The road to closing the purchase on the house was a little bumpy, but it closed on time and I am now a first-time house owner.
The advice that a good house inspector is worth a little extra money was definitely true in my case. During my initial inspection he noted that the sellers, concentrating on building the new house next door, removed my sewer access. This really annoyed my house inspector because it's not legal. After several calls between the real estate agents and sellers, I was told they were planning on putting a brand new sewer line in for me as part of the build for the new neighboring house. To make up for our trouble, the sellers offered to insulate my attic and accepted almost everything on my 10 item contingency (to do before closing) list. I was happy with that.
For the re-inspection, I decided to have the house inspector come back because I didn't have the experience to tell whether some of the items on my contingency list were done properly. One of them was the sewer. My real estate agent didn't think it was necessary for me to pay the extra $50 for a sewer scope (where they feed a camera into the pipes to see the inside) since the sellers were putting in a brand new line. The inspector recommended otherwise. I took the inspector's advice, and it turned out to be $50 very well spent.
While scoping the new sewer line, the inspector found a break between the new PVC sewer pipes and a foot long section of old clay pipe (Video of the sewer-scope with the breakage at approximately 2 minutes). Basically, my sewer was not connected to the city's sewer line and was seeping into the ground. My inspector tracked this seepage to between the sidewalk and foundation of the neighboring new construction.
One call from my agent and the seller's real estate agent was out to the house immediately to see the problem for himself. He said it would be fixed ASAP. If I hadn't paid the $50 for the sewer scope, it could have cost me $10,000 or more to fix this problem and the neighbors would have literally been in deep doo doo.
The sewer connection was fixed the next day and the sewer contractor proved it to me by doing a sewer scope while I watched. I saw all new PVC piping to the street and no obvious breaks in the line. The sewer contractor said that the 'breakage' was caused by soil shifting when the new foundation was placed on top of the pipe and the new connection now has more tolerance and shouldn't fail if the soil shifts.
Since there is a one year warranty on the sewer work, my real estate agent suggested that I talk with the new neighbors and have another sewer scope within a year after the house is built and soil has settled a bit. It's a good suggestion that I'll be sure to do.
My first big house-owner lesson: spending a little money and time now can save you money and grief later.
P.S. My home inspector was Hartman Home Inspections. He's a little more expensive, but his work paid for itself 20x over.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
On towards the adventure of home ownership
The combination of hearing that my job would be stable (for at least the next year), my father prodding me to buy a home because of the low interest rates right now, and an e-mail from my real estate agent, got me back into the house hunting game. I've been looking at places for the past few months with the focus of buying a place that is relatively easy to maintain so that I could rent it out if necessary.
The places for sale were really limited this past Spring. I don't blame people for not wanting to sell their homes in this real estate climate. I saw a few townhomes that mainly didn't appeal to me because their bedrooms were too small for my primary requirement-- be large enough to hold a bed and a dresser. Almost all of the newer homes are obviously built for profit and not for the person/people who will live in them.
However, I did end up finding three different places that I liked enough to consider placing an offer on them. As a little game (a la the t.v. show House Hunters), I'll present you with my three most promising homes before I reveal which I ended up placing an offer on. All of the places essentially have 3 bedrooms and are in neighborhoods with a reasonable amount of street parking for guests.
1. This townhouse was built in 2005 in a charming bungalow style in a neighborhood close to where I lived as a graduate student and two blocks from where I currently live. This neighborhood contains a large park on Lake Washington, a biking/running path running through it, and is very safe and quiet. The townhouse is 1346 sq. ft., has 2 upstairs bedrooms and 1 downstairs bedroom, a 1 car garage, and was priced $100K below the maximum of my price range. It had a large open first floor with very nice appliances and finishes. Both the bedrooms on the second floor had ceiling fans and funky multi-angled vaulted ceilings and a small footprint. The master bedroom could fit a queen sized bed and dresser, but not much else. The second upstairs bedroom was big enough to fit a full sized bed and nightstand. Though there is no private yard, the complex has lots of grass between the buildings that are common space. The main downside of this place was the sizable monthly homeowners dues which are considered a negative towards resale value in Seattle.
2. This townhouse was built in a generic current-day style in 2009 within walking distance from #1, except it is a little further away from work. This place is across the street from Lake Washington and has an amazing direct view of the water. It is approximately 1800 sq. ft. It also has an open floor plan and is decked out with a high-end kitchen and high-tech features like a security camera at the front entrance. It has a whirlpool tub off the master bedroom, lots of closet space, and a 2 car garage. It costs $50K below the maximum of my price range. The downsides of this place are that it is currently being rented and will not be available for a few months, and it is on a busy (and noisy) street. Also, access to the driveway is tricky because it can only be accessed (essentially) from one direction so homeowners have to make u-turns on a busy road to get home.
