apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You know how sometimes design magazines ask really famous designers (who most of the time you have never heard of) to name the 10 things in the world they could never live without?

I love the way it is always a tasteful mix of green-peacy things like dolphins and Giant Red Oak trees, and rediculous things like their $5,000 hermes underpants, disposible chinchilla tea towels, and turn of the century spoon rest collections.

what 10 things could you never live without?

1- An apartment in Manhattan, preferably the one I have now;
2- My monthly unlimited-ride MetroCard
3- My cell phone, especially for the text feature because that's just about the only way to keep in touch with my only (and yet favorite) sister;
4- Direct Deposit
5- A decent pair of khakis
6- A decent pair of black loafers
7- My gym membership
8- My computer and its broadband connection
9- My “Baroquen” television and its cable connection
10- My new reading glasses

in no particular order . . . and disqualifying conceptual things and love . . .

1. indoor plumbing
2. vast quantities of recorded music
3. highspeed internet
4. a ready supply of asian groceries
5. poblano peppers
6. something to read
7. good coffee
8. dogs
9. my eiderdown comforter
10. fresh herbs, culinary

but kristian, what's yours?
chinchilla Hermes underpants, right?

I love how there's no overlap between Curtis's and Guido's lists, but they both make a ton of sense to me. I guess I'd need a top 20 list.

sorry I decided to post and then think about my list while i did the dishes.

1- This great apple green 1950's Ceramic BottleLamp that I bought on ebay.
2-Thai Chilis
3-My bodum French Press
4-My mother's Paintings
5-Avocados
6-My Dining table. It's teak, almost 7 feet long, and I can fit a lot of friends there for dinner.
7-Brunch on the weekends with my best friend Paul.
8-Wine in general, but if I had to pick one,Granache.
9-The northern Coast of New England in the Summer.
10-Diesel Jeans.

and obviously 11- my Hermes chinchilla underpants.... in beige.

LOL. kristian, what a great topic!

In no particular order:
1. my iPod
2. organically grown Valencia oranges from the Farmer's Market
3. my everyday pair of 8-yr old, beat-up dark brown boots (that have been re-soled/re-heeled twice)
4. my passport
5. a good pair of dark denim jeans
6. dark-roast coffee beans
7. my watch
8. a sturdy pair of sunglasses
9. good-fitting t-shirts (like American Apparel)
10. A simple but stylish bag big enough to carry everything, but light enough to not hold me down

There was, too, some overlap between me and Guido, only in mine the highspeed internet connection was re-named and nestled within my line about my computer.

And although I didn't say it, I did do as Guido did, and disqualified conceptual things and love, because this type of listing does tend to be about tangible things, on the assumption that the choices of those things will reveal the intangibles.

shame on you guys. no one yet mentioned a good 10 or 15 hits a day of apartment therapy. : )

1 olive oil
2 mark helprin's "winter's tale"
3 knee-high boots
4 my silver and gold ring i always wear
5 wine (and if forced, anything w/cab franc in it)
6 farmers markets
7 the New York Times
8 the Hudson River Valley
9 pozole
10 pork products (and if forced, smoked pork loin)

You're right, Curtis, I wasn't reading carefully enough.

Just 10? Hmmm....in no particular order

1. My black cotton rib-knit turtle neck - goes with everything

2. Wedgewood, signet gold china - goes with everything

3. Pearls - they go with everything

4. Champagne - goes with almost everthing

5. dishwasher... one less chore after drinking too much champagne

6. Giordano's shoe store...the only one in the city that sells nice shoes in size 4 1/2.

7. My desk-planner appointment book

8. Books

9. Music

10. The internet and a high speed connection

9 things I have + 1 Jude Law.

I'd add my tiger-oak glass front bookcase, cases of red wine, Yahoo Mail, the possibility of getting something handwritten in the real mail.

And for those, like me, who are more tchotcke-minded and can't live with just ten thing, I wanted to shout out that the Global Bazzar at Target is open again. Great way to beat the winter blues and there's some decent stuff. It didn't seem as exciting this year as last year, but I guess it's becasue we've seen it before.

