There was a time of great mourning in our home this past month. A member of our family for nearly 20 years had passed away. No, not a beloved pet. It was our Hamilton Beach coffee maker. It was the first coffee maker we had ever purchased with a stainless steel carafe, rather than a glass one. We had a bad habit of exploding the glass ones as they sat on the warmer plate too long.

Having a stainless steel carafe also meant no warmer plate, so less of a fire hazard. That is always a plus in my book. It also came with two stainless steel travel mugs. One could brew a single travel mug of coffee, two travel mugs simultaneously, or, if one was feeling generous, a whole pot. The carafe could keep the coffee reasonably hot for a couple of hours.

Just an aside about coffee. Back in the day, when coffee was percolated on the stove, full pots were the only way coffee came into your life unless you were some reprobate who drank instant. Coffee was a community event. “C’mon in, I just made coffee,” was one of the most frequent lines said to guests at the door. Because chances are, my father had just made coffee. The individualization of coffee simply was how much cream or sugar you stirred in. There were no espresso shots, flavored syrups, or that nonsense. There was cream, milk, or half and half. There was sugar or the latest saccharine faux sugar. Coffee was not a source of decision fatigue. It was a conduit of community, not an event in itself.

But there we were last month, with a dead coffee pot and a million replacement options. We put it off a moment by bringing in the camping coffee pot and percolating it on the stove like our parents did before us. But we no longer have that kind of patience. It has been trained out of us by Amazon and overnight shipping. So we shopped. Did we want a single cup pod system? A machine that would froth milk and make espresso shots as well? How about the one that lets you do all of the above?

And then, cue the choir. We found the same Hamilton Beach coffee pot, but its newest iteration. Gone are the travel mugs, but stainless steel carafe? Check. And this one has a warming plate that is only one while the pot is brewing. It warms the carafe! Brilliant! It has a clock that lets you know when the last pot was brewed. Game changer! And it has different settings, so you can brew at different temperatures for bolder flavors. Sold!

It was at our home in less than 48 hours because that is how we roll.

So, if you are in the neighborhood, come on over. I just made coffee. Or did about 37 minutes ago.