3. This house was built in 1911 in a very popular Seattle neighborhood about 1 km away from Green Lake--an extremely popular running and biking area. It is within walking distance of Whole Foods, Starbucks, and other local restaurants and shops, and is closer to work than my current apartment. It is approximately 2500 sq. ft. with a patio and deck for the yard, and has been renovated so many times over the years that it has lost most of the original 1911 features except for the fireplace. The many renovations have updated the floorplan so that the main floor is more like a 1970's ranch house. It has new modern fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom and everything appears to be in good working condition. It also has a new roof and siding. It is essentially move-in ready. It has a driveway large enough for 2 cars but no garage (the original garage was converted to an entryway/basement/bedroom in one of the previous renovations). The main downsides of this place are that it doesn't have a garage, each of the bedrooms are on a separate floor of the house, and it is priced at the super absolute maximum of my price range.
Based on these descriptions, can you guess which home I placed an offer on and am now in the process of closing on?
I saw many more places than those described above, and liked the three places described above, but ended up putting an offer on the Green Lake House. Honestly, I liked #2 the best but had many issues with the sellers' real estate agent. He ended up being a swarmy agent who lies to and screws clients if it serves his best interests.
On the other hand, the Green Lake House is (in real estate terms) a great value. In 2007, it sold for $150K more than I will be paying for it. The current owners wanted to sell quickly to finance the building of their next house which will be next door from this house. The story is, the owners bought this place for the land. It was one of those old houses that came with a very large yard. They split the property in half and sold off the house with half the land to me, and are building a McMansion on the remaining land. Yup, I'm going to be partially responsible for financing a modern McMansion in a historically older neighborhood.
To compensate for some of this bad architectural/cultural karma, I would like to restore some of the period detail. But first things first, I need to close on this house before I can call it mine.
The places for sale were really limited this past Spring. I don't blame people for not wanting to sell their homes in this real estate climate. I saw a few townhomes that mainly didn't appeal to me because their bedrooms were too small for my primary requirement-- be large enough to hold a bed and a dresser. Almost all of the newer homes are obviously built for profit and not for the person/people who will live in them.
However, I did end up finding three different places that I liked enough to consider placing an offer on them. As a little game (a la the t.v. show House Hunters), I'll present you with my three most promising homes before I reveal which I ended up placing an offer on. All of the places essentially have 3 bedrooms and are in neighborhoods with a reasonable amount of street parking for guests.
1. This townhouse was built in 2005 in a charming bungalow style in a neighborhood close to where I lived as a graduate student and two blocks from where I currently live. This neighborhood contains a large park on Lake Washington, a biking/running path running through it, and is very safe and quiet. The townhouse is 1346 sq. ft., has 2 upstairs bedrooms and 1 downstairs bedroom, a 1 car garage, and was priced $100K below the maximum of my price range. It had a large open first floor with very nice appliances and finishes. Both the bedrooms on the second floor had ceiling fans and funky multi-angled vaulted ceilings and a small footprint. The master bedroom could fit a queen sized bed and dresser, but not much else. The second upstairs bedroom was big enough to fit a full sized bed and nightstand. Though there is no private yard, the complex has lots of grass between the buildings that are common space. The main downside of this place was the sizable monthly homeowners dues which are considered a negative towards resale value in Seattle.
2. This townhouse was built in a generic current-day style in 2009 within walking distance from #1, except it is a little further away from work. This place is across the street from Lake Washington and has an amazing direct view of the water. It is approximately 1800 sq. ft. It also has an open floor plan and is decked out with a high-end kitchen and high-tech features like a security camera at the front entrance. It has a whirlpool tub off the master bedroom, lots of closet space, and a 2 car garage. It costs $50K below the maximum of my price range. The downsides of this place are that it is currently being rented and will not be available for a few months, and it is on a busy (and noisy) street. Also, access to the driveway is tricky because it can only be accessed (essentially) from one direction so homeowners have to make u-turns on a busy road to get home.
