OT: Products you believe in

[WhereistheDove?]

Apple maps are ok. Google maps are ok. If you think there's a difference at this point, come visit me in New York where Google still can't figure out the exits off the Cross Westchester.

Waze is a different animal entirely at this point. The crowd-sourcing of information is a major difference and still has not been imported into Google maps. Yes, it's a battery killer and yes, it's sucking up a lot of data and info that it has no business with, but if you need to travel through this part of the world and do not like traffic, it's peerless.

Google maps uses the crowd sourcing of information to get their traffic data. Why do you think they bought Waze?

 

[Fishy]

They are still two separate apps.

Google bought Waze because it's an entirely different fire hose of user data, not to improve their own maps.

Waze is still far better at routing around traffic and finding the faster routes. Run them both at the same time - the differences come into sharp relief very quickly.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

They are still two separate apps.

Google bought Waze because it's an entirely different fire hose of user data, not to improve their own maps.

Waze is still far better at routing around traffic and finding the faster routes. Run them both at the same time - the differences come into sharp relief very quickly.

And again, Google maps still has the real time traffic data. I also think it depends on where you are because I've run them quite often together to test exactly what you've said and while I appreciate the creativity from Waze, it tends to lead to a relatively unused street that may have stoplights or stop signs that kill any benefit and my personal favorite, left turns across busy streets that Waze doesn't recognize as a place you're going to sit for five minutes waiting for an opening. To each their own but I've found no appreciable difference in travel time in my experiences and I'd rather have the less ADD route of Google maps that is still routing me around traffic but maybe not adding 5 miles to the trip down a dirt road to save me 36 seconds.

 

[80shusky]

Well this kind of ties in with the other thread about the grilled/smoked/roasted ribs. I had been smoking with a cheap offset smoker I was given free. Offset smokers require a lot of tweaking I've found to get the temperature right and if you are doing a long smoke like for a big pork shoulder or brisket your firebox can actually fill up on you. I had trouble maintaining temperature with it especially if it was cold out or windy. So, I converted my Weber kettle grill into a smoker when needed using the Home - SMOKENATOR.
With this little contraption, which mostly just keeps your coals on one side for two zone cooking and has a spot for a water pan, I can maintain between 220-240 degrees for over 6 hours with one initial chimney of coals. If I am doing a long cook I start adding coals at about 5 hours. You set the vents in the bottom and on the lid to maintain your temp. It even comes with directions on how to do this. You put your wood chunks right in with the charcoal. It works best with briquettes. Hardwood lump seems to burn a little hot with this setup.

 

[8893]

Technivorm Moccamaster. If you must brew your coffee by the pot, temperature stability at 200-203F and a well designed showerhead are necessities for a good extraction. Few electric drip units get you there. They're spendy at $300-ish, but they'll last for years and have a simple design where all the power goes to the heating unit and not to bells and whistles.

If you prefer to brew a cup at a time by hand, the Aeropress is extremely versatile for espresso-ish drinks/Americanos or for a short cup of drip. Otherwise, Clever dripper is an easy to use set and forget one cup brewer.

And for grinders, the Capresso Infinity works as good as the more expensive Baratzas if you're doing anything coarser than espresso. But you do need a burr grinder, seriously.

It sounds like you're as obsessive about good coffee as I am. I agree with you about the qualities required for good extraction and the fact that they are very difficult to find in an automatic coffee maker made for the consumer market. My all-time favorite was the Bodum Electric Santos, which made the best-tasting coffee I've ever made at home, but its electronics were so unreliable that they stopped making it several years ago. I--and apparently many others--nonetheless loved it so much that used ones routinely went for more on e-Bay than the new ones originally did. I went through five of them in around ten years, often buying an extra one to have as a backup when the one I had inevitably crapped out.

When it was time for me to accept that I had to move on, I researched and tested the options extensively. Then, as it still is now, I believe there are three options: (1) the Technivorm you've listed; (2) Bonavita; and (3) Behmor Brazen Plus. I went with the Brazen primarily because it features an automatic pre-soak option, which I find essential to control blooming. That is often an issue for me when the beans are closest to being freshly roasted. It also has an automatic timer option, which I realize is somewhat antithetical to a perfect cup, but I find useful and acceptable when timing is an issue, as these makers all take longer to brew than most commercial makers. When I first bought it, it was pretty new to the market and they were still working out some kinks. They have since worked them all out, replacing mine twice for free (and overnight) along the way, and I have been using it for around five years in total with very good success. I would recommend it highly to anyone in the market for one of these, and you can usually find it for less than $200.

I am curious about your burr grinder comment. I have been using literally the exact same Krups grinder for more than 25 years. Obviously that speaks volumes to its reliability, but it has also prevented me from exploring advances since then, because I am a big "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type who tends to run things into the ground before replacing them. What might I expect to appreciate about a burr grinder that I am not getting with the Krups SS blade?

I've also become a big tea fan over the past several years, and on that front the Breville One-Touch Tea Maker is a product in which I believe so much that I have one at home and one in my office; and I have bought it as a gift for friends who have come to believe in it just as much as I do.