Excellent and fun topic:
(none of the following is in priority order)

1. Moisturizer
2. My ATM card
3. My Computer
4. Chocolate
5. My Art Kit (Pen,Pencil,paper,
watercolor/brushes,scissors,glue - A kit is
one item) I travel with this.
6. Sponge rollers
7. Comfortable shoes
8. Diamond ear studs
9. Cell Phone
10. Sunglasses - big ones - tortoise framed

15 items would be easier....

upon reflection, I'd give up the internet
for a good sharp knife
(thank god I don't have to make THAT choice)

and how did I forget moisturizer?

[we are such fortunate people.]

Moisturizer:

I rather have roots than be without moisturizer.

I should have added spell check to my list.

I meant "I'd", not "I". Sorry.

1. my cat (Tallulah)
2. cat food
3. double-sided tape
4. my office-mate (Tina)
5. furry little animals
6. The Life Aquatic
7. my Joe's jeans
8. my Canon SD-10 camera
9. my great great great apartment that I am so lucky to have
10. my great great great job that I am so lucky to have

Of course this list is constantly in flux; by 3:00 this afternoon it could totally change. :)

Vans slip ons
a pair of jeans
garlic
my calphalon stir fry pan
olive oil
books
cold, cold water to drink
my "hipster PDA" & a good pen
warm sheets & a down comforter
CHI flatiron & kiwi blowsilk

This is a great question. I have tried to think what my list would be when I have read these articles.

I will consider this more today and post on "AT After Hours"

enrique,
passport was on my list too, but i had to take it off for my dinner table. I've never had organically grown Valencia oranges from the Farmer's Market...I'll be in LA on business at the end of February/begining of March. Is that the kind of thing I could sample at say the Urth Cafe?

I have also decided that I will have to give up the coast of New England in the summer and just vacation somewhere else because I can not live without Soy Milk. It would be a dissaster..... and I might need an eleventh spot for moisturizer...... i mean, that's like oxygen, jesus.

Sorry to change the subject but I'm looking for new quilts or bed cover's for my 2 1/2 year-old daughter's room. (Maybe an odd challenge for this crowd but I'd thought I'd put the request out anyway). Her furnishing are birch, the walls are mint green and window treatments and carpets are pink. I'd like to have some pink in the bedding.Pottery Barn Kids is probably closest in style to what I'm looking for but nothing there is quite right. I also love the line of dwell linens so a more modern design would be great as well. Any one have any recommendations for on-line or NYC sources?

curvedfeather -- try Target, especially the Swell line. I was in Target over the weekend and there are many pink and pink & green bedding items for kids. I liked the Swell lamp with the pink and green horizontal grosgrain ribbon lampshade, very hipster preppy.

Kristian. I'm sure Urth Cafe's OJ is fresh squeezed from organic oranges. Probably the oranges at Vegan Glory and Real Food Daily, too. Whole Foods and similar indie markets around L.A. sell the organic Valencias. But you can't beat prices at any of the local weekly Farmer's Markets around town. 10 lb-bags for $4-$7, depending on the vendor.

Great question - hard to narrow it down to just 10. I might have cheated just a bit.

Electricity/plumbing (considering the alternative)

The Subway (the only way to travel in Manhattan)

My education (I love my job, but I can survive without it, because with my education, I can always find a way to support myself)

The animal kingdom, especially my own sweet kitty (The wild ones are beautiful and fascinating and and the domestic ones and cuddly and companionable)

Wine (And if I could only drink one type of wine for the rest of my life, it would be champagne)

The Internet (As long as you have it, you can find anything else)

Makeup, including moisturizer (Otherwise I would never leave the house)

My family, including my boyfriend (Should be Number 1)

My citibank debit card (I use it for EVERYTHING)

My passport and greencard (For the two essentials - travel and work)

Very OT - sorry but I know a lot of you (including me - and a powerbook or macbook pro!?? would be one of my 10 things I would take) are Mac fans so go here to read about your nextgen Macbook Pro:
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
Dual core Intel - much faster than G4 also in new iMac. Apple website is updated now just after his highness spoke.

jamie pup, guru for all things tech, "warm modern" and sleek-handle-related--

Do you know of any buzz regarding the (re)design of iPods? I have been holding out for the large capacity version but in silver (like the silver mini). Should I give up?

re-- Top Ten lists
Reminds me of why I still maintain Domino is too girly to read in public... they do one of these lists on their last page, and a recent one incuded a WAXER. Oy.