3. This house was built in 1911 in a very popular Seattle neighborhood about 1 km away from Green Lake--an extremely popular running and biking area. It is within walking distance of Whole Foods, Starbucks, and other local restaurants and shops, and is closer to work than my current apartment. It is approximately 2500 sq. ft. with a patio and deck for the yard, and has been renovated so many times over the years that it has lost most of the original 1911 features except for the fireplace. The many renovations have updated the floorplan so that the main floor is more like a 1970's ranch house. It has new modern fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom and everything appears to be in good working condition. It also has a new roof and siding. It is essentially move-in ready. It has a driveway large enough for 2 cars but no garage (the original garage was converted to an entryway/basement/bedroom in one of the previous renovations). The main downsides of this place are that it doesn't have a garage, each of the bedrooms are on a separate floor of the house, and it is priced at the super absolute maximum of my price range.
Based on these descriptions, can you guess which home I placed an offer on and am now in the process of closing on?
I saw many more places than those described above, and liked the three places described above, but ended up putting an offer on the Green Lake House. Honestly, I liked #2 the best but had many issues with the sellers' real estate agent. He ended up being a swarmy agent who lies to and screws clients if it serves his best interests.
On the other hand, the Green Lake House is (in real estate terms) a great value. In 2007, it sold for $150K more than I will be paying for it. The current owners wanted to sell quickly to finance the building of their next house which will be next door from this house. The story is, the owners bought this place for the land. It was one of those old houses that came with a very large yard. They split the property in half and sold off the house with half the land to me, and are building a McMansion on the remaining land. Yup, I'm going to be partially responsible for financing a modern McMansion in a historically older neighborhood.
To compensate for some of this bad architectural/cultural karma, I would like to restore some of the period detail. But first things first, I need to close on this house before I can call it mine.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Long Year and the Whidbey Island Half-Marathon
A year ago in the first week of April I had an interview with a company in Connecticut, and the 3 months afterwards were a series of interviews in multiple cities around the U.S. with the Great Wall half-marathon trip thrown into the mix. This was followed by a move from L.A. to Seattle, the purchase of my new employer by a larger pharmaceutical company, moves from one temporary housing to another, and the final decision to keep the scientists (of which I am one) in the company.
A year later, the dust is settling. I flew so much last year that I earned premier status with United Airlines. I moved so much that I got an e-mail about my 'Time Magazine' subscription... and I can't remember which address that subscription was sent to (I've had 5 addresses since July, 2010). And the workplace was such a roller-coaster that I didn't buy a sofa until last month-- after I had received a formal letter of continued employment.
Needless to say, I ran when I could, but didn't really train for any of the races that I did this year. The San Francisco Half wasn't too much of a stretch since it had only been about two months since the Great Wall race. For the Surf City Half in February, I specifically planned a few long runs in December and January to make sure I could make the cut-off time to get my 'California Dreaming' jacket and medal but didn't push myself too much. After that race, I started to slack on my running... a lot.
I was back to rock climbing, I had gotten tired of running in the cold rain or on treadmills, my allergies had kicked in and the medication made me sleepy, and I had just plain gotten lazy.
There was a yearning to feel normalcy when I signed up for the Whidbey Island Half Marathon the Tuesday before the race. They advertised the Whidbey Island Marathon as being on the Lonely Planet's top ten marathons to travel for list (it's #10). I figured that I hadn't done a local long-distance race (not counting the Seattle Turkey Trot) and this race would be worth checking-out.
The longest that I had run in March was 3 miles, so I was realistic enough to understand that I was not going to PR and this race was probably going to hurt a bit. This was a race where I depended on my experience rather than my physical conditioning.
I drove up to Whidbey Island (about 2 hours from Seattle) on Saturday for the race packet pick-up and stayed overnight at a place in Coupeville that was advertised as a B&B but which was actually a Bedroom without the Breakfast (or as my brother put it, a really expensive hostel). I walked to the Coupeville waterfront and looked in almost all of the shops-- which took about an hour, then went back to the B&B and got ready for the race the next morning.
The evening before the race, the wind was howling and I could hear the rain outside. I was worried that I had signed myself up for a miserable 13-mile run. But once I got to the race start, there was no rain. It was very windy and very cold, but it was not raining.
The Whidbey Island Marathon starts on the north part of the island and runs through the forests of Deception Pass before meeting up with the Half-Marathon which started at the Oak Harbor Junior High School. The drive through that area the day before was beautiful with the forests and views of Puget Sound-- though it was very hilly and not an easy marathon course. The Half-Marathon started in the middle of the town of Oak Harbor and ran through the neighborhoods before winding through forests and wetlands back towards town, then out again towards the pastoral farmlands to the turn-around at the painted-green house and mooing cheers from the resident Guernsey cows. It was very cold and very windy throughout the race. People (not just runners) were shivering at the finish line. My hands were red, the hands of the woman who sat next to me on the parking shuttle were blue.
