Are you still using outdated technology and love it?

Smiling Jane said:
Not impressed at all. I don't throw things away, but i'll be glad when both of them die so I can toss them.

I've usually got my Kindle fired up and it has the correct time. So does my microwave clock, and as I said I love my little battery-powered clock.
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I remember my old Big Ben wind-up clock, circa 1964. It had an alarm that would wake me up no matter how deeply I was sleeping. No fancy ring tones or MP3 tunes - just "BWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH". :livid:

It finally died one day in 1994 - 30 years after it was made. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
 
IKE said:
Phil I've got three used plastic Poly Perk's (like below) sitting in top of the hall closet collecting dust that are in great working order.....I'll send a couple to you "on my dime" if you want
them, just shoot me a PM or email me if you're interested.

View attachment 44341
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Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer.

But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed.

Something like this ...

perc02.jpg

... except I think the basket was all metal.
 

SifuPhil said:
Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer.

But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed.

Something like this ...

View attachment 44359

... except I think the basket was all metal.
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Those made great coffee because the water was really hot.
 
Smiling Jane said:
There are some of those Pyrex coffeepots around, Phil. I found several on Amazon and other sites, but they all seem to be over $100. I remember my parents had one when I was a kid but I don't know what happened to it. Dad seemed to like his coffee from a big stainless steel percolator.

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Pyre...d=1510063595&sr=8-4&keywords=pyrex+coffee+pot
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Whoa. Figures - anything I like ends up being expensive. I might have to settle for one of the metal ones, they seem to be more kindly priced.
 
SifuPhil said:
Whoa. Figures - anything I like ends up being expensive. I might have to settle for one of the metal ones, they seem to be more kindly priced.
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I don't know if you'll like percolated coffee like you did when you were a kid, Phil. I found an almost new perk at a thrift shop, cleaned it like mad even though it looked pristine, used Folger's, which I like ok and it was awful!

I too, was looking for that childhood experience of coffee perking through the house.

In fact, I read an article (forgot where) that stated the perked coffee of the 50's and 60's was the worst ever, not only the beans and roasting but percolation was the worst way to make it. After years of playing with coffee makers, IMHO the press is the best, or a slow drip.

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/41595/9-rules-for-how-to-make-a-perfect-cup-of-coffee/

Per #8. The water should be just less than boiling, preferably 200 degrees.



http://www.howtobrewcoffee.com/percolator.htm
This site says;
[h=2]"What do I need?[/h] A percolator and a heat source, coffee, water, and a complete lack of respect for the coffee bean."
 
RadishRose said:
I don't know if you'll like percolated coffee like you did when you were a kid, Phil. I found an almost new perk at a thrift shop, cleaned it like mad even though it looked pristine, used Folger's, which I like ok and it was awful!

I too, was looking for that childhood experience of coffee perking through the house.

In fact, I read an article (forgot where) that stated the perked coffee of the 50's and 60's was the worst ever, not only the beans and roasting but percolation was the worst way to make it. After years of playing with coffee makers, IMHO the press is the best, or a slow drip.

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/41595/9-rules-for-how-to-make-a-perfect-cup-of-coffee/

Per #8. The water should be just less than boiling, preferably 200 degrees.



http://www.howtobrewcoffee.com/percolator.htm
This site says;
"What do I need?

A percolator and a heat source, coffee, water, and a complete lack of respect for the coffee bean."
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LOL.

I'm far from being a coffee snob - when pressed, I've been known to reheat a cup of joe in the microwave after it has sat in the unheated pot for 3 days.

And I've also checked out quite a few websites that deal with "the art of making the perfect cup of coffee". Unfortunately, I don't have access to a coffee bean roaster and commercial-grade grinder to start off properly. :(

Maybe your experience with the perc was due to not using the old-school coffee? Maybe coupling poor beans with percs = success?

More likely, I'm just a bit hazy on my memories from 50 years ago. :stung:
 
SifuPhil said:
LOL.

I'm far from being a coffee snob - when pressed, I've been known to reheat a cup of joe in the microwave after it has sat in the unheated pot for 3 days.

And I've also checked out quite a few websites that deal with "the art of making the perfect cup of coffee". Unfortunately, I don't have access to a coffee bean roaster and commercial-grade grinder to start off properly. :(

Maybe your experience with the perc was due to not using the old-school coffee? Maybe coupling poor beans with percs = success?

More likely, I'm just a bit hazy on my memories from 50 years ago. :stung:
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LOL, heck, I'll even drink cold coffee. No, we're not going out buying roasters or anything but perking makes coffee bitter. You may be right though, the inferior beans they used back then might have been better when perked.:)
 
There's one other point in making coffe. The grind.

French press. Coarse
Automatic drip. Fine
Espresso Manual Drip. Extra fine

Brew Measure 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coffee for every 1 cup of fresh water.

Serve with 30 minutes of Brewing.

That's the instructions I have on 100% ARABICA Whole Bean coffee. I have a grinder but I have yet to get a cup of coffee that I considered 'good'.

One day I was at my sisters house and she gave me a coffee I really liked. I asked her what it was. Instant would you believe?

And then there is the cream which makes a huge difference in the taste. I do not use sugar.
 
