stylofone wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2023 8:12 pm I've inherited an unwanted automatic coffee machine. It is a behemoth. At first I felt threatened by its imposing bulk and Jetsons-like automation, but I've decided to give it a try. It came without a manual and the first thing I discovered was that the flashing light was saying "descale me!". I was craving caffeine so I made a cup with my old machine to cope with that challenge, but now it is all set up ready for tomorrow morning. It even grinds the beans.
Coffee machine update. I got sick of the huge machine hogging my precious bench space, so I reverted to the earlier, smaller version. Now it has started to misbehave, and I've regressed further, pressing my percolator into service. It is the new winner. It's not really any more fiddly than the espresso machine, which now joins the big black one in the surplus gadget graveyard. I enjoy the ritual of coffee-making, a machine is not needed.
I have conflicting interests in both minimalism and gadgetry. Actually they don't always conflict. Reducing the amount of technology in the kitchen enhances the value of the technology in the playroom (my music and video studio). Sometimes high-tech can be elegant and practical, too.
I can't upload a photo at the moment for some reason. Please imagine an image of a medium sized percolator next to a Delonghi Dedica espresso machine on a neat, uncluttered kitchen benchtop.