If the sun had come out and the sky had cleared, the views on this course would have been beyond amazing. There were points where, on a clear day, a runner would have been able to see the Olympics on their right and the Cascades on their left with water and luscious green farmland in between. Unfortunately that wasn't the case this year.
One of my favorite parts of this race was how friendly and genuinely nice everybody was. The volunteers were nice, the community came out to cheer on the runners and were genuinely nice, and the runners themselves were friendly and nice. At the race start, the announcer had to ask people to please fill in the front because nobody wanted to proclaim themselves one of the faster runners. There was no elbowing or jockeying for position. And most amazingly, people actually threw their water cups and trash into the trash can along the course! I didn't have to worry about tripping or slipping on water cups or gel-wrappers. The runners didn't litter.
The real pay-off was the happy feeling I had when I was sitting in my car on the ferry back to Seattle. I had been missing the feeling of calm and accomplishment from running long distance.
Is the Whidbey Island Marathon worthy of being one of the top-ten travel races in the world? I'm not sure. It's a great race, and I plan on doing it again next year, but is it like running the Great Wall of China or through the Easter Island Moai?
As for me, this race officially brought me back. I'm now getting back to training. I'm planning for my next race to be the North Olympic Discovery Half-Marathon. It was recommended by a fellow runner during the Whidbey Island race, and by a co-worker. Then after that, I'll pick a fall marathon so I get at least one 26.2 mile race in the 2011 record books.
A year later, the dust is settling. I flew so much last year that I earned premier status with United Airlines. I moved so much that I got an e-mail about my 'Time Magazine' subscription... and I can't remember which address that subscription was sent to (I've had 5 addresses since July, 2010). And the workplace was such a roller-coaster that I didn't buy a sofa until last month-- after I had received a formal letter of continued employment.
Needless to say, I ran when I could, but didn't really train for any of the races that I did this year. The San Francisco Half wasn't too much of a stretch since it had only been about two months since the Great Wall race. For the Surf City Half in February, I specifically planned a few long runs in December and January to make sure I could make the cut-off time to get my 'California Dreaming' jacket and medal but didn't push myself too much. After that race, I started to slack on my running... a lot.
I was back to rock climbing, I had gotten tired of running in the cold rain or on treadmills, my allergies had kicked in and the medication made me sleepy, and I had just plain gotten lazy.
There was a yearning to feel normalcy when I signed up for the Whidbey Island Half Marathon the Tuesday before the race. They advertised the Whidbey Island Marathon as being on the Lonely Planet's top ten marathons to travel for list (it's #10). I figured that I hadn't done a local long-distance race (not counting the Seattle Turkey Trot) and this race would be worth checking-out.
The longest that I had run in March was 3 miles, so I was realistic enough to understand that I was not going to PR and this race was probably going to hurt a bit. This was a race where I depended on my experience rather than my physical conditioning.
I drove up to Whidbey Island (about 2 hours from Seattle) on Saturday for the race packet pick-up and stayed overnight at a place in Coupeville that was advertised as a B&B but which was actually a Bedroom without the Breakfast (or as my brother put it, a really expensive hostel). I walked to the Coupeville waterfront and looked in almost all of the shops-- which took about an hour, then went back to the B&B and got ready for the race the next morning.
The evening before the race, the wind was howling and I could hear the rain outside. I was worried that I had signed myself up for a miserable 13-mile run. But once I got to the race start, there was no rain. It was very windy and very cold, but it was not raining.
The Whidbey Island Marathon starts on the north part of the island and runs through the forests of Deception Pass before meeting up with the Half-Marathon which started at the Oak Harbor Junior High School. The drive through that area the day before was beautiful with the forests and views of Puget Sound-- though it was very hilly and not an easy marathon course. The Half-Marathon started in the middle of the town of Oak Harbor and ran through the neighborhoods before winding through forests and wetlands back towards town, then out again towards the pastoral farmlands to the turn-around at the painted-green house and mooing cheers from the resident Guernsey cows. It was very cold and very windy throughout the race. People (not just runners) were shivering at the finish line. My hands were red, the hands of the woman who sat next to me on the parking shuttle were blue.
If the sun had come out and the sky had cleared, the views on this course would have been beyond amazing. There were points where, on a clear day, a runner would have been able to see the Olympics on their right and the Cascades on their left with water and luscious green farmland in between. Unfortunately that wasn't the case this year.
