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Thursday, October 27, 2011

New isn't always better

I'm not much of a coffee drinker in warm months, of which there are many in Texas. However, when the weather turns cool, I crave the comfort of a nice big cupful to start the day. And then several more before the day is over.

For years I've quested after the perfect coffeemaker. I can't tell you how many I've tried. I've been drinking Gevalia coffee for 15 years or more, so of course I've used their free coffeemaker. I've gone through countless other types, including the one that grinds the beans for you and takes up half the counterspace in your kitchen. Lately I've toyed with the idea of buying a Keurig.

Then it came to me. If an old-fashioned electric percolator was good enough for my mother and her friends Mary Ann, Ruby, Helen, Nellie and Adrienne, why not give one a try? I found an 8-cup Farberware (superfast and fully automatic, it promised) on eBay for less than $10. The seller said she had found it in her parents' attic and guaranteed that it was spotlessly clean, inside and out.

I won the auction, and when the pot arrived, I saw that she had been 100% accurate in her description. Not a coffee stain to be found. I'm guessing it was a gift that was rarely, if ever, used. This model can still be purchased today for around $50-60, so I don't know how old mine is...but it was undoubtedly a bargain.

I've been waiting since our record-breaking heat wave this summer for the weather to get cool enough for coffee to sound good, and today was the day. A cold front came in and the temperature plummeted from the 80s to the 40s. I rolled out the Gevalia, the filters and the Fiestaware sugar packet holder, filled the pot with water, plugged it in and let 'er rip.

Almost instantly the familiar gurgling sound from my childhood started, sweetly different from the sound a Mr. Coffee makes. And sure enough, superfast, I had a pot of the most delicious coffee I've ever made. As I sipped my first cup from a vintage Corning Glas-Snap like my mother used for bridge parties and coffee klatsches, I could almost hear Mom and "the girls" chatting and laughing.

Just like Mom used to make, Corning Glas-Snap cup and all
(for hot or cold beverages)
Farberware coffee pot, Corning Glas-Snap cup
and assorted Russel Wright and Fiestaware pieces
Superfast and Fully Automatic...really

16 comments:

  1. I can smell the coffee perking! Love the pyrex cups (have some kinda like that) they are just so much snappier than mugs.

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  2. What a great find! So nice it was as-listed. Now I'm craving a warm drink, too, because I GUARANTEE it is colder here. Lol.

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  3. I love my coffee percolator! They make great coffee & are certainly better looking than a Keurig. lol

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  4. @DearHelenHartman: Another thing I love about these cups is that they eliminate the need for coasters. When you're as committed to laziness as I am, every step counts. :)

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  5. @Tanya: Yes, I could almost hear you chortle when I said "cold." ;)

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  6. @Jessica LeAnne: It's sad that most people have come to accept big, boxy and ugly when they could have sleek, suave and pretty. Most products today just don't have the style that mid-century things did.

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  7. i've been needing a Coffee Pot for the Casablanca... Hmmm might have to look into this one!

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  8. As a coffee drinker, I'd like to congratulate you for this find! Love the the Corning glas-snap cup too, wow.

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  9. Hey Dana. You watching the game tonight? Go Cards! :P

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  10. @I dream lo-tech: The cups are the best! You can usually find them on eBay and Etsy at reasonable prices.

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  11. @nick: You're asking the most sports challenged person on earth. I didn't even know which teams were playing (OK, I actually didn't even know the World Series was going on) till a friend called and asked me if I was watching the game. I ignore football too. I never know who's playing in the Super Bowl until I get to the party. LOL

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  12. Those cups are cool. Where did you get those??? :P

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  13. @joeegg007: Funny you should ask. We'll be having some soon in our Etsy store. :)

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  14. Love that coffee maker. Our modern one is starting to go (it turned itself off in the middle of brewing today). I'm thinking one like that might be a good option. (I did just buy a 40 cup Rival with space-age teak legs, but we don't drink that much coffee, tho it seems like it sometimes!)

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  15. @SusieQT: I saw a 12-cup model on eBay today for $8.99, and it looks very clean.

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