Almost every high-tech startup in the Bay Area outfits their office with Herman Miller Aeron chairs. And as some of the startups inevitably go out of business, the Aeron chairs hit the surplus office supply market, where people like me pick them up at a big discount.
After bringing home my discounted Aeron chair, I noticed that the center post tended to drag against the carpet. The standard casters on Aeron chairs are designed for office carpets and solid floors, and don’t lift the chair high enough to allow the center post to clear a normal home carpet.
You can buy a larger set of Aeron casters from various sources, but they usually sell for at least $50 or more ![[B001H96YRG]](http://www.mikeyp.com/css/external.gif)
. To me, that’s pretty expensive for a simple set of casters.
After sleuthing around the ‘net a bit, I was able to find the dimensions of the large-size OEM casters. A specialty store called “Great Lake Casters” sells casters of the exact dimensions for a mere $1.64 each. I ordered five.
Installation was simple. I turned the chair over, popped off the old casters and popped on the new large ones. The new casters raise the chair by about 3/4 inch, which is plenty of clearance for the center post over the carpet.
Comcast has rolled out a faster cable modem network in my area. I thought I was going to need to buy a new DOCSIS 3.0-compatible cable modem to take advantage of the new “Blast” speed tier, but I guess not:
Wow.
The Uncrate “buyers guide for men” has discovered one of my favorite beverages.
Suntory Yamazaki Whisky | Uncrate
Here’s what Uncrate has to say:
Born from the pure waters of the Vale of Yamazaki and handcrafted at Japan's oldest distillery, Suntory Yamazaki Whisky is a great way to wind down after a hard day at the office. Aged for either 12 ($40) or 18 years ($100), Yamazaki has a lengthy, dry finish, with the 12-year variety offering a delicate, mellow taste and the 18-year providing a spicier punch, with cherry-like tones. For maximum enjoyment, serve on the rocks with an ice ball, which you can make yourself using the Spherical Ice Tray Set ($16) from MoMA.
Hmmm, I must look into this Spherical Ice Tray Set…
Most coffee aficionados (like me) insist that whole bean coffee should be ground in a conical burr grinder. Never use a blade grinder. The typical reason is that a burr grinder creates a more even grind at a lower speed, as opposed to a blade grinder’s uneven grind at a high speed. An uneven grind makes for an unpredictable brew, and the high speed of the blade grinding process can heat up the beans, thereby altering the flavor a bit.
However, where the generally despised Krups blade grinder is under $20, a good conical burr grinder can be expensive. And while the burr grinder advice is important for folks grinding espresso, it isn’t quite as important if you’re grinding coffee for a coffee press or paper cone filter.
Most people associate blade grinders with the Krups grinder. The Krups is avoided by coffee fanatics due some notable flaws:
But not all blade grinders are like the Krups. In fact, the Ueshima Coffee Company in Hawaii uses a giant custom-made machine called the “Crackulater” which is in essence a high-quality, high-consistency blade grinder.
I needed a new grinder, and found that Mr. Coffee, of all companies, makes a surprisingly good blade grinder for the same price as the Krups ($20). And it solves all of the problems associated with the Krups. The Mr. Coffee Grinder has settings for the grind size and amount, which sets the speed and duration of the grind. You just hold the button down on the top of the grinder, and it will stop automatically when the grinding is complete. You then detach the container (right-side up), give the top a couple of twists, and the static-free ground coffee is free to pour into the filter or coffee press. Simple, effective, and consistent. What’s not to like about that?
I’m sure I’ll pick up a nice burr grinder at some point, but for twenty bucks, the Mr. Coffee Grinder is a steal. And nothing beats freshly ground coffee.
Every time I visit the Big Island of Hawaii, I buy fresh Kona coffee. I love driving through Holualoa and Captain Cook, where you can buy freshly roasted coffee right from the coffee groves and roasting companies. There is a lot of good coffee to choose from in the Kona region, but my favorite coffee from a recent Big Island trip came from the Komo Store.
The Komo Store is a small, old, general store in Holualoa. It’s a Mom and Pop shop that has been there for around 100 years. Mom was manning the register there when we visited.
In the old days, they apparently accepted coffee beans as barter payment, but these days, they grow, roast, and sell their own “estate” coffee. Unlike most other coffee companies in the area, Komo Store has no tasting setup, no tour, no brochures, no pretense. They just roast and sell excellent coffee along side their general provisions. And the coffee is indeed excellent.
Highly recommended!