One of my favorite parts of this race was how friendly and genuinely nice everybody was. The volunteers were nice, the community came out to cheer on the runners and were genuinely nice, and the runners themselves were friendly and nice. At the race start, the announcer had to ask people to please fill in the front because nobody wanted to proclaim themselves one of the faster runners. There was no elbowing or jockeying for position. And most amazingly, people actually threw their water cups and trash into the trash can along the course! I didn't have to worry about tripping or slipping on water cups or gel-wrappers. The runners didn't litter.
The real pay-off was the happy feeling I had when I was sitting in my car on the ferry back to Seattle. I had been missing the feeling of calm and accomplishment from running long distance.
Is the Whidbey Island Marathon worthy of being one of the top-ten travel races in the world? I'm not sure. It's a great race, and I plan on doing it again next year, but is it like running the Great Wall of China or through the Easter Island Moai?
As for me, this race officially brought me back. I'm now getting back to training. I'm planning for my next race to be the North Olympic Discovery Half-Marathon. It was recommended by a fellow runner during the Whidbey Island race, and by a co-worker. Then after that, I'll pick a fall marathon so I get at least one 26.2 mile race in the 2011 record books.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Making Coffee in Seattle
I wasn't really a coffee drinker when I lived in Seattle for grad school. Then I moved to L.A. where the 'best' coffee around was at Starbucks, and I rarely drank that. After moving back to Seattle a few months ago, I stopped at a coffee shop on my way to work (Zoka's on Fairview) and had one of the most beautiful cups of coffee in my memory. I've been sampling the occasional cup of specialty coffee at the various coffee shops, coffee bars, and coffee shacks around town ever since.
For Christmas, I was given ground coffee by multiple non-Seattle dwelling friends. I had never really spent that much time making coffee at home, even though I own a lot of coffee making paraphernalia. One of these friends was telling me about the fancy Italian espresso maker he got over Christmas, and it made me think, "Hmmm, can I make a good cup of coffee at home without the fancy machine?" So, I've experimented over the past few months with a couple of coffee making methods and materials to see if I can make a decent cup of mocha espresso without fancy equipment. Why mocha espresso? Because I had to start somewhere, and I like mocha espresso.
My base recipe for mocha espresso was as follows:
1. Brew espresso coffee.
2. Mix coffee and chocolate.
3. Taste.
Not too complex, huh?
Best brew recipe so far:
1. Make coffee in a stovetop espresso pot with distilled water.
2. Place 1 Kinder Milk Chocolate bar (second best is 3-4 Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Meltaway) in the cup and pour the coffee over it.
3. Mix thoroughly and Enjoy!
If you're interested in the nitty gritty of my experimentation, or just feel like wasting a few minutes, read on for the details.
----------------
Disclaimer: This is not a rigorous scientific study. This is me, messing around in my kitchen in the morning. These are my observations, and if you try these methods and get different results, then feel free to post your observations. I have no known commercial interests in any of the companies providing these products.
METHODS:
Coffee
I first set out to brew a decent espresso coffee. Only one type of coffee was used for these experiments: Illy Dark Roast for Drip Coffeemakers. I'll experiment with other grinds in the future.
Brewing Equipment
I've tried the following brewing methods so far: Drip Coffee, French Press and Stovetop Espresso Pot.
The Drip Coffee, which I'm calling the baseline, was made with 2 cups hot water passing through 1 TBSP coffee in a filter (per directions on coffee can). It was weak, watery, and pleasantly bitter.
I brewed the French Press coffee like tea. 1 TBSP of coffee grounds were mixed with 1 cup hot water (directions also per coffee can), then you separate the grounds from the water by pushing down the plunger and forcing all the grounds to the bottom of the pot. For those not familiar with the French Press, it looks like this:
I took two sips of the coffee, then threw the rest of the pot away. The filter didn't work well so I was drinking a coffee slurry. Plus the coffee was watery and bitter. It was stronger than the filtered coffee, but not in a pleasant way.
The coffee brewing method that worked best, and that I used for my subsequent testing was the stovetop espresso pot:
These pots work closest to those fancy machines. Basically, the water in the bottom chamber is heated to steam which passes through the coffee in the middle chamber, then the coffee infused steam is condensed back to a liquid in the top chamber. To make this coffee I put one heaping teaspoon of coffee into the filter and filled the bottom chamber with approximately 1 cup water. Then I assembled the device and put it on the electric stove over high heat. The coffee was done when about a cups worth was collected in the top chamber.
Water
I experimented with various types of water multiple times. The best taste seemed to come from distilled bottled water resulting in an even tasting coffee. The worst came from bottled spring water which resulted in a strong bitter taste. Tap water was more acceptable than the bottled water-- though the chlorine does make the coffee a little sour.