Curvedfeather--
Garnet Hill has a kids line whihc you might consider. And Garnet Hill itslef has lots of great stuff that could certianly work in a kid's room. Also, try Pottery Barn Teen. As someone noted, some of their stuff is more "tween" than teen, but lots could be used for even younger, too.

hold on a second...

a DECORATING magazine that is too GIRLY to READ IN PUBLIC!!!!!!!!!!!

huh?

Could you rec. some really masculine decorating magazines for me so that I might try to butch it up next time I'm at the news stand..... possibly a little "NRA Architectural Hunting Digest" or something .

a waxer . . .

which kind?

a highly trained brazilian technician
or that monstrous thing for floors?

[and why does p(2) want one?]

as for children's linens
doesn't Dwell have a baby line? I thinks they do.

I just reread Kristian's original post:

"You know how sometimes design magazines ask really famous designers (who most of the time you have never heard of) to name the 10 things in the world they could never live without?"

Well, computers and such, so what would be the scenario that would cause us to have to pick ten things only that we couldn't do without? The world going dark? Because unless the world goes dark, I'm keeping everything else I need which is a much longer list. See.....my moisturizer is still my favorite thing. Not even hair color, of which I admit, I use regularly. Moisturizer.

The cat goes without question.

P(too) you always have a good point. This is a girly kind of thing, isn't it? Men's mags don't do this. Wonder why...

No one mentioned condoms and even if I needed a waxer I wouldn't have put it on a list for people to see. Yuk.

Brazilian in nature. But perhaps some sort of machine-based depillatory, now that I force myself to revisit the item, mentally...

And no, I do not want one.

kristian--
That's just it... perhaps by nature (though not MINE) decorating magazines do (choses words carefully here) already sometimes seem to cater to the female population. Domino takes it just a step too far to me.

Like when Lifetime started the "Television for Women" tagline.

So, in answer to your question, (imho) pretty much ANY other decorating magazine is more butch. EVEN "O at Home." Go figure.

P(too):

One of my all time beefs has been bookstores with mag sections marked "Women's Interest". Now, I am considered a feminine but independent female (by the men I know, and my dearly departed mother). I resent the market's assumption that they know what my interests are. I happen to be good at carpentry and such things and hate being with groups of women who discuss their babies. Wouldn't it be nice to have mags that don't cater to either male or female and just address the issue of design?

Your comment about design mags catering to the female population is true. I see no point in picking your words carefully. I purchased one issue of Domino and it will be my last.

If I want a girly mag I'll do Vogue.

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

All of a sudden, this feels like an online dating service--top tens. Oy is right! What I find in is that those top 10 lists always appear to cater to stuff that some editor obviously got free in the mail to promote the product. When I was in college, I was at a luncheon with some editor from some real girly magazine (like Cosmo or something like that) and I asked her pointedly about this, and she balked--but of COURSE those lists of products come from scientifically proven evidence of their superiority! The nerve of me asking! Yeah right, honey.

Anyhow, how is it that I spend my workday thinking about interior design when...I'm not a designer!!!

Okay, ten things in no particular order:

1. high speed internet connection for email, reading the NY Times, researching and buying everything under the sun.
2. digital camera for taking pictures of new baby and sending then to family overseas via the internet
3. phone to stay in touch with loved ones
4. definitely indoor plumbing and electricity.
5. foundation to cover up dark circles and all manner of blemishes
6. good Indian food
7. white wine
8. music
9. my bed
10. good old fish and chips

Top 10 List archive on AT:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/top-ten/index

Reef--
Hey, no fair that one of your items allows you to get more things!

That's like wishing for more than three wishes. Genie don't play that way. ;)

P(too) -- you are so right about Domino!!! I signed up for it after all the buzz here for the opening party -- am still getting it even though I never paid -- it's girly as in teenage girl -- can't believe adult women can take it seriously. It so dumbed down it's scary.

But as far as lists go, men's mags (Like Mean's Health, which should be called Cosmo for Guys!) always do top 25 or 50 lists (I guess men are into quantity) -- and mom, big sis or "honey" are usually amongst the list, of course.

Will someone please set up a firing line for all these mag editors that perpetuate stereotypes! Ugh!

