The Black and Decker Brew and Go - a product I love!

Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite household products, the Black and Decker Brew and Go. Now, I'm not Consumer Reports, so I haven't tried out every single cup coffee maker on the market, so I won't claim this is the best one out there. I will say I've been using one for at least five years, and I don't know how I'd live without it.

The medical community is saying that a cup or two of coffee is probably better for most of us than no coffee at all, and with all the sugar and chemicals in them, I'm pretty sure it's a better source of caffeine than soda. This is good news for a lot of us who start the morning by turning on Mr. Coffee or one of his friends.  Of course, brewing up 8-12 servings of the black stuff might make sense for a couple, but it's overkill for someone living alone. If you need that much coffee to get you going, you might want to seek medical attention. More likely, you pour half a pot down the drain later in the day or (and this is ghastly) reheat it.

I bought my first Brew and Go because I enjoy the occasional cup of flavored coffee and my then roommate thought it corrupted the flavor of his morning Folgers. It wasn't long before our big pot died and we started using the B&G full time. By keeping separate mugs, we avoided cross contamination and found we were both drinking a little less coffee, but enjoying it a  lot more.

Why? Because the Brew and Go makes a cup of coffee in just a couple of minutes, so it's always fresh. And if you've never enjoyed single-cup brewed coffee, you're missing out. Most of the bitterness in coffee comes from contact with air, which a 12-cup coffee maker has plenty of as it fills the carafe. By eliminating all that standing around time, you get a much tastier cup. Plus, you eliminate most of that waiting for the coffee to be done time.

In addition to making a better cup of coffee faster, the Brew and Go requires NO special equipment. The basket is self-filtering, so you don't have to worry about special filters. It has a much smaller footprint than a full-sized coffee maker and can make 8 cups of coffee in about the same amount of time. That's 8 individual cups of coffee, which allows you to serve regular and unleaded (decaf), or different roasts, or several flavors, much like a Kuerig machine, but at around $20, it's a lot easier on the wallet, and it uses regular grinds so you don't have to buy special coffee. The Brew and Go comes with a travel mug, but will accommodate most coffee cups, so losing the accessory is not tragic. The only heating element is in the water tank, and it turns off automatically when the coffee is done. No more leaving it on and coming home to a cracked pot full of smelly goo that used to be coffee.

My parents started using one because of the rise in coffee prices. According to my mom, if there was coffee made they would drink it whether they really wanted it or not. Now they only use the big pot first thing in the morning. If they want another cup later in the day, they just make one cup. 

Of course, it isn't a perfect system. There's no computer to turn it on before you get up, so you do have to wait 90 seconds or so for your first cup. Like any coffee maker, it requires regular treatment for mineral deposits from your water. The harder your water, the more often you should run a cup of vinegar through it, or your favorite buildup remover. After a few years of use, it will start to sound a bit like an asthmatic taking a nap.

Still, for about the cost of five vente mochas, you can have a reliable machine that makes a great cup of coffee in almost no time at all. If you're like me, you will want one for home and one for the office.

Grief for one

I'll admit it. I don't feel wonderful today. My grandfather passed away last night. He was 87. He's the handsome guy in the back of the picture. His career in the U.S. Navy spanned three big wars. He flew airplanes and helicopters. He fathered 6 children (my dad is the youngest one standing), all of whom are functioning members of society. He was a great story teller with a quick laugh and a gentle spirit. He and my grandmother were still married yesterday when the Lord took Grandad home.

I know I complain about the unfairness of living single in a double world, but grief is the hardest thing about being alone. I know I should find comfort in my parents and siblings, but I don't. My friends, who are wonderful, amazing people, help. They do. But at the end of the day, I am going to be all alone in the dark with my loss. I will pray, and God will get me through until the sun rises, but it is always with the far-off comfort of someday being in His arms, surrounded by those whom I have lost. Here and now I am alone and I think that this is why my married friends put up with all that crap from their husbands. So when the world falls apart a little, someone will be there to hold them together. Someone will be by their side when everyone else turns to their husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend and they won't have to be me. The third or fifth or fifty-seventh wheel borrowing affection from someone who's affection is already spoken for.

I loved my grandfather, but we were never close. We lived half-a-continent apart since I was 2. And I had a great visit with him about a decade ago, before the car accident and the stroke took his mind and his mobility. I am sad, but I am also terrified. How long will it be before the cold body in the room is my mom or dad or brother? How will I ever survive burying a friend? There are ways to shop and cook to make up for the lack of a partner, but I have no suggestions on facing grief alone. It is a cold, horrible place, and the best hope I have is that I will not be here again for a long, long time.