Chocolates
The chocolates that worked from best to worst were:
1. Kinder Chocolate Milk (German) which I happened to get at Christmastime
2. Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Meltaways
3. Hershey's Kiss Meltaways
4. Trapa Supremo Milk Chocolate (from Spain)
5. Perugina Milk Chocolate (Italy)
6. Endangered Species Chocolate All-Natural Supreme Dark Chocolate (USA)
I also tried Hershey's cocoa powder, but the result was so impalatable that I don't even think it should be on the list. I was also surprised to find that the 'fancy', i.e. expensive, chocolates weren't that great mixed with coffee. They taste great as solids, but clump and don't go into liquids that well. The exception was the Kinder Chocolate Milk-- but that is hard to find and not that attractive as an everyday home-brewing option. The Hershey's Bliss chocolates were surprisingly good. The only issue is that they leave a slightly waxy film in my coffee cups.
Because I've run out of the Kinder chocolate and am too lazy to go to the gourmet store to get more, I've been using the Hershey's chocolates which I can buy at a regular grocery store with my bread and bananas.
Mixing
I tried both (1) Placing chocolates into a cup and pouring coffee over it, and (2) Pouring coffee into a cup and placing chocolates into it. I wasn't expecting much of a difference, but method (1) seems to result in a smoother consistency.
Future
Now that I've got an acceptable base recipe for the mocha espresso that I've been able to make at a consistently decent quality over a few weeks, I'm going to try cappuccino without a fancy machine. I'll also try different coffee grinds once the can of Illy runs a little lower-- I don't want too many open bags of coffee at one time since it doesn't last that long.
Once I've got my experimental parameters worked out a little more, I might host a taste test. Wouldn't that be fun?
For Christmas, I was given ground coffee by multiple non-Seattle dwelling friends. I had never really spent that much time making coffee at home, even though I own a lot of coffee making paraphernalia. One of these friends was telling me about the fancy Italian espresso maker he got over Christmas, and it made me think, "Hmmm, can I make a good cup of coffee at home without the fancy machine?" So, I've experimented over the past few months with a couple of coffee making methods and materials to see if I can make a decent cup of mocha espresso without fancy equipment. Why mocha espresso? Because I had to start somewhere, and I like mocha espresso.
My base recipe for mocha espresso was as follows:
1. Brew espresso coffee.
2. Mix coffee and chocolate.
3. Taste.
Not too complex, huh?
Best brew recipe so far:
1. Make coffee in a stovetop espresso pot with distilled water.
2. Place 1 Kinder Milk Chocolate bar (second best is 3-4 Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Meltaway) in the cup and pour the coffee over it.
3. Mix thoroughly and Enjoy!
If you're interested in the nitty gritty of my experimentation, or just feel like wasting a few minutes, read on for the details.
----------------
Disclaimer: This is not a rigorous scientific study. This is me, messing around in my kitchen in the morning. These are my observations, and if you try these methods and get different results, then feel free to post your observations. I have no known commercial interests in any of the companies providing these products.
METHODS:
Coffee
I first set out to brew a decent espresso coffee. Only one type of coffee was used for these experiments: Illy Dark Roast for Drip Coffeemakers. I'll experiment with other grinds in the future.
Brewing Equipment
I've tried the following brewing methods so far: Drip Coffee, French Press and Stovetop Espresso Pot.
The Drip Coffee, which I'm calling the baseline, was made with 2 cups hot water passing through 1 TBSP coffee in a filter (per directions on coffee can). It was weak, watery, and pleasantly bitter.
I brewed the French Press coffee like tea. 1 TBSP of coffee grounds were mixed with 1 cup hot water (directions also per coffee can), then you separate the grounds from the water by pushing down the plunger and forcing all the grounds to the bottom of the pot. For those not familiar with the French Press, it looks like this:
I took two sips of the coffee, then threw the rest of the pot away. The filter didn't work well so I was drinking a coffee slurry. Plus the coffee was watery and bitter. It was stronger than the filtered coffee, but not in a pleasant way.
The coffee brewing method that worked best, and that I used for my subsequent testing was the stovetop espresso pot:
These pots work closest to those fancy machines. Basically, the water in the bottom chamber is heated to steam which passes through the coffee in the middle chamber, then the coffee infused steam is condensed back to a liquid in the top chamber. To make this coffee I put one heaping teaspoon of coffee into the filter and filled the bottom chamber with approximately 1 cup water. Then I assembled the device and put it on the electric stove over high heat. The coffee was done when about a cups worth was collected in the top chamber.
