Review: AeroPress coffee maker

So, this is really more of a long term review, of my favorite coffee making machine! It’s called the AeroPress (~$30 at Amazon), and if you think it’s basically a French Press…well you’re right…but looking at it the wrong way. Meaning…it’s more like an upside down French Press!

Here’s how it works. Stick a filter in the black cap part, screw that to the sleeve, add coffee, and set it on top of a cup. Add hot water…wait…then use the plunger to push the water out, into the cup. Similar to a French press so far, but now it’s time for cleanup…unscrew the black cap…the coffee grounds stay inside, just position over a compost container, push the plunger, and eject the coffee grounds into the compost. Rinse the parts, and enjoy your coffee! It’s quick, easy, and produces great tasting coffee.

Now, the filter…in the image here I’m stainless steel filter…this is an optional accessory I bought (<$15 at Amazon); the regular AeroPress comes with a few hundred disposable paper filters. Disposable is not my thing, so I opted for the reusable one (though I’m stuck with 350 paper filters that came with it…I’ll either use them up, or find some other use, I don’t want to just throw them away!).

Also note my picture has two AeroPresses…well, my original finally wore out (the clear one on the right), after over five years of heavy use. The plunger seal deteriorated and won’t hold pressure, so it makes it tough to push the coffee out…and since the pressure you apply can affect the flavor, it was time for a new one. The design hasn’t changed much…you can see they’re now using a tinted plastic (probably to hide coffee stains if you just rinse it instead of washing it), and the plunger doesn’t have the exterior ribs on it anymore so is a bit of a looser fit in the sleeve (with no noticeable impact on performance). Other than that, it’s the same.

Some people get pretty obsessed with technique…precisely measuring the coffee, or water temp, or even *inverting* the press during brewing. You can have a lot of fun with these, but they don’t require that level of obsession to produce great coffee!

If you’re looking for an unbreakable, convenient, easy to clean way of making coffee, get an AeroPress!

February 10, 2018

The health benefits of a plant-based diet

In 2017, I switched to a vegetarian diet…I admit I tried full vegan but found the occasional eggs and real cheese to be hard to give up. I’ll work my way towards 100% plant-based eventually…especially as I keep reading about the various health benefits of such a diet! If you’re curious, check out this link at Forks Over Knives, it’s a great, brief summary of the health reasons for choosing a plant-based diet. It’s really pretty crazy when so many ailments in our lives can be addressed with a simple change in diet…and yes, giving up meat really *is* simple! Well except for eggs and cheese. 😉 But if those can at least be minimized, your health will still benefit!

January 1, 2018

The problem with self-driving cars

Lately I’ve been pretty optimistic about self-driving cars…the technology seems to be maturing so quickly, I’ve been expecting them to become commonplace in a matter of years, not decades. A recent photo from Apple has me questioning that – and it’s not a problem unique to Apple, all self-driving automotive technology currently has this limitation.

Take a look at that picture, what do you see? An incredibly complex array of optical-based sensors. Some are lasers, some are cameras. All self-driving cars use something similar, at least based on what’s publicly known right now (GPS is also used, but it just provides approximate location, with no insight into obstacles on the road).

So. Optical sensors. What happens when the lenses get dirty? I used to live in CA so sure, out there they can stay clean for months. Or, as Apple recently announced, the technology can be improved to deal with some raindrops on the lens. But drivers in most of the country have an honest four seasons to deal with, and of course the worst is areas with snow. Not just for the snow that can accumulate on the lenses, but when that snow melts, the dirty airborne mist kicked up by other cars coats your own in a deep layer of muck.

The automotive industry has developed washers for headlights to partially address this problem, but those are imperfect…but maybe good enough for this application? Ideally, I think a true wiper-based solution is needed for each lens.

How will this be solved? I really don’t know…maybe improving the technology used to clean some car headlights. Until then, I do expect self-driving cars to become commonplace, but only in mild-climate urban areas.

December 10, 2017

EPA approves chlorpyrifos pesticide for use

The EPA’s own scientists found that ingesting even small amounts of the pesticide chlorpyrifos can interfere with brain development in fetuses and infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics urged that the chemical not be made for sale. Traces of it are already found in drinking water, and 87% of blood samples from umbilical cords had detectable levels. Dow (the manufacturer of this chemical) seemed to even acknowledge a risk when it stopped selling it for home use in 2000. The EPA had been pushing for a ban on this chemical, but after the EPA head (Scott Pruitt) met with Dow Chemical’s CEO, that position has been reversed, and the EPA has denied a petition to ban the chemical from being sprayed on food.

EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said that, the “EPA has concluded that the science addressing chlorpyrifos remains unresolved.” UNRESOLVED. To put that another way, they’re saying the science doesn’t show whether or not the chemical is safe…so they choose to APPROVE it for use on food? Wouldn’t you want to RESOLVE that science completely before subjecting people to this?!

The power of corporations over the American government seems to know no limits. Dow spent $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, gave $1 million to help with Trump’s inauguration celebration, and the Dow CEO was even photographed at Trump’s side at one of his infamous oval office signings.

June 28, 2017

Trump pulls US out of Paris agreement

Sadly, but not surprisingly, President Trump has announced his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Climate Accord. It’s not clear exactly when this can happen…if it’ll actually take the years that some people say (he said he’ll stick to the withdrawal process laid out in the agreement, which could take up to four years, but do you really believe what he says?). He says he wants to ‘renegotiate’ the agreement, something that the leaders of France, Germany, and Italy said was not possible (in a joint statement today). It doesn’t matter though…it sends a message to the world that the US will no longer be a global leader. Other countries will rise up to take that place and will prosper from that.

The NYTimes article linked to above is a good source for more information, as is this article at Wired.

June 1, 2017