My go-to coffee grinder finally died after 8 years this morning

It was that $40 Cuisinart I bought at Target in 2016 and it just seized up while grinding my dark roast beans, so I spent an hour hand-crushing them with a mortar and pestle instead anyone else have a backup plan when your main gadget fails?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielnelson1mo ago

The mortar and pestle grind is some serious dedication, I respect that. My backup plan when my grinder dies is usually just me staring at the dead machine for five minutes then giving up on coffee that morning. Honestly my main gadget fails on me about once a week because I'm too stubborn to buy a nice one. I still have the same cheap blade grinder from college that sounds like a lawnmower having a seizure. My backup is usually just running the beans through the blender real quick and praying the lid stays on.

avery_jackson1mo ago

The blender move is bold, I respect the gamble. But it really hits on something bigger I notice with people. We all hold onto these broken systems out of stubbornness, thinking we're being practical when we're actually just avoiding the fix. It's like that one drawer everyone has with dead batteries and random screws, we know it's useless but we keep it around. Your blade grinder is basically the kitchen version of that drawer. Maybe the real upgrade isn't buying a nicer grinder, it's just admitting some things are done and moving on. What's the oldest thing you still use that you know you should just toss?

avery_flores171mo ago

That "staring at the dead machine and giving up" hit way too close to home. I've got a folding chair from 2004 I still pull out for parties even though the legs are held together with zip ties and pure luck. Every time I sit in it I'm basically playing a game of "will this be the moment I end up on the floor with the food".