Water
I experimented with various types of water multiple times. The best taste seemed to come from distilled bottled water resulting in an even tasting coffee. The worst came from bottled spring water which resulted in a strong bitter taste. Tap water was more acceptable than the bottled water-- though the chlorine does make the coffee a little sour.
Chocolates
The chocolates that worked from best to worst were:
1. Kinder Chocolate Milk (German) which I happened to get at Christmastime
2. Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Meltaways
3. Hershey's Kiss Meltaways
4. Trapa Supremo Milk Chocolate (from Spain)
5. Perugina Milk Chocolate (Italy)
6. Endangered Species Chocolate All-Natural Supreme Dark Chocolate (USA)
I also tried Hershey's cocoa powder, but the result was so impalatable that I don't even think it should be on the list. I was also surprised to find that the 'fancy', i.e. expensive, chocolates weren't that great mixed with coffee. They taste great as solids, but clump and don't go into liquids that well. The exception was the Kinder Chocolate Milk-- but that is hard to find and not that attractive as an everyday home-brewing option. The Hershey's Bliss chocolates were surprisingly good. The only issue is that they leave a slightly waxy film in my coffee cups.
Because I've run out of the Kinder chocolate and am too lazy to go to the gourmet store to get more, I've been using the Hershey's chocolates which I can buy at a regular grocery store with my bread and bananas.
Mixing
I tried both (1) Placing chocolates into a cup and pouring coffee over it, and (2) Pouring coffee into a cup and placing chocolates into it. I wasn't expecting much of a difference, but method (1) seems to result in a smoother consistency.
Future
Now that I've got an acceptable base recipe for the mocha espresso that I've been able to make at a consistently decent quality over a few weeks, I'm going to try cappuccino without a fancy machine. I'll also try different coffee grinds once the can of Illy runs a little lower-- I don't want too many open bags of coffee at one time since it doesn't last that long.
Once I've got my experimental parameters worked out a little more, I might host a taste test. Wouldn't that be fun?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Snow Day!
I woke up early this morning and checked my work e-mail. At the very top of the list was an e-mail that announced that work is closed today due to the weather. I have a snow day!
I sent out an e-mail to tell the instrument service engineers not to show up to work, posted the 'snow day' status on Facebook, then got dressed and went outside.
The last time that I played in the snow was on my birthday of this year. My sister and I specifically drove to Palm Springs and took the aerial to the top of the mountain. We hiked a bit in the half-melted ice-snow amongst the hundreds of other Los Angelenos who were slipping and sliding on the snow. Growing up in Wisconsin, we took snow for granted. In Southern California, we treasured the snow.
Not only do I get to play in the snow today, but I get a SNOW DAY! I feel like a little kid again. I don't have forgotten homework due, and I don't have anywhere to be today. I feel like I won a day of absolute freedom!
First thing outside, I was an adult and headed out the door with a broom and an ice scraper. I swept the snow off the stairs and front stoop. There was a layer of ice underneath the snow, but I'm hoping that the sun will melt it and dry the sidewalk today.
Then I brushed and scraped the ice and snow off of my car, and ran the engine for a few minutes to make sure it was still okay.
Then I walked around the neighborhood. I saw people walking their dogs and salting the parking lot.
When I got home, I made some warm cereal. It was something my mom used to make for my sister, brother, and me after playing in the snow.
While uploading the photos that I took today, I found the following photos on the same memory card. I took them in Florida exactly two weeks ago from today:
>
What a contrast, huh?
I sent out an e-mail to tell the instrument service engineers not to show up to work, posted the 'snow day' status on Facebook, then got dressed and went outside.
The last time that I played in the snow was on my birthday of this year. My sister and I specifically drove to Palm Springs and took the aerial to the top of the mountain. We hiked a bit in the half-melted ice-snow amongst the hundreds of other Los Angelenos who were slipping and sliding on the snow. Growing up in Wisconsin, we took snow for granted. In Southern California, we treasured the snow.
Not only do I get to play in the snow today, but I get a SNOW DAY! I feel like a little kid again. I don't have forgotten homework due, and I don't have anywhere to be today. I feel like I won a day of absolute freedom!
First thing outside, I was an adult and headed out the door with a broom and an ice scraper. I swept the snow off the stairs and front stoop. There was a layer of ice underneath the snow, but I'm hoping that the sun will melt it and dry the sidewalk today.
