There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
This is the best coffee maker on the planet, bar none. Been a coffee junkie all my life, used to spend 30-40 minutes to make a good cup. Then I bought a Technivorm. Oh, my... that's a cup of coffee. It was worth every penny when I paid full price and now you cheeky little buggers get a really sweet deal. If I hadn't been drinking superb coffee for the last month, I'd be jealous.
IMPORTANT tips for a great pot of coffee with this thing- -Pre-heat the carafe by filling it with hot (not boiling) water for 3-5 minutes before brewing. Keeps the coffee hot longer. I've noticed that when I used boiling water, the coffee continued to extract in the carafe and became slightly sour after about an hour. Just the hottest water from the tap will do the trick and keep the flavor better longer. -Use good coffee, freshly roasted (within 2 weeks of). Shouldn't even have to say this, but I do. When the coffee is hit with the hot water, you should see foam forming. That's a GOOD thing. Means fresh roasted beans. - Use ENOUGH coffee. It's probably gonna come as a shock, but most of you use far too little coffee and end up drinking weak sour crap. Use the chart below to figure out where to get the best amount of coffee for the brewer and your tastes. (chart courtesy of Specialty Coffee Association of America)
If you don't have one of these, buy one. Then go have a great cup of coffee.
It's different than espresso. To do that right at home costs an arm and a leg, plus takes a lot more practice to get right. This coffee maker is about as basic as you can get. No bells and whistles, just a big, accurate boiler with a basket for grounds to sit in and a place to put the water. It's one of those relatively high ticket items that I will never regret spending on.
Every few weeks, or when you notice a coffee oil buildup, use some Urnex Cafiza and a dedicated brush (I bought one for $3 on Amazon or Walmart or something, and I use it so infrequently it looks new still) and scrub out the basket and carafe as per the directions from Urnex. Every few months (I probably do it once a year if I'm honest) you should descale your machine. I use Urnex Dezcal. It's pretty simple and effective. You can even just brew it directly into the sink to make cleanup easy.
I have a fancy espresso machine that I haven't touched in years since I got this. I get that espresso is different than drip, but the convenience of drip combined with the quality that comes from a Technivorm (vs. Mr. Coffee, etc.) made espresso not make sense anymore with my time constraints (I'd rather sleep than wait for machines to warm, milk to cool, frothing, grouphead to warm etc.).
I also roast my own with a Behmore, and grind with a Nuova Simonelli mini burr grinder. If you use crap coffee, this coffee maker won't make it any better. Grind fresh, get freshly roasted coffee, and get a good brewer, in that order of importance.