grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • Biography
  • Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • My Thoughts on Publishing
  • SHOP!
  • Garden
  • Food
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter

old school or simply old? (yes Keurig and I are parting ways.)

January 8, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 20 Comments

Today I’m thinking about the difference between old school and simply old. Have I reached that point where groovy new things have passed me by? Several things have me wondering. (And p.s. this is not a sponsored post.)

Yesterday my blogger friends, Laurie and Jacqueline, mentioned two different things on Facebook that stumped me. A Wacom Pen and a Kombucha drink. Huh? Never heard of either. Am I’m living beneath an Ozark rock? Please tell me you don’t know either.

Not only do I not know about this pen and drink, I don’t really care that I don’t know. Another sign of life moving on by.

Combine this unknown pen and drink with the shiny yet old school Presto percolator delivered to my doorstep yesterday, and I’m on a old fashioned, downhill slide. (I do still shop via Amazon so perhaps that’s a point on the side of still breathing.)

old school or simply old?

Old school percolator vs. Keurig.

 

Do NOT say you don’t know what a percolator is. Even if you don’t. Look it up.

Yes, I have a percolator. It’s electric so not completely dark ages, but sitting beside my fancy Keurig (that turned out to be not so fancy because breaking after only two years is never fancy), it looks very old school.

Keurig and I are parting ways. Yes, we can still be friends. I will be happy to see you at hotels and at the Bat Cave, but on a daily basis, not. You sort of wore me out.

I feel relieved.

Ours was a short love affair, but I take full responsibility. I changed. I came to realize the more I write, the more coffee I drink. Those annoying, expensive cups began to pile up in my garbage. Would Hemingway fiddle with those cups? I think not. Plus, if we are being honest, there was only one brand/flavor I really liked. It was easy to find in Dallas, but nearly impossible to locate in Fayetteville.

On this bright, clear 7 degree Fayetteville morning, I’m enjoying my first cup of freshly ground Arsaga coffee.

percolator coffee

The rich aroma fills my house.

I have a steaming pot ready and waiting which is good because my downstairs is only 57 degrees. I cannot figure out the complicated thermostat that is apparently permanently programmed for chilly. (Another sign of aging, but seriously, why can’t thermostats simply have an on and off switch with a lever for temperature control? Yes, I’m rambling = another sign? Sigh.)

So. Am I a coffee snob? Maybe.

Arsaga Coffee - Winter Blend

Arsaga coffee – Winter Blend.

 

I want to buy freshly ground local coffee or grind my own. I want to smell it. And the sound of coffee percolating? Ahhh, lovely.

Mainly, I want a coffee pot that brews super hot, flavorful coffee. Even if it’s old school and not the coolest thing in town.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis url=”http://wp.me/p58902-1gv”]Keurig and I are parting ways. Sorry, I changed. #Presto #oldschool #percolator @ArsagasCafe [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Humble Pie – Black Coffee 

Filed Under: Home, Humor, Life Tagged With: aging, coffee, Keurig, old school, percolator, retro

Wanna receive posts via email? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Colene says

    January 8, 2015 at 9:42 am

    I can almost smell it! I almost bought a Keurig and now I am glad I did not. I went back to a simple Mr. Coffee after my expensive Mr. Coffee died but I used to have a percolator just like yours. Sounds tempting.

    Reply
    • Dot says

      January 8, 2015 at 10:54 am

      I’ve never been tempted by a Keurig because I have to have TWO cups of coffee in the morning. One to start my heart and one to wash down my granola bar. (I could blog a bunch about my love affair with the various types of granola bars.) Welcome back to the world of REAL coffee.

      Reply
      • Talya Tate Boerner says

        January 8, 2015 at 3:31 pm

        Thanks Dot. What’s your favorite granola bar? I need to know.

        Reply
  2. Laurie says

    January 8, 2015 at 11:17 am

    When my hubs bought me a Keurig for my birthday I had to put on a “oh yay!” face, because in reality I never considered buying one and really didn’t even WANT one. It’s like furniture for your counter-top for heaven’s sake! But he was thoughtful enough to buy the 1.0, not the new 2.0 for the simple reason that he knew I liked the local roasts that Onyx Coffee Lab sells, and the 2.0 doesn’t allow you to use a coffee of your choice – owners of 2.0 machines are FORCED to buy only the K-Kups. NO. THANKS.

    I’m a coffee snob too – but drinking only a cup a day means I can make a 1.0 work. 🙂 However, that percolator is LOVELY to look at!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 8, 2015 at 3:33 pm

      My broken one is a 1.0. If it hadn’t stopped working (and actually it still worked sometimes if I stood just right and held my finger in a certain place) I would still be using it. BUT there’s no way I can justify buying another one. My new pot was so inexpensive compared to the Keurig!