Then I brushed and scraped the ice and snow off of my car, and ran the engine for a few minutes to make sure it was still okay.
Then I walked around the neighborhood. I saw people walking their dogs and salting the parking lot.
When I got home, I made some warm cereal. It was something my mom used to make for my sister, brother, and me after playing in the snow.
While uploading the photos that I took today, I found the following photos on the same memory card. I took them in Florida exactly two weeks ago from today:
>
What a contrast, huh?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Nomadic Living
I'm currently in Florida at a conference and I've been here long enough that I am homesick and exhausted. The problem is that I'm not sure where I am homesick for.
I was initially homesick for Seattle because it is where my current life is centered. But as I sat there with the sun and the tropical beachy environment I realized that I'm also homesick for California, Wisconsin, and a lot of other places that I have lived. I'm homesick for the coziness of living in a place where I have a history AND a future. I'm not homesick for a where, I'm homesick for a what.
I have planted and uprooted myself too many times over the past 20 years and this move to Seattle was supposed to last me a while. I planned on digging in and establishing my life in Seattle, but now I'm not sure that I can (or should). So if you move from place to place like this, where is home?
There was a reality tv/documentary type show on television about people working with the Big Apple Circus a few nights ago. Circus people move from place to place all the time, but they move with all their things and their community. Leaving the circus and living in one place for a long period of time is their version of moving away. I imagine it's the same for the nomadic people in Mongolia. The trauma doesn't come from the moving, the trauma comes from leaving the tribe.
So I guess part of my feeling is the homesickness for MY tribe. My tribe is spread out throughout the world and I am in touch with most people through e-mail, facebook, twitter, and the phone. I can 'reach out and touch someone' with my multi-function internet accessible cell phone. But that small cell phone device is a poor substitute for a real human.
However it seems right now that having a tribe is not enough to fully comfort me. I think what I really miss is a feeling of certainty and stability in my future. The truth is this feeling is all an illusion because we never REALLY know our future, but I miss feeling like I do. There are certain things that I have control over in my life, and other things that I don't. I accept this, but it would be nice if the cosmos would cut me a break every now and then.
I was initially homesick for Seattle because it is where my current life is centered. But as I sat there with the sun and the tropical beachy environment I realized that I'm also homesick for California, Wisconsin, and a lot of other places that I have lived. I'm homesick for the coziness of living in a place where I have a history AND a future. I'm not homesick for a where, I'm homesick for a what.
I have planted and uprooted myself too many times over the past 20 years and this move to Seattle was supposed to last me a while. I planned on digging in and establishing my life in Seattle, but now I'm not sure that I can (or should). So if you move from place to place like this, where is home?
There was a reality tv/documentary type show on television about people working with the Big Apple Circus a few nights ago. Circus people move from place to place all the time, but they move with all their things and their community. Leaving the circus and living in one place for a long period of time is their version of moving away. I imagine it's the same for the nomadic people in Mongolia. The trauma doesn't come from the moving, the trauma comes from leaving the tribe.
So I guess part of my feeling is the homesickness for MY tribe. My tribe is spread out throughout the world and I am in touch with most people through e-mail, facebook, twitter, and the phone. I can 'reach out and touch someone' with my multi-function internet accessible cell phone. But that small cell phone device is a poor substitute for a real human.
However it seems right now that having a tribe is not enough to fully comfort me. I think what I really miss is a feeling of certainty and stability in my future. The truth is this feeling is all an illusion because we never REALLY know our future, but I miss feeling like I do. There are certain things that I have control over in my life, and other things that I don't. I accept this, but it would be nice if the cosmos would cut me a break every now and then.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Settling on land
I've been so busy with moving and unpacking that I neglected to post the following photo of the neighbors' houseboat that was decorated for Halloween:
I've now lived on land for a few days and though I miss the scenery and easy commute, I really like my full (grown-up sized) kitchen and worry-free toilet. I also love the feeling of warmth and solidity of living on land.
One thing that I did take from houseboat living is the need to live with fewer things. I have been purging stuff and it has been relatively easy so far. However, I haven't gotten to my books yet. Purging books is always really hard for me. Would anybody out there like a contribution to your library?
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| From Houseboat |
I've now lived on land for a few days and though I miss the scenery and easy commute, I really like my full (grown-up sized) kitchen and worry-free toilet. I also love the feeling of warmth and solidity of living on land.
One thing that I did take from houseboat living is the need to live with fewer things. I have been purging stuff and it has been relatively easy so far. However, I haven't gotten to my books yet. Purging books is always really hard for me. Would anybody out there like a contribution to your library?
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