Coffee technology rules!

I complained about television technology -- now let's turn our attention to technology that makes my heart go pitty-pat: Kitchen gadgets.

I could write about that knife that I want -- you know the one, they keep using it on Iron Chef and stuff doesn't stick to it because it has cute little convex dimples in it. I want one of those. And then there's the egg-poaching pot I want. I know, I know; if I were Martha Stewart, I could poach an egg in a pot of boiling water and vinegar. But I can't poach an egg like that. I've tried. It doesn't stay egg-shaped.

Ooo, or the vegetable steamer of my dreams, so I could steam a head of cauliflower and try the recipe that I saw on How Much Do We Love. I want a steamer. I want steamed broccoli. Why can't I have steamed broccoli and make my sister's sublime broccoli casserole/flan? Huh?

But no, these are not the little darlings that occupy my thoughts tonight. Nope. Tonight I'm in love with a coffee grinder.

It's no secret that I love coffee. I can't imagine what it would be like to give up caffeine and say no to coffee forever. I just don't understand that. I know some religions scorn coffee, and all I can think is -- a God who doesn't love coffee is a God who doesn't love mankind. God gave us coffee. Who are we to turn down this magnificent gift?

OK, OK, I just offended all my LDS readers, but really -- I don't know why anyone doesn't drink coffee. It's just crazy not to love it, isn't it?

So, anyway, I had a massive coffee crisis tonight. My grinder's lid disappeared. Coffee is best if you grind the beans freshly for each pot of coffee. That way, you get all the flavor and caffeine from fresh, greasy coffee beans. Mmmmmmmmm, mm! Well, without a lid, a coffee grinder will not work. It's like a food processor, and the lid has to lock into the grinder *just right* before it'll send the blades spinning to pulverize some coffee.

I spent a couple of hours tearing up the house in search of the old coffee grinder's lid. Bear in mind, this grinder has gotten me through some tough spots. It was grinding my beans when I still worked for the ad agency from hell. But even I knew it had seen better days.

Once I gave up on finding a lid, I knew I had to go purchase a new coffee grinder. So I went to Walmart -- and lo! And behold! Coffee grinding technology has joined the 21st century!

I am now the proud owner of a coffee grinder that not only grinds to different degrees of coarseness (thereby producing grinds big enough for Wesley's French press pot), but it also knows how long to grind depending on how much coffee I've put into it.

Dang! That thing is smarter than I am!

I love my new coffee grinder. I can't wait to drink my morning beverage now!