Here are the links to the previous posts about the 13 Days of Grinchmas my husband did for me this year.
It was really surprising, I didn’t expect ANYTHING like this. We’d talked about it a few times, and we’d decided that my Christmas was going to be this mod for my espresso machine.
A regular on a few coffee forums I frequent came up with it. In short, it helps you know exactly what temperature your water is, so you can brew the espresso at the right temperature without a lot of guess-work. (You can’t just up and brew it. The water needs to be at 200. This requires LOTS of running the machine to get water out, letting it sit… a LOT of patience for a cup of coffee, let me tell you!)
Unfortunately, a few weeks before we started this, Matt hit me with some bad news. He’d been emailing Eric, the guy who makes the mods, and he’d been told that he’d sold his last one for the year. We’d have to wait until maybe February to get one. Would that be okay?
Sigh. It sucks. I’ve wanted this mod for ages! But… it is what it is, and I was just happy the option was on the table at all, considering it’s not exactly cheap.
Of COURSE it was okay.
As the month went on, and in all the holiday rush, it really just slipped my mind. (Yes, as obsessed as we seem to be with espresso, this is possible. )
When will I learn, to not trust my husband? 😛
Day 4 came around, we did our random dance…. and I opened the present.
And stared at a bunch of little things in a ziplock bag.
…
What?!
Not helping matters, my husband asks me if I know what it is. It really was a loaded question.
No. I’m sleepy and grumpy. I do NOT know what it is. Really? It’s pieces….Not fair. Ask me when I’m awake.
Instead, I nodded really slowly. I really didn’t know what it was, though. About the time I was stammering that I *thought* I knew, I noticed a long, silver stem. Almost like a thermometer….
Holy crap.
It WAS a thermometer.
A thermometer that has been made to fit an espresso machine with an E61 grouphead. MY espresso machine.
Holy. Crap.
I about came unglued. I think I yelled at him, maybe even smacked him a bit. He told me we weren’t getting it! How unfair is that!? Sneaky Grinch!!
That boy has WAY too good of a poker face… I couldn’t believe he kept it from me!! (And, just a heads up, it’s installed, and I’m learning how to use it/work with the machine. It’s pretty fun!)
We didn’t try it immediately… I think at the time we were out of espresso, and possibly missing a tool we needed to install it. But, it was in by the weekend, and after backflushing (cleaning) the machine, we were good to go!)
The next day, hilariously enough, I opened the next present, and almost – almost got more excited than I did for the mod.
Inside, was a shiny new milk steaming pitcher, and a new thermometer.
The ones I have now, we bought very quickly, when we bought our first, very cheap, Wal-Mart espresso machine. They came in a kit, from Starbucks.
If you know me at all, you know my feelings on Starschmucks. It was way , way, WAY too ironic to be making drinks with their gear…. but it was what I was stuck with.
But now – NOT ANYMORE! I am free of the horrid psuedo-coffee-shop swag! Huzzah huzzah! 🙂
I actually haven’t used the new thermometer yet, we still have to calibrate it. (Fancy, right?) The pitcher works wonders though. I love it.
And no, sadly, I didn’t pitch the other pitcher/thermometer. Sensible me won out over emotional, Starbucks hating me. 😉
I figured I’d keep them around , just in case. We usually do soy or almond milk… and that way, if we have company who wants regular milk.. it’ll be easier.
Or, if we just have to make drinks for several people, it’ll be twice as easy with two pitchers. 🙂
This might have been my favorite couple of days out of the entire ordeal. Coffee gear, you really can’t go wrong! (Well, almost my favorite… I do have another day that tops it. But not by much. You’ll have to wait and see… )
Matt’s favorite day, I think.. .would have to be tomorrow. There was a certain present he’s been after me FOREVER to get for myself. I suppose, he just got sick of waiting… 😉 )
espresso fueled rambles... 