by Luke McKinney
FoodConnect Toronto
luke.mckinney@foodconnect.com

So far I've given thanks for things that make my life in the kitchen easier, or more fun. Today I give thanks for something that makes life in the kitchen possible - in fact, makes my life anywhere outside of bed possible. The coffee grinder.

It's a simple fact that without coffee eighty per cent of modern America would collapse. In fact, considering the number of Starbucks there are now, without them eighty per cent of American buildings would become structurally unsound and collapse too. But you aren't at the mercy of their overpriced and bland-tastic coffee offerings when you've got your own grinder.

Sure, you can buy instant coffee (if you don't mind drinking powdered gravel mixed with battery acid). You con buy pre-ground coffee, but be aware that no matter how tight and shiny that foil wrapping, the grounds were venting vitality for hours or days before that and you're just getting a shadow of their former selves.

A grinder gives you the pleasure of fresh beans in the morning, and even better it doesn't have to be expensive. "Top of the line" grinders are overkill when all you need is a firm grip and a steady button-finger. A cheap grinder is an anti-Dalek: a squat, screaming machine that brings joy and life to humans.