 

[8893]

Having just returned from an extensive European family vacation, a few recs are fresh in mind:

Hand-held digital luggage scale. Essential to avoid extra baggage fees and much anxiety at the airport. We borrowed a cheap one from my mother-in-law and it was invaluable. Looks like there are literally dozens of them available for $15 or less. Somehow I never knew they existed; and now I don't know how I did without one. I will be buying our own today.

ExOfficio "Give-N-Go" boxer briefs. When your days are very active and will likely involve many different conditions, including humidity and rain; and when space and weight are at a premium; and when laundry options will be few and far between. I am also a big fan of their Nomad pants for many of the same reasons, plus no wrinkles and a couple zippered pockets. Very lightweight, comfortable and fast-drying; and can be dressed up with collared shirts and even a sports coat if called for.

I've also found the Eddie Bauer Travex line to be very reliable, very high quality and very good values, especially their shirts and luggage.

Gold Bond Medicated Powder, Bag Balm (for cracked heels) and Body Glide are essentials in my travel bag.

 

[NEforceUConn]

F yes.

Stuff is a life-saver.

or Advil and Ativan

 

[CTMike]

I can second the Smokenator and Ex-Officio boxer briefs recs... Both are great at what they do!

 

[WhiteDressWes]

The smell comes from combined chloromines (Free chlorine attaching to organic matter). Stop peeing in the water. The red eyes is commonly due to improperly balanced pH and combined chloromines. Keep pH between 7.3 and 7.7 and stop peeing in the pool.

Liquid Chlorine is the exact same compound as household bleach (sodium hypochlorite), just more concentrated (10-12.5% vs. 3-8.25%) and once it hits the pool water, it gets diluted by 2,000 times. So I can't comment on it being a carcinogen, but the WHO recently identified deli meat a carcinogen so I will take that with a gigantic side of salt, no pun intented.

For the record, if you are judging chlorine based on commercial pool, they schkieve me out too. My personal residential pool has no smell, no red eyes and the water is crystal clear.

Mind you, I'm not looking to convert you to Chlorine. Just clearing up some mistakes conceptions.

I used the Goodwin Park Pool in Hartford in 1964. No chlorinated pools since then, despite working for the Hartford Aquatic Division. Judging by the smell of my tap water. I think something is peeing in the MDC reservoirs.

 

[storrsroars]

I am curious about your burr grinder comment. I have been using literally the exact same Krups grinder for more than 25 years. Obviously that speaks volumes to its reliability, but it has also prevented me from exploring advances since then, because I am a big "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type who tends to run things into the ground before replacing them. What might I expect to appreciate about a burr grinder that I am not getting with the Krups SS blade?

I've heard good things about the Brazen, and maybe that's my next machine. I've got an original Behmor roaster that's done me well for nine years.

Regarding blade vs. burr, it's simply particle size distribution. Blades chop, burrs grind. Thus with a blade you'll have much larger and jagged particles at the high end and usually more powdery fines than with a burr. As relates to the midpoint of particle sizes, the fines will be overextracted and bitter, the larger particles underextracted and sour. So if you have more of both, your brew will be more uneven.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Tempurpedic mattress. They cost a lot, but worth every penny. I'm a terrible sleeper, always have been, probably always will be, but I can actually sleep through a full night much more frequently on one. Pair it with a good memory foam pillow and I never have any aches or pain from sleeping.

The model I have also stays cooler than most mattresses (the effect is probably overstated but it is definitely a little cooler than others)

 

[dennismenace]

Aldi's. Started going there a couple of years ago for convenience items (milk, bread). Gradually have tried more of their products and have found that they were equal or better
than the the stuff I was getting at grocery stores at about half the price. Very fast getting in and out. One example: Weight watchers fudge bars (ice cream) at grocery stores
about $6 for a box. Fit and Active fudge bars at Aldi's about $3. Of course I eat about 3 bars every night so it adds up. The people who thought up this kind of retailing were
about no frills and all business.

 

[tdrink]

Vasectomy.

That product saved me tons of money. It's been maintenance free so far and not showing any signs of needing replacement.

Granted it has gotten far less use than I was hoping for.

 

[8893]

Regarding blade vs. burr, it's simply particle size distribution. Blades chop, burrs grind. Thus with a blade you'll have much larger and jagged particles at the high end and usually more powdery fines than with a burr. As relates to the midpoint of particle sizes, the fines will be overextracted and bitter, the larger particles underextracted and sour. So if you have more of both, your brew will be more uneven.

Thank you. Do you use the Capresso Infinity you referenced? I'm checking reviews and seeing some concerns about durability with the plastic model, as well as about difficulty cleaning. I don't make espresso at home except for the occasional Bialetti, so I'm only concerned with grinding for use in my coffee maker. If I'm going to go with a burr grinder, I want to make sure that I appreciate the difference, and I also place a premium on durability and ease of use, so I'm willing to pay up for more on that front.