... but Patrick, who cares what you read in public -- I used to get uptight on the train when flipping through Arch Digest and half the houses/apts were these freaking flowery scarey places. If they think I'm some queer into design -- well -- they're right. But I would prefer them to think I like bauhaus/mid-century/modern/contemporary!

jmarieb--
Other magazines (like my beloved Canadian House & Home) do this same Top Ten list. But, unlike Domino, they do in fact ask men what's on *their* list, upon occasion. That's really all I'm asking.

Frank--
I agree. Don't care if they think I'm queer (guilty as charged!).

But I draw the line at the boys at the Chelsea stops thinking I'm girly. ;)

I can't wait to read this later, when I have time. What a great thread--thanks Kristian.

My initial thought is to stuff my list with electronics I can't live without, but maybe I'll think on that. I just cut back my cable to basic and I'm quite happy I did, so what do I know.

Thanks folks,

I'm leaning toward this though it's a bit on the expensive side (I need a full for her bottom bunk and a twin for her top)

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod1790086&parentId=cat4050731&masterId=cat000077&cmCat=&index=22

P2 Thanks for the Garnet Hill recommendation. I'm going to get these sheets with pink dots.

http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=7398&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C2773%2C5857%2C5861&iProductID=7398

Hey, did someone say this looks like a dating service? AM I IN THE WRONG PLACE? Whew....thought I'd lost it for a bit...

P(too)- I'm laughing at you being 'guilty as charged'....anyway,

See, this is why I frequently buy men's mags because basically I don't give a crap what anyone thinks of what I'm reading in public or anything else frankly, these days.

P(too) I hear you about Chelsea -- but you have nothing to fear!

This is a great thread! Here's my list:

1. Wine (preferably Rioja or Malbec)
2. Art
3. Good conversation with great friends
4. Korean food
5. my vintage KLH record player and my Herbie Hancock records
6. plants
7. a comfy mattress
8. my rough around the edges and sometimes too cold Brooklyn apartment
9. Metrocard
10. passport

As for the double waxer, didn't Suzanne Sugarbaker have one on Designing Women? Was Consuela the name of her invisible, much-put-upon maid who waxed her legs?

I have to ponder this top 10 list.

Oh this is great.
1. New York City (i know that's silly, but I loooooove my new york)
2. my apartment
3. my husband
4. Livingetc Magazine (I love my Livingetc)
5. My computer
6. my debit card/first cup of coffee=tied
7. red wine
8. did i say red wine?
9. my metro card
10. Out of the kitchen's vanilla vanilla cupcakes in the West Village on Hudson Street

I went to the LES today to look at fabric. I thought Joe's Fabric Warehouse was overpriced. But I really liked Harry Zarin. They're expanding and adding a lot of furniture which brings me to this -

A lot of their furniture is from J. Redmond/TCS. I have been using them for furniture for clients for years. It's some of the best made furniture I've seen and the prices are remarkably low. They supply furniture for companies like Scalamandre, George Smith, Schumacher, Gracious Home, etc.... They have so many different styles too, from traditional thru mid century modern to contemporary. I can't say enough great things about this company. And get this - lead time is only 6 weeks!


Zarin has the Benjamin Sofa on the floor and it's so beautiful and comfortable. This picture doesn't do it justice. http://store.zarinfabrics.com/store/V293-S-Sofa-P1997C148.aspx

Just wanted to pass along some information on this line. I love them. Zarin also carries a lot of furniture and accessories from Oly - another good company.
olystudio.com

I like the arms on that sofa. Thanks for sending that, even though I don't need one.

I'm changing my list to Ten things I would never want to live without because when push comes to shove I can live without most things, I just don't want to:

1. soap and water
2. my cats
3. wine
4. a comfortable bed
5. music
6. a high speed connected computer
7. good food
8. toothbrush/toothpaste
9. Manhattan
10. candlelight

i don't care if it girly, i love these lists. they are cracking me up.

and i am girly.

i also like domino.

that's it. i like these lists and i like domino, i admit it.

This is probably because i am a girly deisgn loving homosexual.

on a design website. whoda thunk?

Actually, jmarieb, now that I think about it, it would be way cool if somehow Apartment Therapy also did a dating service...sure would save me time AND prevent me from ending up with a tasteless mate! LOL! Anyway, I was referring to lame questions those places always ask...but I think reading lists is fun, I admit! So, here goes...

