Thoughts about O-rings and coffee...
Our coffee machine had a bit of a spaz today... well, it still makes coffee just fine... but the milk steamer is playing up and not bubbling up the milk. Well, I'll survive... I like black coffee as well, so it doesn't really matter! However, in the morning , I do like to make myself a cappuccino... so I missed out this morning!
As I was having a look around on the internet to see what the problem could be, and trying to narrow down the causes.. one of the most likely causes was that the o-rings that form the seal on the milk steamer were broken.... well, it has been quite a few years since they have been replaced... and they were pretty gunky and so, I thought that would be a good place to start!
... so, off to the internet to find and order some o-rings for the coffee machine. Easy enough, you would think!... however, there are quite a variety of o-rings to choose from that are made for coffee machines... and all the various parts of the coffee machines! Sure, there is a little bit of standardisation... but there are so many sizes and types!
.... which led me to thinking about how things that seem simple from outside or as an outsider... are much much more complex than we ever could realise. There is a reason why expert opinion is worth so much more than a layperson... the layperson just can't begin to grasp the complexities of the topic at hand (from coffee machines to mathematics and every topic in between...), and it would be arrogant to think that you could without some serious study of the field.
However, it seems to be the prevailing sentiment on the internet... that a quick Google search in your silo-ed internet feed will be enough to make you the equal of people who have lived, breathed and worked in the field for their entire lives. That a simple anecdote or two is the better of a detailed and well conducted statistical analysis... This is not helped by the fact that politicians and others tell us how simple everything is supposed to be... the talking heads that don't need to understand the topic... but just look and sound authoritative.
So... if I had a wish... I would wish that people could just step back, and just realise how much there is to know... and to understand how little we do know in comparison to others. Sure, we may know a whole heap about one particular topic or a few, but that doesn't mean that we have the same depth of understanding in unrelated fields...
This position of realisation is the basis of learning... the understanding that we have so much to learn.
So... in that spirit... I ordered several sets of o-rings for the coffee machine. I have no idea which ones will work or are for the right part of the machine.... but I'm going to learn, from a very humble basis of ZERO!
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Howdy sir bengy! haha..smart move and it's nice that o rings are relatively inexpensive. I hope one of them fits. Steemit is wonderful in it's diverse knowledge base!
As luck would have it, the first one I tried was the right one!
howdy again sir bengy! yay! success. Someone said I'd rather be lucky than good!
I was actually having a different type of o-ring (the sugary type) with my coffee this morning when I found this post. A nice read to start the day🙂
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Trust me, I would have preferred to be learning about sugary rings rather than replacement coffee parts!
As much as I like "the tried and true" and other things "of highly sentimental value" (e.g., my dozen or so of chic - translated: multiple holed, almost gauze thin, "soon-to-be-rumpless", high school era - blue jeans and my 3 pairs of >35 y/o, made to order, Italian leather shoes), if I ever find myself in a situation similar to yours, I would most definitely order a new machine without hesitation.
Why?
I've learned that most machines are objects designed with built-in, highly annoying, accelerated obsolescence; marching their way towards the dumpster as soon after the ceremonial unboxing!
Enjoyed your post.
Namaste, my friend.
JaiChai
Ah, well... This has latest quite a number of years... But there is only so much west and tear that a machine's soft bits can take... So, it is good that it is still possible to get replacement parts!
O-ring.. And not once mentioned challenger?
Wow
:)
Ha ha, the thought did cross my mind, but I got carried away on a different tangent!
Yikes! My day cannot start with a cappuccino. You might need to look up parts for your specific machine. Check espressoparts.com or the Chris Coffee webstore. When I have something really stubborn, I usually call Chris Coffee and one of their technicians tells me how to check for faults. My espresso machine (a La Spaziele Vivaldi) is now 14 years old, runs 24-7, and has needed a few repairs in that time--all solved by advice and parts from Chris Coffee.
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives
I got the parts the other day... so it should be hopefully easy to repair! It's only a worn o-ring after all... hopefully!
Luckily, I also enjoy a black coffee as well... so I can go strong fora few days... but it isn't quite the same!
And that's how we end up with drawers full of things that might be useful one day so can't be thrown away.
O-rings have many uses:
Balance the cue ball on one when you're about to break when playing snooker on a ship.
Sweatbands for mice
Combine with sticky-tape to make your own corn-plasters.
And so-on...
Haha... that is quite interesting uses! Now I definitely can't through out the extra ones! Just in case...
This is one of my favorite sayings and I do strive to continue 'learning something new everyday' - whether it's just a simple understanding or an entire topic... more importantly, I hope you get your coffee machine fixed as I believe cappuccinos are an integral part of any learning experience.
Haha... yes, coffee is definitely an integral part of learning! That is why the Enlightenment took so long!
It's when the realization sets in that one will never know everything, that the mind is opened to know as much as one can. It's a lifelong mission and there are no short-cuts such as depending on Google! Blessings
Learning and more importantly the desire to learn is such a great thing! One will never get bored!
O rings can bring enlightenment on how little we truly do know in comparison of all there is to know. I google too. :)
Yep... I use Google, and then get caught in a rabbit hole! When I was younger, I would read random articles in the encycopaedia Brittanica... I would spend afternoons, just opening pages and reading away!
t'was a good read. :) :)
Thanks and thanks for dropping by!