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| Percolator |
One thing 2nd Man enjoys is his morning coffee. Me, not so much, I'm more of a tea drinker so for me, a tea kettle is all I will need. We always have at least a couple of those floating around. For coffee however, we figured something a little more OG might be best.
So recently, I was digging around in some boxes (from my parents) in storage after our move and I found that my Mom had apparently bought this percolator but never used it. It's brand new, and was still in its original store packaging. The best part of all? The package shows that it is also rated for use over a fire or camping stove! So that means that we now have a way to make coffee, if necessary, without electricity. For 2nd Man, that's a good thing...and for my sanity, it's ALSO a good thing, ha. We haven't used this yet, that will come eventually, but I guess it's better know how to do it before we ever have to do it. I guess we just need to store up some coffee now, either ground or beans (with a grinder of course) so that coffee is always on the menu.
Any 'must have' items you would go crazy without for a period of time without power?
So recently, I was digging around in some boxes (from my parents) in storage after our move and I found that my Mom had apparently bought this percolator but never used it. It's brand new, and was still in its original store packaging. The best part of all? The package shows that it is also rated for use over a fire or camping stove! So that means that we now have a way to make coffee, if necessary, without electricity. For 2nd Man, that's a good thing...and for my sanity, it's ALSO a good thing, ha. We haven't used this yet, that will come eventually, but I guess it's better know how to do it before we ever have to do it. I guess we just need to store up some coffee now, either ground or beans (with a grinder of course) so that coffee is always on the menu.
Any 'must have' items you would go crazy without for a period of time without power?
My father made coffee in a percolator like this every morning for years and years. I have an electric percolator now that makes up to 12 cups, plus a drip coffee maker for up to 5 cups. The percolated coffee is much the smoother of the two.
ReplyDeleteSince I don't drink coffee, I can't relate BUT I do remember my parents saying that they loved the percolated coffee too.
Deletemy computer....god forbid!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I hear ya. I need to look into solar charging for my computer (or phone/tablet)
DeleteYou can boil coffee in a plain pot but you must let the grounds settle. Dad used Chicory for coffee during the Depression.
ReplyDeleteI wish I liked coffee, I've tried but just don't. When my parents lived for a few years in Louisiana, they developed a fondness for chicory coffee. I've heard it's very strong!
DeleteI love the smell of perked coffee, and admit to keeping a small percolator for power outage mornings. No one wants to be around me until I had had at least 1 cup of coffee.
ReplyDelete2nd Man is much the same. Has to have at least one cup of coffee to get the morning going. Not sure I've ever smelled perked coffee, now I want to, ha.
Deletewow, that was an excellent find, we had one just like that!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have gone without power quite often when we lived in the house but I think I would miss heat if the power went off living on this apartment in town,, its really cold here!! If I was living in our house in the country I could care less if the power ever came back lol, well, I would miss the computer,,,lol,
Oh yes, heat. In the country though, we can find ways to get warm that seem different from being the city. I too would miss the computer, or at least some contact like that with the outside world.
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteGreat find! You'll do your Mother proud making coffee in her pot :-)
I was thinking, the one thing I would suggest having on hand is a can opener (manual one). So many people depend on there powered one. And how wonderful would it be to have a world where cell phones wouldn't work :P........HA, just a thought!!!
Thank you!! GREAT suggestion. You are so right, a manual can opener is a great must have for power failures. All those cans we save up wouldn't be so useful without a way to open them, ah. Thanks!!
Deletep.s. I can see that side of cell phone worlds...certainly it wouldn't be bad if texting went away, LOL!
It's rather classy, I love it.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you for that. It does have a certain 'style' doesn't it? Ha.
DeleteCoffee in tea bags isn't too bad in a pinch. I think Folgers makes them. Coffee perked in a percolator will taste a whole lot better though.
ReplyDeleteI have a power pack that I have to remember to keep charged up for power outages. For a fan in summer if nothing else! The new one I recently purchased has a usb outlet for charging cell phones, tablets, etc. I hope I don't need it anytime soon!
I hadn't heard of that, it might be a good backup plan. Thank you for that!!! We need to get one of those charger/power pack things. Thank you for the reminder. And yes, just to power a fan in summer is a good idea!
