Saturday, March 28, 2009

Get a grip


Mug: An interesting new acquisition: An 8 oz. Bodum double-walled ceramic coffee "cup" (well, Starbucks by Aida is what it says on the bottom, but it's identicle to the Bodum mugs that Starbucks was selling a few months ago... Aida is probably a Bodum subsidiary). I put the word cup in parenthesis because it has no handles.

Coffee: Organic arabica beans from Guatemala. Sourced from Newflower Farmers Market. Inexpensive, relatively ($7 lb.), but seems a little less fresh (rolled-off flavors) compared to my normal sources. Tried their Colombian, and had a similar reaction. Not bad, just not quite as fresh tasting. But at $7 a pound, as compared to my preferred neighborhood roaster's $12 a pound, I may get use to this during the deepening recession and my imminent part-time employment (in 18 months). Shiner Blonde instead of Weihenstephaner Original, too. ;-)

Notes: The cup is designed to keep the coffee warmer with it''s double-walled construction, while the exterior remains cool to the touch, and therefore has no need of a handle. Good tactile experience (you can't beat ceramics to the lips). The ergonomic design is good, with the cup's "waist" providing a good grip.

3 comments:

Ed W said...

I'm going to send you some of my own mugshots. The one I use everyday is an old Coleman double-walled stainless mug made for camping. I put a single cup Melitta coffee maker on top of it and heat water in another mug shaped like a Mason jar with a handle. I have a simple grinder in the tool box along with at least 3 different types of coffee.

I've used a Nissan French press at work too, but it's awkward to clean. I'd really like to get one of the hand-held espresso makers, and if the Examiner stuff takes off, I might use the money for yet another machine. Oh joy!

Here at home, it's another Melitta device, a moka pot for the stove, and a 12 cup drip maker for company.

PM Summer said...

I've got an OXO double-walled stainless mug that I like quite a bit. I'm itching for a Snow-Peak double-walled titanium mug. I gotta have SOMETHING made out of titanium, don't I?

That glass "mason jar" mug... do the lid threads run counter-clockwise?

Ed W said...

The Mason jars aren't actually threaded, and that's probably to prevent people from using them for canning. That, and they don't allow a dribble to leak down your chin like a real Mason jar does when they're used for beer glasses in a low-life bar - not that I'd know anything about that, of course.