1.) Can drainer...I love it. one of my more indispensible kitchen items--beans, tuna, straining canned tomatoes
2.) Down comforter
3.) Multiple alarm clocks
4.) Car--physically could not get to work if I didn't have one.
5.) My "Club" steering wheel device--because it's likely I wouldn't have a car if I didn't.
6.) coffee
7.) This hair cream for curly hair...
8.) paper of all kinds. Love it.
9.) high speed internet
10.) concealer...it's one of the few things I've bought multiples of in an "emergency" (read: face broken out, forgot concealer at home)

curevedfeather--
Yes, Horchow! You have done the nearly impossible, by finding the sweet daisy amid the gilded lillies of this over-the-top secret resource. Nice job! Love those quilts.

Frank--
Aw, shucks! ;)

Anne--
Any source you care to share for custom upholstery here in NYC? I want to get the chaise that I DIDN'T buy in time from Portico knocked off-- er, I mean "homaged."

And can you repost your email info for your headshot guy? Still looking. (Or you can email me directly: hatrickdesign@netscape.net)

Also still looking for someone who does fairly tight marker comps/interior renderings...

I'm with Kristian. I might not like Domino that much but these lists are great. Almost as much fun as those Cosmo quizzes my friends and I used to take, which had more to do with "designs" than design.

My list (which I put together when I should have been working)

my cats
Mac Powerbook
the Hawaii State public library system
swimming pools
art museums
coffee
National Public Radio
jeans
sterling silver skull earrings
comfy shoes (doesn’t matter what brand)

kristian, I am with you. I feel like someone in one of those Frosted flake commercials. You know the adult in the dark who admits he still eats Frosted Flakes. Well, damn it I like Domino too. Now there. I said it. I actually look forward do it. I dont seek it out like i do with livingetc. But i do like it.
But i hear a lot of poo pooing it. Domino is becoming the Ikea of magazines.

Hey, I said Domino was too girly to read in public.

I NEVER said I didn't like it! ;)

(and/or KILL to work there...!!)

1. French press coffee
2. My heirloom jewelry
3. Pocket Stars (PDA astronomy program; need to rouse the PDA from its coma)
4. Ancestry.com (at the moment, anyway)
5. My pink stone that glows from within on the window ledge
6. My rural Yankee heritage -- Swamp Yankee Pride!
7. Folger Park
8. Microsuede slipcovers
9. Peapod
10. All of the light from my five-floors-up, faces-East apartment.

This is not a ranked order.

A couple of people here have mentioned their French Press. I just got one and am experimenting until I find the perfect amount of water to coffee ratio. I like strong coffee and bought coarse ground espresso. Any advise on what makes the perfect cup of French Press coffee. I'm tired of experimenting, damn it, I just want the coffee!

Anne -- ditch the French Press and get an Italian Moka -- would be one of my "10 things..." Another would be the stovetop steamer I use with it -- need my cappucino in the a.m.! And superior to and cheaper than Star***ks!

And if you don't ditch it, do be careful -- I know of several injuries with those things.

This is a cute thread, especially since I was just reading one of these lists today in a magazine and it mentioned something about some exotic type of wood bowl. I thought, "yeahhhhh, okayyyy". Here's my top 10.

1) God (for obvious reasons)
2) My wonderful amazingly talented husband
3) My family in Germany + friends here and abroad
4) My sense of style/creativity - I'd hate to be one of these people who know they have no creative bone in their body.
5) music - very important part of my life
6) airplanes - I couldn't live without being able to go to Europe each year
7) Education - being raised in a country where getting a good education is possible. Also, the education called "life" - the learning experiences of merely existing - priceless.
8) My sense of humor - I'm never depressed and I'm not prone to mood swings oddly enough.
9) My iMac G5 20" and all my software - God, it so rocks.
10) My art collection

In the summer of 2004 Smith and Noble featured decking as a new product for them (in their now defunct rug catalog). I jumped right on it and got almost finished with my balcony when I just ran out of money. I waited until this past summer to order the last of it. But they have informed me that it has been discontinued and don't know where I can get my hands on any.

I saw an episode of Debbie Travis' Facelift and she was using it so I went to the product list for that show and emailed her contact for it. That was a couple of months ago and even though I've emailed again I haven't heard from them.

Can anyone think of where I could get this stuff? My balcony looks stupid with the missing section.

oh...and number 11!

APARTMENT THERAPY! Love it!