Because I drink so much coffee, I don't use the recommended amount. You know those plastic scoops that used to come with a can of coffee? I use 2 scoops (sometimes 1[SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2)[/SUB] for a full pot of 12 cups. Not sure how the scoop measures up against a tablespoon, but I'm fairly certain that it is nowhere near being 24 tbsp.

Instant coffee can sometimes be surprisingly good. Just don't tell the coffee snobs I said so.

img2.thejournal.ie.jpg
 
When I was a kid my (Korean) mother simply cooked coffee in an uncovered pot on the stove.

First she boiled some water, probably about 3 cups or so, then took the pot off the stove and let it cool a bit before adding ground coffee - fine grind or course, depending on how long she planned to cook it. After adding the ground coffee, she put the pot back on the stove to brew over a low flame until a layer of thick foam formed on top. Then she took it off the heat, stirred in some spices, and let it sit til all the foam was gone. Then back to brew until there was another layer of foam. Off the flame again, and back on after the foam was gone. She repeated this a number of times depending on how strong she wanted the coffee to be. She stirred it gently and only occasionally so as not to stir the forming layer of foam back in. It would get pretty thick, and then she'd pour it into a coffee server (a ewer) with very hot water in it. I don't know how much hot water was in the server, or what temperature it was.

Anyway, that's how she made coffee for my Caucasian father, and he loved it.
 
Cap'nSacto said:
When I was a kid my (Korean) mother simply cooked coffee in an uncovered pot on the stove.

First she boiled some water, probably about 3 cups or so, then took the pot off the stove and let it cool a bit before adding ground coffee - fine grind or course, depending on how long she planned to cook it. After adding the ground coffee, she put the pot back on the stove to brew over a low flame until a layer of thick foam formed on top. Then she took it off the heat, stirred in some spices, and let it sit til all the foam was gone. Then back to brew until there was another layer of foam. Off the flame again, and back on after the foam was gone. She repeated this a number of times depending on how strong she wanted the coffee to be. She stirred it gently and only occasionally so as not to stir the forming layer of foam back in. It would get pretty thick, and then she'd pour it into a coffee server (a ewer) with very hot water in it. I don't know how much hot water was in the server, or what temperature it was.

Anyway, that's how she made coffee for my Caucasian father, and he loved it.
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That sounds almost like the Turkish coffee I had been served at a friend's home. Sometimes they put cardamom in it; delicious.
 
TVs ... got a 42" flat screen just a few months ago. Up until then I had a circa-1970's 26" RCA beast. Oddly enough, the commercials are still numerous and increasingly annoying.
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But Sifu, you gotta admit that the newer TV's offer one big improvement in dealing with annoying commercials - the remote control mute button!
 
I got a Keurig coffee maker, and I love it. It's so easy to use, no mess to clean up, etc. But admittedly, the old-fashioned perked kind of coffee tasted better. (Not enough to make me willing to go back to it, though.)
 
Sunny said:
But Sifu, you gotta admit that the newer TV's offer one big improvement in dealing with annoying commercials - the remote control mute button!
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Even better is when you use your TV for streaming and never see commercials. I was horrified when I was watching a movie on the new Roku movie channel and it paused for a commercial. I was outta there instantly, then I realized how spoiled I've become.
 
MaggieM said:
We still use one of those thermometers and we love it. We use it several times a day. It shows up temp inside as well as outside and humidity outside and the time. We don't live very close to a big city and the weather people are never right about what is happening in our town. I am pretty sure I would be lost without that little gadget !
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I have one of those. The battery in the remote dealie died so it's sitting on my counter corner of stuff that I'll get to... I mostly like it because it shows the humidity, and I know dry air feels colder in the winter and moist air feels warmer in summer. It tells me when to run the humidifier or dehumidifier.

I recently lost some even older tech; I had a thermometer that hung on the outside of a window, visible from inside the window. A storm knocked it down and broke it...
 
SifuPhil said:
Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer.

But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed.

Something like this ...

View attachment 44359

... except I think the basket was all metal.
Click to expand...

I still have one of those Pyrex pots; I keep it for when the power goes out. I also have an old "Chemex" pot from the '70s. (But our daily coffee is Keurig now. :D )
 
Falcon said:
SJ, If you want the exact time, Turn on your TV. Every time you change channels, look down at the lower right side of the screen
and there you'll see the exact time; EVERY time you chamge channels. Try it.
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Mine doesn't do that and it's only a year old. Perhaps it's your cable or satellite service that does that. I'm using an antenna.

As far as updated technology goes, I'm somewhat there. But doesn't bother me if I'm behind the curve on some items.
 
Old technology? In my tool box, I have a set of gap gauges for spark plugs, and "feeler" gauges for setting valves and contact "points". Haven't used either for a while, but I keep them just in case I gotta tune up my new Cadillac.

What? Oh, never mind..

My lovely new lady friend claims that I'm old technology but I'm still "fully functional"
 
Still using cell phone and not the advance smart phones. I have system for texting but have not used it and haven't texted ever. My computer will not update latest mass Windows 10 update and will just keep saying no when it pops up. I do not use computer for seeing TV or TV for seeing things on the computer. I don't have a laptop or other devices except a desktop computer. I guess except for old outdated other things, I am sure we still do.:D
 
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