Mine also came with a huge number of the paper filters (350?) and actually, the filters are reusable at least 4-5 times if you give them a quick rinse (there are few grounds on them when you peel the filter off the “puck”).

We found if we set our grinder just one or two notches less fine on our burr grinder than for our automatic espresso machine, it was perfect for the Aeropress (more coarse than for espresso but more fine than for automatic drip coffee or French press).

We just did a northern CA road trip and the Aeropress was great! We heated water in the motel drip machines and made espressos and Americanos in our motel room. For the road, I made a 4 shot Americano in our Thermos container right before checking out. At one motel at North Lake Tahoe (the FireLite) the 4 cup Sunbeam drip coffee machine gave the water a plastic-y taste (which ruined the coffee), so we used the microwave to heat water instead. I tried an immersion heater in a 2 cu Pyrex before we left, but it was really slow so we didn’t bother with that.

After brunch at the Squeeze In after we departured Lake Tahoe (thanks very much for that recommendation!) the waitress filled our thermos with hot water and I made “bumper” espresso Americanos at our car parked right outside. My son videotaped me making it but I haven’t done anything with that yet.

Crema – I know what you mean, we love crema, too. The Aeropress does makes some crema, but not as much or as long lasting as the crema produced by our “Italian Princess” automatic machine. You can hear it at the end of the pressing process as the steam and air in the chamber is forced through the grounds and filter. Actually, what I discovered is that the crema forms mostly on the underneath side of the filter holder and clings there (I tend to scrape the bottom of the unit across my cup edge to catch the crema when I’m done pressing). My husband (the espresso drinker) says the crema forms better when there is more coffee and less water when brewing with the Aeropress. I usually make Americanos, so I tend to be liberal with the water.

Thanks for the info. I just ordered one through Amazon and had it sent to where I’m going to be traveling next week. I’ll let you know how I like it after a few cups. Hope it’s as good as everyone seems to think it is. If so, it will make traveling a lot easier for us. No more lousy, in-room coffee in the various hotels.

I also had my first 25-OH-D test done by LifeLabs. From I have read the toxicity issue has been overstated.

I have recently joined a vitamin D study sponsored by D-Action. Every 6 months I complete a health survey and submit a blood spot sample for analysis. For those who are interested you can participate in the vitamin D study by joining D Action at http://www.grassrootshealth.net. There’s the Call to Action on the site from a consortium of concerned parties and scientists representing a number of universities.

Vitamin D study participants must submit 2 tests per year at a cost of $40 US per test (I paid $120 to have a 25-OH-D test done by the local lab). The range recommended by D-Action is 100-150 nmol/L. The Vitamin D Council recommends 125-200 nmol/L (NBV: nmol/L is 2.5 x US values). The Vitamin D Council claims the body does not reliably store vitamin D when serum levels are <100 nmol/L.

My first test in the study was 127.5 nmol/L which resulted from regular full body sun bathing for about 30 minutes close to noon (weather permitting) and D3 supplements of 5,000 units per day. I exchanged emails recently with a participant close to me area who has his own sun bed. He sun baths regularly but takes only 400 IU of D3. His serum levels were lower than mine but still within the recommended range. So you can just imagine what most people's levels are who are either avoiding the sun or using lots of sun block. Studies suggest that about 95% of Canadians are deficient in terms of the minimal 40 nmol/L recommended by Health Canada. Some have no detectable trace of vitamin D in them.

There is a wealth of excellent information on the Grass Roots and Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.org) web sites including some excellent lectures.

And you will probably have to find another endocrinologist to get a script for dessicated thyroid.

Sorry for sticking this comment onto such an old post, but it was the most recent one I could find with the search feature where you mention coffee or espresso/americanos.

In case you haven’t come across this yet, as a fellow fan of Espresso Americano drinks, I want to alert you to the aeropress espresso/americano maker. I think this would be right up your alley. I have no affiliation with the aeropress other than as a user.

http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm Great reviews online on many sites.