By the way, I also like Domino... mainly because it's very visual. I've never actually read much of one, come to think of it. I usually just drool at the photos and then, read "O" or "Bee" magazine so my brain won't shrink.

anne,
the instructions that came with my french press said to use 1 heaping tablespoon of coffee for every 4oz cup. hope that helps.

kathryn

LMAO, kristian. Go on and let your girly flag fly!

I like Domino, too. This current issue has been their best so far. And though it is female-targetted, I don't find its editorial content to be so gender-biased as to put off male readers. I find the sex-centric wannabe-player slant of lad mags like Stuff, Maxim, FHM, Giant, Gear, etc to be far more offensive.

Oh patrick (the other one), we cleared that up about the domino thing. Hey, domino would be crazy not to hire you. We've all seen your place.

Today’s topic strikes a personal chord with me. In ’05 I moved to the US after living in Africa for a long time. I have lived in some very harsh conditions - conditions in which I have had to really grapple with this question. The most extreme was while in the Peace Corps 10 years ago: I didn’t even have an outdoor pit latrine.

Here’s my list. Some of this stuff I had. Some of it I didn’t have, but realized I needed.

1. Trees & things green
2. Art on the walls (need not be original,
posters or postcards of favorites will do)
3. One candle/night
4. 2 buckets (one for clean water, one for dirty)
5. Shampoo
6. Water (provided by 2 donkeys/week):
- 1.5 liter/day for drinking (I never had that much...but needed it)
- <1 liter/day for washing hair (if forced between using water for preparing dinner and washing hair the following morning, I chose washing hair.)
7. Perfume (Laura Ashley No. 2 at the time)
8. For my eyes to see beautiful architecture
9. Shortwave radio
10. Needle and thread: used for sewing by hand clothes, curtains, bedspread, etc., and used as therapy/meditation when I was angry

"Anne--
Any source you care to share for custom upholstery here in NYC?"

http://www.munrod.com
Tania runs the workroom. Can reproduce anything.

Another one:
INTERIOR DESIGN WORKROOM
Tania Kovalenko LTD
113 Franklin Street
Suite D
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Ph: (718)-383-0792
Fx: (718)-383-2120

E-mail:
Tania.Kovalenko.LTD@verizon.net
Tania.workshop@verizon.net

What are the odds of 2 different workrooms both run by "Tania"?!

You can say I referred you. Just tell her "anne" from Bohn.

Well, to be more clear - "anne, FORMALLY of Bohn" is more like it.

Christine:

Oh My God I forgot about concealer. Now I'm wondering what I can erase from the list to replace it with concealer. Seriously. Good call.

Lori 2's list is fascinating. Proves we all have different perspectives and needs.

I still don't like Domino but if they hired P(too) I'd subscribe.

This has been a great thread, you think?

OK, here are my 10's.

Pixie #1
1-Cats, dogs, birds, horses, and other creatures (excluding stinging, biting insects)
2-Good friends
3-Good community
4-A good book
5-Great walking shoes
6-California
7-Fresh organic produce
8-The New York Times
9-My meditation group
10-National parks

Pixie #2
1-The Internet
2-The next hot high tech machine that kicks my serotonin on
3-My PDA
4-My Roomba
5-Great cappuccino
6-A good coffeehouse
7-The city
8-Compulsive AT click throughs
9-Online Billpay
10-Zip car

Wait, there's no room for dark chocolate...

you people need to stop posting so much and get back to work, especially anne and patrick.

yeah, what is this - a four-day weekend? talking all this domino-i-like-coffee-in-the-city-when I am eating indian food-stuff.
man, now i know where everyone is.

Anne-
some words on coffee pressing.
1- the amount of coffee you use depends on the size of pot. I have an 8 cup Bodum model pictured here:

http://www.bodumusa.com/shop/line.asp?MD=1&GID=3&LID=3&HID=1298&CHK=&SLT=&mscssid=N6EB67291R0L8N67XP76U4JALDUJ9DC7

That makes the best coffee I have ever had in my life. I place 4 heaping tablespoons (I use a regular cuttlery spoon, not a measuring one) and fill it with water "right off the boil", stir it, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

some other things:
1- if you go to a good coffee shop to buy your coffee, they will grind it especially for a french press, i think esspresso grind might be too small and you'll end up with mud.
2- if you are in New York, I really recomend Puerto Rican Trading company. Tell em to grind it for a French Press, I love the organic ethiopean. AND it's cheap.