      Reply
  3. Adrianna says

    January 8, 2015 at 11:23 am

    never got a keurig either. my coffeepot purchased in 2005 is still making awesome coffee (especially after i found a simple and pure cleaning solution). i just like good coffee, not flavors or specialties on a daily basis. i did finally buy a burr grinder. AND i have a moka stovepot for those times when i just want pure, rich, dark, smooth, espresso-like coffee and a chemex classic for pour-over coffee for the pleasure of watching the grounds bloom and smelling an aroma unlike anything else.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 8, 2015 at 3:34 pm

      Sounds wonderful Adrianna. In your setting, you must have amazing coffee:) It all just goes together.

      Reply
  4. Renee says

    January 8, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    Let me just start by saying the coffee smells heavenly (I’m sure), the only thing missing is the black light (or strobe) during the video! I applaud you on my journey through time this morning friend, well done. Music pairing one of my all time favorites (I should have been a “total” 60’s child)

    Reply
  5. Barbara Tate says

    January 8, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    AND, guess who bought me my first Keurig? I had to have a second one for my loft, red, no doubt. (Of course, I did have a terrible pot)

    Your new pot looks beautiful and I can almost smell the coffee. Come to think of it, I never smell the coffee from my Keurig, and my coffee is never quite like I like it, HOT.

    Loved the blog today. Makes one think.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 8, 2015 at 3:36 pm

      I know. I feel guilty about it. The Keurig will still be wonderful at the Bat Cave. That thing you had was HORRIBLE.

      Reply
  6. Mindy says

    January 8, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    My friend and fellow FEARLESS alum Ruth has a percolator. I’ve grown tired of my Cuisinart and am thinking of getting one of these gentle, percolating souls. I remember hearing my mother’s singing out and would love to hear that sound again.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      January 9, 2015 at 6:48 am

      I highly recommend it Mindy. The “singing out” as you describe it is one of the best parts:)

      Reply
  7. [email protected] and Back Again says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:56 am

    I used a Keurig for a short time, but I got tired of having to make a new cup over and over…like you, I drink a lot of coffee when I write! I haven’t seen a percolator in ages. Now I want one!

    Reply
  8. Dorothy Johnson says

    January 9, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    I resisted the Keurig for the same reasons. I drink too many cups and I figured it would get expensive. I bet that percolator coffee is awesome.

    Reply
  9. Heather says

    January 9, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    I percolate…and it’s a stove-top percolator at that. It is easy to clean, inexpensive and makes a damn fine cup of Joe. What more can you ask for?

    Reply
  10. Martha Orlando says

    January 9, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    How I cherish my coffee, Talya! Never could understand the rage for the one-cupper. Uh-uh. Always want more than one, especially in the morning.
    Blessings and stay warm in this ice blast. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Jennifer says

    January 10, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    We don’t own a Keurig. We have a coffee pot for my hubby. I’m a tea drinker – hot and iced. I’ve seen the prices of those little cups, though, and I don’t blame you for wanting to do something different. Writing (and less expensive coffee) is much more important than being trendy!

    Reply
  12. Katharine says

    January 13, 2015 at 8:25 am

    I love coffee. K-kups are not really exactly what I have in mind when I say “coffee”.
    Living in the Arkansas outback, as we do, we often waken to find we’re without electricity. That’s when I’m so glad to have a non-electric drip-through. We simply haul all the coffee-making ingredients and tools over to the guest house, where the stove is propane, and enjoy the lovely quiet, waiting for the teakettle to whistle, and the delicate dribbling of the boiled water through the grounds and on into the pot.
    By candle light. It’s like a tiny vacation.
    Can’t live without a tiny coffee vacation every morning. 🙂
    And if I’m in a one-cup mood, there’s always coffee bags. And always the teakettle.
    Loved this post. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Carmella says

    March 10, 2015 at 10:37 am

    I had to go back and search for this post. I’m ready to break up with my Keurig as well. It has started acting a fool. I have to turn it off, unplug it, count to 10, plug it back in, turn it back on, pray and hold my tongue just right to get it to brew. PLUS I call my self a nature lover and I’m filling my trash with all that plastic?

    On the shopping list pronto – Presto percolator and freshly ground coffee (wish it could be from Arsaga’s). Thanks for blazing the trail, #palsie!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      March 10, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      You are very welcome! I love my percolator! I just bought a bag of Arsaga beans yesterday:)) So much better.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Prior Posts

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday

Books by Talya Boerner / Purchase in Grace Grits SHOP

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 · Web Hosting By StrataByte