Is it time for a new coffeemaker?  Why not lay it away?  Yeah you remember what layaway is don’t you?  Back before we all had credit cards it’s how my mom bought all of our Christmas presents.

In case you don’t know how it works –  basically, you go do all of your shopping as you normally would but you don’t take it to the normal check out lines.  Instead you go to the layaway counters and they take all of those goodies away from you!  Now now, calm down!  Here’s the think, you pay then a fraction now and they keep your items safe for you.    Then you keep making payments, every two weeks until your purchases are paid off, and they give them to you!  Simple eh?  Much nicer than a credit card.  Now there is a small fee to set it up (currently $5)  but you avoid interest fees (what are those now, like 20 some % anymore?).   You don’t have to hide your Christmas purchases for as long as, hey, they’re hiding them for you if you plan it just right (that’s how my mom always did it).

You can get yourself that new coffeemaker at the current sale price but pay it off over two months, or, ok fine… Buy the kids that must have Christmas toy.  Did they really earn it?

Want to learn more? Click here: Kmart Layaway for the Holidays

Recall — Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

Mr. Brown 3-In-1 & and 2-In-1 Powdered Packets in Bag Coffee Mixes Due To Health Risk

Contact:
Linda Chen
email: smc88@att.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 1, 2008 – Sunny Maid Corp. of Monterey Park, California is voluntarily recalling Mr. Brown 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 POWDERED PACKETS IN BAG COFFEE MIXES, because they are potentially contaminated with melamine.

The Mr. Brown 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 POWDERED PACKETS IN BAG COFFEE MIXES are sold in PLASTIC BAGS, each containing 30 individual packets.  Although seven flavors are available in Asia, ONLY THREE FLAVORS ARE IMPORTED INTO THE U.S.  The three flavors being recalled are:

1. Mr. Brown 3-in-1 POWDERED PACKETS IN BAG COFFEE MIX – Mandheling;
2. Mr. Brown 3-in-1 POWDERED PACKETS IN BAG COFFEE MIX – Arabica;
3. Mr. Brown 2-in-1 POWDERED PACKETS IN BAG COFFEE MIX – Mandheling.

** CANNED MR. BROWN COFFEE PRODUCTS ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. **

The recall was initiated after the manufacturer notified Sunny Maid that these 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 Coffee Mix products may contain melamine.  Although only certain lots are potentially contaminated, Sunny Maid is recalling all lots.  No illnesses associated with this product have been reported to date.

Product was distributed to the states of CA, FL, GA, IA, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NC, NM, NV, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WI to wholesale distributors and retail stores.

Consumers who purchased the product are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a refund.  Consumers with questions may email the company at smc88@att.net.

About 145,000 Kenmore coffeemakers have been recalled due to being fire and burn hazards.

This recall involves 12-cup Kenmore coffee makers sold in black, white, and red with the following model numbers: 100.80006 (black), 100.81006 (white), and 100.82006 (red). The recall also involves 12-cup Kenmore Elite coffee makers with thermal carafe (model number 100.90007) and 14-cup Kenmore Elite coffee makers (model number 100.90006). The model number can be found on the bottom of the unit. There is a Kenmore or Kenmore Elite logo on the front bottom of the maker.

Full details available here: here.

Since you can’t drink coffee ALL of the time… Okay, okay you can, but I don’t recommend it. Me? I’m fond of I dunno, stuff like the necessities like water too. Living in California means one has to also think of wine as well. And if wine is one of your addictions and you can pull yourself away from the coffee long enough then you might want to check out CA Wine Club. They offer a wide variety of wines, both red and white, many that you cannot find in stores. Delivered straight to your doorstep. Oh and they’re so sure you’ll love them that they have an offer to sweeten the deal — The first month is on them though you do, of course, pay shipping. Details can be found here. You’ve really got nothing to lose. You can cancel at any time. If you like them you can choose to have wines delivered monthly, every other month, or quarterly. They’ll also send you an issue of Uncorked Magazine and offer discounts of 50% on re-orders of your favorites. The club owners hand pick the wines — as in they visit the wineries, meet the owners, taste test them, and select only the best to sell to you. They guarantee 100% satisfaction.

I think if you need a break from your coffee, this might be the thing that will do it for you… well this and water! Don’t forget that too!

It’s official, buying the Toddy was a brilliant idea.  Yes it’s basically a piece of plastic, a glass jar, a cork, and a round filter.  But I stick some coffee and water in it and forget it for 12 hours and then I have a full container of coffee for the fridge — enough for the week.  Any kind of coffee!  I am in heaven.  It may not be a “machine” in the traditional sense of the word but it’s by far my favorite coffee machine now.  More so than my espresso machine or my Senseo and it doesn’t even take power!

Our locals Starbucks not only knows our names and orders but yesterday one of their employees announced, as we went to pay “It’s on me today, you guys are always in here”.  Awww they’re so good to us.  We are addicts.  Random acts of kindness rock. heh.

Try Gevalia Kaffe for $14.95
You get two 1/2 pound packages of coffee + a 12 cup coffee maker. And you’re not obligated to buy any thing further if not happy with them. All of the fine print is available when you click on the link.

Alternatively you can Get the coffee lovers kit

Much like the first offer but a few dollars more and also gets you a stainless steel carafe and travel mug.

I admit it.  I liked the N.O. Brew iced coffee extract, but the thought of having to order coffee online every week or two or buying it in bulk online = not so appealing.  The coffee extract I’ve found locally is expensive.  So I searched online.  Of course I could cold brew at home (DUH) instead of making one cup of hot coffee in my Senseo machine and putting it over ice or worse, making a lot of individual cups then and then refrigerating them.  Now I could rig something up myself but I’m not so handy in the kitchen.  There are two home cold brewing options on the market:

and

Honestly?  I wanted the Filtron.  It seems to be older — “the original”, they make a commercial cold brewer.  Their carafe is plastic and having MS and sometimes being unsteady = less chance of breaking that.  The Toddy seems more well known as it’s sold in Seattle’s Best stores, but has a glass carafe.   It’s also cheaper and had shipping that was less than half of the Filtron.  I just couldn’t justify the added expense right now so I went with Toddy for now.  I’m hoping it will sit / fit over a plastic container I have already or I can find ones that will fit with it.

If you like iced coffee, as I do, either of these could be a nice way to make it at home.  I’ve always just brewed up hot coffee at home and refrigerated it.  It’s a pain in the butt.  Not that cold brewing won’t be — you’ll have to brew it for about 12 hours and then refrigerate it.  But it stays in the fridge for 3 weeks or so.  It can also be frozen for a few months.

Serving suggestions for iced = also freeze up some in ice cube trays, limiting that watered down coffee taste if you drink it slow or if you live someplace hot where the ice melts fast.

Of course you can rig something up with a jar and a sieve, but I’m not that brave and I’d probably make a mess of it.

Ohh and if you have a sensitive tummy but love coffee? This gets rid of the acidic flavors. So, it might not be for the die hard coffee drinkers who like that part. But I’ve had regular iced coffees and ones made with extracts / cold brewed both.. And I love it made this way.

In Malaysia as many as 9 coffee brands have been pulled from shelves when it was found they had dangerous chemicals in them — chemicals used to treat erectile dysfunction… I suppose that sound *cough* harmless enough except that if taken daily they have side effects and even cause death.  I bet some guys are still not giving up said coffee if they have it in their houses.   Story here.