 

[storrsroars]

Thank you. Do you use the Capresso Infinity you referenced? I'm checking reviews and seeing some concerns about durability with the plastic model, as well as about difficulty cleaning. I don't make espresso at home except for the occasional Bialetti, so I'm only concerned with grinding for use in my coffee maker. If I'm going to go with a burr grinder, I want to make sure that I appreciate the difference, and I also place a premium on durability and ease of use, so I'm willing to pay up for more on that front.

The Infinity would be useless for espresso or Turkish, it's only for drip/press. Yes, I use it at home and have been for 3+ years. I don't take it apart to clean, I just wipe out the grounds chamber and hopper every so often. However, a can of compressed air will do a decent job of cleaning out loose grounds from the chute and around the burrs if you want to do that.

I had both a Baratza Encore and Virtuoso that I used both at home and at a farmer's market stand where I made 30-40 cups on Saturdays for 24 weeks/year. Neither Baratza lasted more than 1.5 years. That's somewhat an unfair comparison as I put the Baratzas through more rigorous use than the Capresso, but I'd have expected more life from the Baratzas than what I got. But the Baratzas were very good while they worked.

 

[Excalibur]

Just out of curiosity, do you have a 16" wide or 20" wide? I'm definitely interested but I'm not sure a full rack of baby backs will fit in a 16" wide smoker. Let me know.

I have the 16". You have to get creative to fit a full rack.

 

[8893]

The Infinity would be useless for espresso or Turkish, it's only for drip/press. Yes, I use it at home and have been for 3+ years. I don't take it apart to clean, I just wipe out the grounds chamber and hopper every so often. However, a can of compressed air will do a decent job of cleaning out loose grounds from the chute and around the burrs if you want to do that.

I had both a Baratza Encore and Virtuoso that I used both at home and at a farmer's market stand where I made 30-40 cups on Saturdays for 24 weeks/year. Neither Baratza lasted more than 1.5 years. That's somewhat an unfair comparison as I put the Baratzas through more rigorous use than the Capresso, but I'd have expected more life from the Baratzas than what I got. But the Baratzas were very good while they worked.

Thanks again. I decided to go with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Looks like Baratza is somewhat infamous for build quality issues, so your confirmation of the same scared me off Baratza. I already own three other Breville appliances and have been very impressed with their build quality, and this machine in particular appears to get good reviews on that and other bases. More expensive than the Infinity, but more features too. I also bought a Square Trade two-year extended warranty to be safe though. I'll report back with my experience.

 

[Deadrody]

Surprised @August_West didnt mention the Thermapen. Quick, accurate... No excuse to overlook anything again.

Most recipes over at seriouseats.com, in particular those by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt... I've learned a ton from his techniques.

Indeed. The Food Lab is must reading. I bought the book, too.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

May be placebo effect, may be the sugar but I have better workouts when I drink Clesius before. Supposedly it burns more calories too but idk.

 

[nomar]

I'm going to try that Shave Oil and I'll tell you if it works!

Not a product but I have a way to end the hiccups that has a 100% success rate, with a large sample size.

@Deepster

I can't believe it f------ works. But it does.

 

[intlzncster]

@Deepster

I can't believe it f------ works. But it does.

What about that hiccup thing?

 

[nomar]

What about that hiccup thing?

I thought nobody would ever ask.

Fold up a paper towel into a square. Place it over a glass full of water. Drink/suck the water--the entire glass of it--through the paper towel. Voila. 100% success rate. Doesn't even matter how drunk you are.

 

[JMick]

I thought nobody would ever ask.

Fold up a paper towel into a square. Place it over a glass full of water. Drink/suck the water--the entire glass of it--through the paper towel. Voila. 100% success rate. Doesn't even matter how drunk you are.

I also have an effective hiccups cure that is a similar concept, but no glass or paper towel necessary. Basically, take a really deep breathe and fill your lungs like you would from a cigarette/hookah/etc and then try to "push" the air down through your chest. Your abs muscles should be tensing. Hold it there until you can't hold your breathe anymore and then slowly let the air out like you're trying to make a smoke ring.

 

[Paesano]

I also have an effective hiccups cure that is a similar concept, but no glass or paper towel necessary. Basically, take a really deep breathe and fill your lungs like you would from a cigarette/hookah/etc and then try to "push" the air down through your chest. Your abs muscles should be tensing. Hold it there until you can't hold your breathe anymore and then slowly let the air out like you're trying to make a smoke ring.

That is what I do. Works every time.

 

[8893]

Thanks again. I decided to go with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. Looks like Baratza is somewhat infamous for build quality issues, so your confirmation of the same scared me off Baratza. I already own three other Breville appliances and have been very impressed with their build quality, and this machine in particular appears to get good reviews on that and other bases. More expensive than the Infinity, but more features too. I also bought a Square Trade two-year extended warranty to be safe though. I'll report back with my experience.

Day 2 with the new grinder and after some initial adjustments it is already resulting in a noticeably better cup of coffee. Thanks again for the info @storrsroars .