DeleteAfter Hurricane Ike we were without power for over a week and my room mate was a total grouch without coffee. So I used a tea light in a wax melt warmer, put a canning jar on top where you normally put the bowl of wax melts, added water & coffee for old fashioned 'boiled' coffee. It worked pretty well an more grumpiness!
ReplyDeleteAH yes, Hurricane Ike. We were without for a little over two weeks. Of course, we did move to a hotel for the second week cause I thought I was going to die without a/c for the first week, ha. Look at you with the MacGyver of coffee making!!!
DeleteA coffee grinder is useless in a power failure. And coffee beans smashed in a plastic bag with a rolling pin don't produce a very good cup of coffee. (Ask me how I know this.) Now I always make sure to have at least a small stash of ground coffee around.
ReplyDeleteSmart lady! Thank you. I thought about a manual grinder but I guess they don't have those. Smashed in a plastic bag, now that sounds like a story there, ha. But yes, good idea to just store ground coffee. :-)
DeleteThere are a wide variety of hand /manual grinders on the market that range in variety of prices. All depends on what you're wanting and the price you are willing to pay but they do sell manual grinders in stores; WalMart, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Amazon, etc.
DeleteBe sure to read reviews tho before buying. Just like anything; some work better than others.
I have found a grinder at a Goodwill store
I love your percolator! This is the kind I used to see both sets of my grandparents use.
ReplyDeleteI can't live without my cups of tea - so I made sure to have a tea kettle in my emergency supplies.
Yep, we probably have two or three tea kettles we can get to if need be. And of course bags of tea we can keep for a long time. I love my tea too!! Thanks!!
DeleteI haven't seen a percolator in years. I bought a Keurig for Willy Dunne Wooters. I think I can live pretty well without power, but he might go insane without his coffee. Good thing he doesn't live here.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
LOL, I understand!! We could probably do ok without power but it depends on for how long, ha.
DeleteI love the retro percolator, what a cool way to endure power outages.
ReplyDeleteI have an old cast iron hand cranked coffee grinder that I use everyday, fresh ground is the best.
It is good idea to get everything sorted and tried before you have to rely on alternatives for having no power.....homesteader honchos !
Wise words, thank you!! See, I wondered if there was a hand cranked grinder. I bet Lehman's has one, I'll have to check that out. And yes, we'll have to try them out ahead of time, thank you!!
DeleteFor us it's water - we're on a well and if the power is out, the only water we have is whatever is left in the pressure tank. Drinking water isn't such a big deal as we always have a couple of cases of bottled water on hand, but it's all the other things you need water for, like flushing toilets and washing your hands that really leaves you in the lurch.
ReplyDeleteMore smart thinking. We share a well well with 2nd Family (they live out there full time and have for years) and they have a solar pump, I'll have to have them make sure it's all up and usable in the even it's needed. You're right though, we forget about washing things, flushing the toilet, etc. Thanks again!!
DeleteLike you I am a tea drinker. The hubbs is a coffee fiend. We have 2 percolators (ours are speckled enamelware-1 green and 1 orange). We have a back up generator and an extra 5 gallon can of fuel on the ready. Of course this was after the no power for a week incident a few years back. We also have the wood stove and a powerstip that plugs into the cigarette lighter port on my car. All useful things.
ReplyDeleteThings I couldn't do without during a power outage would be my tablet. I can text, email, surf the net, watch movies, read etc. Oh and my curling iron so I don't look like the sea witch. If it is hot outside, at minimum, a fan. Water and lots of it!I guess I could heat it on the stove but I don't want a cold shower. I need my creature comforts, ha
Hey, I'm with you, we need to have our comforts. I too think a tablet is a good thing to have, it keeps us connected tot he news, and we can still watch tv, listen to music, read any type of ebook, etc. And a fan for sure!!!
DeleteWhy not a french press?
ReplyDeleteHmm...that's a good question!! 2nd Man is the coffee aficionado, I asked him and he said to be honest, he's never had coffee from a french press. I guess that's something we'll have to expose him too, ha. Thanks!!!
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