It’s an incredibly simple inexpensive espresso maker that makes espresso and Americanos that will rival very expensive espresso machines. It’s very easy to clean (just a quick rinse) and economical to use. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and perfect for travel so you don’t have to drink nasty drip coffee in your hotel room. The aeropress isn’t even electric; you press a plunger into the device by hand. All you need is a hot water source (165-175°F). You can make from one to four shots of espresso at one time, adding more hot water for Americanos (or hot milk for lattes).

After 13,454 coffees, our “Italian Princess” (the nickname of our fancy automatic espresso machine) has a signaling problem and will spend about a month at the the espresso spa being rejuvenated. We were dreading a month of drinking drip coffee from the coffee maker stored in the garage. We have a stovetop espresso maker for camping, but that method has some downsides, too.

On a coffee-loving friend’s strong recommendation I bought an aeropress espresso maker to tide us over. Wow! Now I’m even questioning sending the Princess to the expensive “spa”; perhaps instead I should retire her and reclaim the kitchen counter space!

Thanks for the tip, Anna. I read all the stuff, but I could never find a price. Do you remember what you paid for yours? Also, does it make a crema on the espresso? I love the taste of espresso, but I particularly love the crema that floats on the top.

In this post, you mentioned, “I’ve got another post that I’ll probably put up next week about a supplement that will knock reflux on its head quickly.” I searched for a follow-up on this, but didn’t see anything. I’d be very interested in this information, as I’ve been suffering from laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) for years. This is a little different from GERD, and often (as in my case) involves no heartburn symptoms — but the acid gets passed the *upper* esophageal sphincter and wreaks havoc on the vocal cords, so that I have a persistent hoarseness, even when otherwise healthy. If the supplement you have in mind can help, I’d really like to know about it.

Thank you!
Mark

It is the supplement Protexid. I do plan to post on it soon.

I think it does support liver function.

The MCT’s from coconut oil are also processed in the liver. Should I limit coconut oil when I want to give my liver a chance to recover?

greetings,

André

No, the coconut oil should actually help your liver recover.

We are working on our own protein powder and should have it ready soon, but in the meantime, here’s the recipe for the protein shake MD makes for me.

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Yeah, I know it’s technically not good for me, but I seem to function better this way. I have also had intermittent problems with daytime sleepiness since junior high school.

I finally did get some “blackout” curtains for the bedroom windows, which helps some, as up here in the desert, the morning sun is rather fierce.

Re: Caffeine. I love the taste of coffee… but it doesn’t like me too much. I drink it when I need to stay awake for some reason (such as driving home from L.A.). The caffeinated stuff gives me some chest tightness, palpitations, gut cramps, and diarrhea.

The decaffeinated stuff still gives me gut cramps and diarrhea. So, unless I really need it, I try to avoid it.

Drinking a whole lot of caffeinated tea will do some of the same things to me.

Re: Dairy. I’m one of those people who is lactose intolerant with pasteurized cows’ milk, although I tolerate raw cows’ milk and goats’ milk just fine. Haven’t been able to get any raw goats’ milk yet, but hope to do so eventually. I can handle cheese, though.

Re: Fats. I’m trying to up my intake. I take cod liver oil every morning, plus fish oil capsules. I tolerate butter just fine, also coconut oil and rendered pork fat. However, when I try to use a significant amount of cream (even raw cream; also sour cream), it also sometimes gives me gut cramps and diarrhea, although I love the taste.

I’ve been trying to keep the carbs down. Unfortunately, the more I try to avoid carbs, the more my significant other seems to want them. He doesn’t cook very much. If it were up to me, I would not even bring home stuff like bread and boxes of frozen taquitos.

It can be difficult for a middle-aged woman to easily lose weight if her hormones are out of balance. It can be done, it’s just more difficult. I can’t really recommend anything specific for you on this front because you aren’t my patient. But when my patients do hit a plateau, I usually put them on protein shakes to get the weight loss moving. You might try replacing a couple of meals with protein shakes and see what happens. I would bet your weight loss will pick up.