Multitask Appliances

   As a frugal, small house owner, I have learned the true importance of cupboard space. I have gone as far as rebuilding the interiors of all my cabinets, doubling, if not tripling the original storage space. I will admit that there is still only room for critical appliances.
   My mother-in-law has graciously tried to buy me a coffee grinder, but I honestly do not need one. I have an awesome blender. It is easier to clean and takes the same amount of time. I can grind 2 lbs. of coffee beans in about five minutes. This is an old school use, prior to the 1980's, owners manuals would list this as a feature and give directions accordingly.
   The trick is the magic number of (2) Cups of beans at a time. You can get a nice coarse, medium, or fine grind depending on the length of time. I also have to give a proper shout-out to Kirkland House Blend roasted by Starbucks. If you love the strong classic flavor of fresh Starbucks, then this coffee is for you. It gives you the expensive taste, but at the lowly price around $5.00 a pound.

   The second tip involves my well loved 12 Cup, 1100-watt thermal carafe coffee pot. My mother bought us an ice tea maker that was used once before donating it to goodwill. Once again another redundant appliance. Through experimentation I have come up with a suitable recipe for brewing ice tea as well as green tea. I run a full carafe through the coffee maker, then poor the very hot water over (8) tea bags in a gallon pitcher. I let the bags steep for 15 minutes creating a concentrated brew, then fill the pitcher to the top with filtered water. This recipe is subjective, adjusting the quantity or steep time greatly affects the strength.
   This post really should be about my addiction to caffeine. I know there are coffee and tea snobs that would protest these methods, but this is still superior to Snapple and Maxwell House. Give it a try, you will get more function out of appliances you already own without sacrificing additional storage space.