Domesticities: microwave oven, coffee maker.

My brother just got a fancy new stainless steel convection/grill/combination microwave oven to replace our old one that broke down some weeks ago. Good thing, too: it's really been a hassle, suddenly not having a microwave oven when everyone's already gotten used to the convenience of heating leftovers and various food items. Especially handy in a largish household where, more often than not, more food than can be eaten in one sitting is prepared.

It's a little intimidating after our slightly stained white plastic microwave oven, with its shiny steely professional look. It can bake your cakes! It can roast your meats! It can probably do quite a number on your poodle(s), too! Okay, what the heck am I doing blogging about our new microwave oven? Seriously, though, I hope the household cooks (i.e., mom and eldest brother) take advantage of the various capabilities of this thing. Roasted birds and various mammal meats sure do sound tasty.

In the same vein, I recently got an Aeropress, having found out about it when I was looking through ebay for espresso pots. It's been single-handedly responsible for increasing my coffee consumption because (a) it makes pretty good concentrated coffee (which some people call espresso; meanwhile coffee purists cringe) that dilutes nicely into a regular cup and also mixes well with milk for a great homemade "latte", and (b) it's so fun and easy to clean. 

The Aeropress is basically constructed like a big syringe, except where the needle would normally go, there's a detachable cap with holes in it that also holds a paper filter. To make coffee, you remove the plunger, put the cap on the main chamber, and set that on top of your mug. Put the grounds in the chamber, pour hot water in, stir for a few seconds, then put the plunger back in and push the water through the coffee, through the filter, into your mug. This whole process takes maybe thirty seconds to a minute. While this part is already fun, the real fun part is removing the cap and filter and ejecting the compacted puck of used grounds into the trash! It's quite satisfying. (So satisfying, in fact, that I had to explain the whole process just so I could talk about clean up.)

This brewing method is not without its drawbacks, of course. First off, it uses up more coffee than other methods - the included scoop is larger than average. Secondly, the resulting brew may be too "clean" so as to be perceived "bland" by some people who prefer otherwise. Personally, I like it better than the results from my French press which usually include a fair amount of sediment that makes it through the metal mesh. Third, the thing itself looks exactly like a big fat syringe. No style at all. And fourth, well, it doesn't really make espresso, as you'd need higher pressures for that, although I'm not personally acquainted with the exact definition, psi requirements, etc. 

Overall, though, I'm plenty satisfied with it. It's convenient, cleanup is fun, made of durable plastic, makes good concentrated filtered coffee. As I speak I'm feeling the effects of the second double-cup of the day, which I finished drinking maybe an hour ago. Maybe not such a good idea.

All this domestic (well, sort of) talk makes me want to have a house (kitchen) of my own to putter around in. I may be graduating soon, but I don't think I'll be able to move out in the foreseeable future. Sigh.