating it, go for the wine colored carpet. It might make things easier during wild holiday get togethers.
Pod coffee? Oh, the sheer horror of the idea! LOL
I'm not wild about the stuff--not very good, expensive, and so much waste--although I have to admit it is quite convenience for coffee stations in waiting rooms. Or pools. I wish the pool I used to swim laps at had hot coffee, now that I think of it!
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The weekend go to…Peet's Major Dickason's Blend.
Just a note on the coffee mug. That's a Dunkin' Donuts mug, purchased new at the first DD store in the West Valley (Phoenix, AZ) back in the mid 2000s. I cannot recall the exact year. However, I note it's age because it shows that the black/gray and magenta inks were apparently the most durable. They are the only colors surviving on this mug, the orange being long ago washed out. There used to be a thick orange stripe towards the bottom. Being in graphic design, it is an interesting lesson on the choice of inks for durability over time.
PS. Yes, a mirror has made it's way on to my desk now. Neighbors tossed it out and I grabbed it. Not cracked, not pitted, not scratched. Looks like they were replacing their bathroom mirror for some reason.
Just a note on the coffee mug. That's a Dunkin' Donuts mug, purchased new at the first DD store in the West Valley (Phoenix, AZ) back in the mid 2000s. I cannot recall the exact year. However, I note it's age because it shows that the black/gray and magenta inks were apparently the most durable. They are the only colors surviving on this mug, the orange being long ago washed out. There used to be a thick orange stripe towards the bottom. Being in graphic design, it is an interesting lesson on the choice of inks for durability over time.
PS. Yes, a mirror has made it's way on to my desk now. Neighbors tossed it out and I grabbed it. Not cracked, not pitted, not scratched. Looks like they were replacing their bathroom mirror for some reason.
I'm imagining this possible scene:
"Wow! I look so fat when I look at myself in the mirror!"
"Time for a diet!"
"No, I'll just take the mirror down--it'd be easier!"
LOL
I've been picking up some SeaBest Post Alley K-Cups for our Keurig lately. Walmart hasn't been carrying the smaller package of K-Cups for Peets Major Dickason's Blend, so that's why. The Post Alley has been pretty good, but 5th Avenue Bistro is good too.
My wife is also partial to Henry's Blend…
Mug above was purchased some time in January-February 1998 at a Seattle's Best café during a visit to Seattle. My wife's mug.
Pod coffee is not my preference but hey, I was desperate and it was free
In its defense, I’ve never tried the reusable pods where you fill with your own coffee so I cant tell you if what I don’t care for is due to the coffee used or the brew process the pod machine employs but the flavor profile has too much edge to it which Id describe as … a combo of having too much up front but lacking body … or landing in the too much acidity camp. It’s hard to describe at 6a, so please forgive my incoherent coffee ramblings lol
Loves me some drip coffee. Creature of habit I suppose
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My favorite price!
I haven't tried reusable pods, either. I'd be curious to find if this would make better coffee, although not curious enough to actually spend money on a Keurig and a reusable pod.
On a practical level, I figure if one is going to stuff coffee into a reusable pod, one might as well just get a normal coffee maker!
Pod coffee is not my preference but hey, I was desperate and it was free
In its defense, I’ve never tried the reusable pods where you fill with your own coffee so I cant tell you if what I don’t care for is due to the coffee used or the brew process the pod machine employs but the flavor profile has too much edge to it which Id describe as … a combo of having too much up front but lacking body … or landing in the too much acidity camp. It’s hard to describe at 6a, so please forgive my incoherent coffee ramblings lol
Loves me some drip coffee. Creature of habit I suppose
I was anti-Keurig for years. But we'd visit my parents and they had one and no drip coffeemaker. So it was either use that or instant. During that time, the default coffee that came with the Keurig was Green Mountain. Green Mountain coffee is swill. Which was the major reason I became anti-Keurig.
Fast forward about 15 years or so and just about every brand out there now offers K-Cups. The boss at my old job replaces the drip coffee maker with a Keurig. So, now at work at least, if I wanted my OWN coffee instead of Folger's K-Cups, I had to bring my own K-Cups or use my own drip coffeemaker.
Later, at one of my wife's jobs she wanted an afternoon cup, but at the time she was in special-ed. You don't need those kids around drip coffeemakers, so I got her a Keurig and one for the house. Because at that point I was also working from home and didn't want to deal with a 12 cup coffeemaker for two cups of coffee (at most) in the afternoon.
So, that's how the Keurig came in to our house and when it gets used - primarily for a cup or two in the late morning or early afternoon.
We do have a refillable K-Cup, but as @WriteNow has stated - "I figure if one is going to stuff coffee into a reusable pod, one might as well just get a normal coffee maker!" And WriteNow is right. It's a hassle to fill that little dinky thing up, just for a cup or two of your own coffee. You have to wash it out afterwards too and that's also a hassle.
I also have a single serve coffeemaker as well. Got that in 1998 or so I think. The same reasoning above though is also a large part of why I do not use it either. Same hassle - for a single serve.
PS. NO GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE HAS EVER SEEN OUR KITCHEN, LET ALONE OUR KEURIG!!!! And NEVER will!
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Yanno, I often wonder if I am going through the same thing pro-percolator folks went through with the introduction of Mr.Coffee drip brewers. *Intro old man voice* Those newfangled brewers youngins are using now taste terrible! *shakes fist*
My wife and I have both settled on instant when we want a cup. She has gone back and forth on getting a keurig but for the amount of time she wants a single cup the instant is easier I think. Truthfully, I'd imagine if our kitchen had a bit more counter real estate, there'd probably be one around but as is, we keep an electric kettle where that Keurig might sit, so do the instant thing which lives in a cabinet above the drip brewer.