3- ALSO if you are in New York, go to the Bodum store. It is a LOVELY shopping experience, the kichen stuff is fabulous, they always have great deals (got my 60 buck french press for 23.99) , and the staff is extreemly helpful. Tell them you bought a french press (I would tell them it was one of theirs, just to insure a feeling of comradery) and ask them to show you how to make coffee...... they will do it, I swear.

www.decor8.blogspot.com- great list, GREAT BLOG! I just checked it out. I'm a new Yorker who was raised in New England and currently lives in Frankfurt... If you are ever in Frankfurt visiting friends, drop me an email.

Enrique-having seen your apartment, I knew you would understand...

Lori2-great list. I guess 2 buckets on a donkey is a bit more profound then my ebay lamp.....

The only french presses I've dealt with liked to break, and I couldn't convince them not to.

So, I gave up and got a coffee maker, which I like just fine. I basically like coffee and coffee-esque things. I can even stand "instant", if it's got half-and-half in it and at least one sugar.

Curtis, mine break, too, but now there are unbreakable ones! Starbucks has a thermal one, a clear unbreakable one (sort of woodsy), and my SIL gave me a French press travel mug from LL Bean for Christmas. I gave my cousin a four-cup glass press pot.

My problem with this method is that there is no way to put a timer on it to help get me up in the morning! :-) And my new mug is not enough morning coffee without making more *very* soon, but I might bring it here to work.

Off to the deli for a cup of whay they have...

I have always used a french press - my parents always used it, in addition to their cappucino machine. I use espress beans and I grind them myself before each use. I don't really measure anymore - I just eyeball the amount now. It took a little while to get the proportion right and you do need to use quite a lot of coffee to make it strong enough (at least for my taste). One tablespoon per four ounces (which someone suggested) sounds about right.

Let it steep for about five minutes before pressing. Make sure you hold the container steady while you press down, because it can tip over and press slowly because the hot water can spurt out if you're not careful.

I also have a thermos french press - that way you don't have to worry about breakage and the coffee stays warm!

This cracks me up. And hey- I like Domino! Then again my brain isn't too far removed from my teenaged state and I admit to finding personality quizzes somewhat awesome.

1-The Husband
2-My dog, Peter Pan
3-Good moisturizer (amen girls)
4-My family
5-My wallet-sized notebook for my to-do list obsession. Without it I swear I'd forget who I was, where I was going, and what I needed to get there.
6-My websites I read daily... what would I do at work then?
7-A really good vanilla latte
8-Target. Love love that place.
9-Costco and $1.50 hot dogs hallelujah.
10-My engagement ring. I designed it myself!

Boss? I don't need no stinkin' boss! I AM the stinkin' boss.

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions re: FP. I used another scoop of coffee this morning which made a difference. Steeping though - I didn't let it steep. I'll do that and see if it's even better.

Yes, I live in NYC. I've been to Bodum and have purchased some home accessories from them. But I'm going to stop by again the next time I go shopping at Western Beef and ask them to show me the perfect way to make the coffee. I made a point of buying espresso beans and grinding them on the coarsest grind so I think I'm good there.

P2-

That's me all over! Boy this thread is long!

anne,
I think I read that Western Beef is going away.
The one at 14th St that is.
What a place -- a warehouse-sized walk-in refridgerator . . . o the lamb shanks we got from there . . .

I'm bummed that Western Beef may close but not surprised. The 'hood is too trendy so I bet the rent is sky high. Gee, remember when Hellfire was under what is now Vento and it was sorta scary waiting for the bus? Good old days.

anne LOL
I used to wait for the 14th St/Ave D bus with the trannie hookers at 16th St between 9th and 10th Ave.
They told me where to stand . . . then we all got along fine.

I used to sit with the doorman for Hellfire and talk to him until the bus arrived.

I used to work across the street at the Soho House..... oh wait, different era.

Poor Hellfire is dead; poor hellfire is dead. (Sung to the tune of "Poor Judd Frye is dead" from "Oklahoma!".)

anne
when you say you didn't let it steep, what do you mean? When I said "steep" I just meant that I let it sit there with the coffee and hot water for five minutes before pushing the plunger. Are you saying you pour in the water and push the plunger right away - if so, that's your problem right there. It has to sit for a while.