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Q: Things I wouldn't want to do Espresso (and other coffee) without if I could help it: Many kitchen towels. We bought about 40 and just keep 'em cycling through the wash. Keep them right beside the Espresso counter, dump them in a clean trash can to await washing. My Espresso vacuum cleaner. A cheapie found at a yard sale. Mounted under the counter and used to pick up spilled coffee and more importantly to clear the grinder doser of coffee that is ground wrong... a grind eraser. Extra groove handle for blind filter. Mine has a pressure gauge mounted on it so if I switch out the blind filter for an old single I can read pump pressure at the head. Urnex Espresso machine cleaner (or equiv). Handy right by the machine. Real group brushes. I'm cheap, I just threw away the old denture brush last week. But these heavy bristle, bent group brushes are worth it. Knock box. I got tired of the trash can dance. I made my own, cheap, good. Old analog darkroom timer. My grinder is plugged into it so I grind by time. 5 bucks at a flea market. 'Asian' butane gas 'table stove' for vac pot coffee. Very adjustable, very easy. Heat the water on the electric stove, xfer to vac bottom and place assembled pot on gas stovelet. When its all up, the gas is easy to turn down for a small flame, perfect to keep the coffee suspended in the top globe but small enough not to boil the bejeezus out of it while it's steeping. Little digital timers with seconds and minutes. In the morning I zone almost instantly... I'm positively dissociative. A timer for the shot in progress, a timer for the vac pot, a timer for... yada yada yada, I get reminded. Wal-Mart sells good ones, cheap. An automotive parts brush for cleaning grinder etc. Cheap with nylon bristles and wooden handle. Made for use in a solvent bath so pretty indestructible. Aluminum tray as 'tamping mat'. I use an old Ronco instant-thaw knock-off 'As seen on TV!'. Easy to just dump in sink with dirty cups. A buck at a thrift store. Lots of green scrubby pad bits. I cut 5 or 6 of the big pads into 1 inch squares and use 'em for anything I want clean, but don't care if I scratch... like the inside of groove handles or filter baskets. (Schomer tip) Sponge with 'won't scratch' scrubby side. Used to scrub and wipe steam wand. Dried on cup rack between uses. GOOD bottle brush... very rare unless you go to a restaurant supply house. Second best is one with a sponge tip found in baby supply section of department stores. Great for cups and SS pitchers. Stainless steel steaming pitchers, 1 600 ml, one 1 litre. Tapered sides and pour spout so I can screw up latte art with authority. Nothing works as well for steaming as these and for we homies, the 600ml is all you need, mostly. A decent tamper. Sure I can tamp with a medicine bottle, but I do better with a real tamper. Altdotcoffee. You rock. Tom at sweetmarias.com. He rocks. Friends like Umberto, Jim and Al. They rock. So what can't YOU live without?

A: Melitta single cup drip cone Melitta burr grinder 2 sets of chop sticks (stirring utensils) Krups 10 cup Pro Arome auto drip maker Krups Whirly blade grinder A large supply of #2 cone paper filters Air tight glass sealing jars with a clamp and a rubber seal 1.5 Tbs. Krups measuring spoon 1 Tbs. measuring spoon Single digital timer (minutes and seconds) Sunbeam Vac Pot Unbranded Moka Pot Dollar store brand sponges with green scrubbie on one side Urnex Espresso machine cleaner Brew Rite coffee maker cleaner Large assortment of misc. Mugs Microwave RSVP press pot (Now with a recently broken carafe) Pyrex 16 oz. pitcher Pyrex bowls Krups 969 Espresso Machine Aluminum Tamper (I have the medicine bottle sitting right next to it) Braun water pitcher/filter large assortment of demitasse My favorite 6 oz. cappuccino mug My favorite Blue and red Latte Mug 32 oz. steaming pitcher Fresh Borden's whole milk Home made knock box single cup, cup warmer A supply of Mouse pads (Tamping mats and coffee prep stations) My favorite plaid mug Large assortment of mayonaise jars Poppery 1 A supply of green Uncommon Grounds Espresso, ultimate coffee Coffee, buying brewing and enjoying Home Coffee Roasting Espresso quick reference guide A special room dedicated to coffee Computer Little black notebook Digital Camera A loving understanding fiancee Family and freinds who understand and embrace my passion for coffee Barry, and his absolute patience at my incessant questions. (Other special people (too many to mention)) Any one else that i forgot to include from alt.coffee