But I truly have never had a pod coffee that I thought tasted right - across all sorts of brands too. They just hit my pallet weird. As stated earlier, I havent spent the time & money to pin down what is causing that reaction but being that it is across multiple brands/types, I tend to think it has more to do with the Kcup brew process vs the product. Anyways, if I strike it rich, I'll start a YT channel and spend way too much time and money figuring that conundrum out. Until then, it will remain one of the great mysteries of the universe.
We have limited counterspace as well, but for us instant is simply the 'last resort'. I'm not going to claim that Keurig or other pod coffeemakers make a perfect cup or that they may be better than a drip coffeemaker or an espresso machine. However, they (to us) are at least a few steps above instant.Yanno, I often wonder if I am going through the same thing pro-percolator folks went through with the introduction of Mr.Coffee drip brewers. *Intro old man voice* Those newfangled brewers youngins are using now taste terrible! *shakes fist*
My wife and I have both settled on instant when we want a cup. She has gone back and forth on getting a keurig but for the amount of time she wants a single cup the instant is easier I think. Truthfully, I'd imagine if our kitchen had a bit more counter real estate, there'd probably be one around but as is, we keep an electric kettle where that Keurig might sit, so do the instant thing which lives in a cabinet above the drip brewer.
But I truly have never had a pod coffee that I thought tasted right - across all sorts of brands too. They just hit my pallet weird. As stated earlier, I havent spent the time & money to pin down what is causing that reaction but being that it is across multiple brands/types, I tend to think it has more to do with the Kcup brew process vs the product. Anyways, if I strike it rich, I'll start a YT channel and spend way too much time and money figuring that conundrum out. Until then, it will remain one of the great mysteries of the universe.
Now some instant is good and I won't argue that. Diamond Brew, for instance, makes a fine instant cup of coffee simply from the fact that they have SOMEHOW managed to engineer all the bitterness out of instant while retaining the flavor. But even so, it's not as good (to us) as even K-Cups from the Keurig.
Diamond Brew™ - America's First Brewless™ Coffee
Luxury Coffee Made Simple: No Machine. Fast Dissolving. Brewed Perfection. 160mg Strong. Not your Grandma's instant coffee!
diamondbrewcoffee.com
I might suggest one reason for your pod coffee seeming off and that's down to cleaning. Most people by now have some sort of cleaning regimen for drip coffeemakers. Even, if you are not a hard core coffee drinker, most people recognize that you need to clean the pot and the coffeemaker every once in a while.
But, from my observations, this doesn't seem to have set in with Keurig owners. Some do (I do), but if you were to poll a group of people about how often they clean their Keurig I'd be willing to bet you'd get a few confused looks. People seem to think that the whole process gets contained inside the pod or K-Cup and they don't consider the rest of the system.
Andddd…those generally in this camp are (I think) unlikely to consider filtered water. Our Keurig gets water straight from the water cooler, which uses filtered water. Just like the drip coffeemaker. That machine has never encountered tap water, ever.
Just a couple offhand observations. I think if you got your own Keurig, ran filtered water through it and some decent/good coffee you might be pleasantly surprised. Great, no. Probably not. But I think it'd be passable.
Also, and here's the bonus shot…the same Keurig that brews your pod coffee? It can also brew your tea. When my wife discovered that her favorite brand of teas came in K-Cups she was flabbergasted. She doesn't have to steep tea anymore and she gets exactly the amount she wants. And it's good. Yeah. I got another middle finger directed at me for that one (dragging her in to the modern age).
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Here's my Keurig telling me I need to clean it (small light towards the bottom). Not sure when Keurig started adding that indicator but the older machines I do not recall having it. The attachment on the top there is the brew pod for your own coffee.
Keurig also gives you the ability to use different attachments…this is a water filter that resides inside the tank. Replaceable, a few $$$. The attachment comes out and you just snap the end open, replace the filter, close it and put it back in the tank. If you're using filtered water to begin with, this is a bonus.
My wife found this rack shortly after we got our Keurig. Someone had dumped it outside their house for bulk trash pickup. As you can see, SeaBest Post Alley and also tea.
Keurig also gives you the ability to use different attachments…this is a water filter that resides inside the tank. Replaceable, a few $$$. The attachment comes out and you just snap the end open, replace the filter, close it and put it back in the tank. If you're using filtered water to begin with, this is a bonus.
My wife found this rack shortly after we got our Keurig. Someone had dumped it outside their house for bulk trash pickup. As you can see, SeaBest Post Alley and also tea.
How many cups does the keurig reservoir hold?
All valid points. As I don’t own one, I can’t vouch for the cleaning regimen or water quality those are partook from. One common point is that they all had an assortment of flavored creamers lol. The Keurig at my kids swim school has water ran from the wall so I’d assume city. Whether it is filtered outside of that I don’t know.
I’m not a fan of instant either really- they to me have a very predictable flavor as well.
All valid points. As I don’t own one, I can’t vouch for the cleaning regimen or water quality those are partook from. One common point is that they all had an assortment of flavored creamers lol. The Keurig at my kids swim school has water ran from the wall so I’d assume city. Whether it is filtered outside of that I don’t know.
I’m not a fan of instant either really- they to me have a very predictable flavor as well.