The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • E4

E4 The Modesto Bee www.modbee.com Saturday, February 8, 2014 car with nice-looking, silver wheels, but also silver tires and silver graffi- ti all over the fenders. TOM: The best way to paint them is to have someone take the wheels off the car and take the tires off the wheels. Then the wheels can be bead-blasted or really sanded clean and painted well. RAY: So spray-painting will cost you time, effort and a can of spray paint, or whatever you have to pay a local handyperson or repair shop to do the work for you. TOM: The next step up would be to buy four full wheel covers for the car.

We used to call them hubcaps, but they tend to be plastic these days, and they cover up that whole middle section of the wheel inside the tire. The only exception is the very outside edge of the wheel, which the wheel cover reach. RAY: You can buy new ones, with the Toyota logo and everything, for something like $60 or $70 each. Or you can buy used or refurbished ones for half that price. Search online for Camry wheel to see available to you.

TOM: Or if you want to start fresh, you can always buy yourself four new, steel wheels and replace those rusty wheels entirely. RAY: Your mechanic is right that the rust dangerous at this point. But if bugging you, and making you hate your car, make it go away. TOM: Absolutely. An Camry with 68,000 miles on it is a young- ster, and it easily could last you another 68,000 miles.

For $300- $400, you can have new steel wheels, with not a speck of rust on them. Those usually come painted black, if OK with you. RAY: Or if you want to splurge a bit and upgrade, for a couple of hundred more, you can get a set of original, Toyota, seven-spoke, silver- alloy rims. Then be Mary. TOM: Or just go online and find another set of wheels that make your car looks sexy or at least sexier! If you search for for have an enormous number of choices, and you can pick something make you smile when you come out to the parking lot.

RAY: why we urge you to do something, Mary: If you hate your car (we can read between the lines here), take lousy care of it. When you decide, in your mind, that your car is a piece of junk, you stop fixing things. Then you stop maintaining things. You subcon- sciously help it turn into a piece of junk so you can justify getting rid of it and getting something else. Sever- al of wives have done that to him.

TOM: But that makes no econom- ic sense in your case, Mary. For a fraction of the cost of a new car, you can have any of these solutions. So say invest in the wheel covers at a minimum, and think seriously about some snazzier new wheels. Think of it as taking a second Camry honeymoon! Email Tom and Ray Magliozzi by visiting the Car Talk website, www.cartalk.com. CAR TALK Continued from E3 Busy moms looking to gauge their activity level on a daily basis can turn to Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband for feedback.

The device is worn around the wrist throughout the day and measures a phys- ical activity based on move- ment and fitness goals. The Flex allows for wireless syncing when within 15 feet of the syncing dongle (which comes with purchase), and that will update data on the online dashboard. The wristband uses five small LED indicators, each one lighting up on the wrist- band when a portion of a goal has been met. Wearers can then head online and access their Fitbit dashboard to retrieve more specific data about their activity: calories burned, steps taken and how close they are to getting that next LED indicator to light up because their kids are beg- ging them to know. Busy moms (no names mentioned!) might be sur- prised to find out they quite as active as they think even when they feel like they are on the move all day.

And, if they want to check their dashboard while out, they can turn to the Fitbit app, which is made for select Android and iOS devices. At night, the user puts the Flex into sleep mode by tapping on the display area of the band. The Flex then tracks the quality of sleep based on a physical movement at night. It also tracks the number of hours of sleep obtained, which can be useful data in many ways (like helping a mom realize she needs more sleep). Once awake, the wearer taps on the display area of the wristband to shift the Flex into daytime mode and begin activity tracking.

An alarm, or several, can be set, and waking up to a vibration from a wristband compared to an audible alarm (like the Marimba if one uses their iPhone) provides, well, a different waking experience. More details about the many features of the Flex can be found online at fitbit- where the wristbands can also be purchased for $99.95 in black, slate, lime or pink colors. Included in the purchase is the wireless charging cable, wireless sync dongle, small and large wristbands, and the tracker. Fitbit also offers several other types of activity-track- ing devices including the Zip, One and Force. Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband device is worn around the wrist through- out the day and measures a physical activity based on movement and fitness goals.

Flex tracks activity level By Maggie O'Neill McClatchy-Tribune Kan. Among the devices they employed was a si- phon, a twin-chambered glass tower powered by a glowing halogen lamp. The charms were immediate: evil-scientist- grade equipment that can make you feel like a 10-year- old with a chemistry set. But that childhood reverie van- ished with one sip of coffee. Compared with the other devices (two pour-over cones, an AeroPress and a Clever dripper), the siphon- produced cup was more complex, balancing sweet- ness and acidity.

If the other devices had emphasized the Finca bracing- ly sour brightness, the si- phon had transformed it into candied lemon. I was hooked. I was sold on the siphon, sure, but more than that, I was fascinated by the flavors that each device unlocked in the same coffee. I wanted to experiment more. Within a month, I had secured not only a Yama three-cup siphon but also other tools for my morning caffeine ritual: a Bee House dripper, an AeroPress coffee and espresso maker and a digital scale to weigh my coffee and water down to the nearest gram.

Then came the more expensive stuff: a high-end electric drip maker often touted as the best on the market, and a single-cup device capable of brewing any freshly ground beans. That latter piece of equip- ment, I thought, would serve as a litmus test to see whether, when it comes to coffee brewing, convenience and quality are mutually exclusive. But the paradox about trying to improve your home coffee experience is that none of those fancy instruments and machines will guarantee you a perfect cup every time. As any veteran roaster or barista will tell you, coffee is not a fixed commodity, its quality the same day in and day out. an agricultural prod- uct that degrades like any other fresh ingredient you buy at the grocery store.

Freshness is paramount. Home brewing is mov- ing target, because the cof- fee itself is a moving says Joel Finkelstein, the owner and roaster behind Qualia Coffee here. He says only one kind of coffee will give you the same cup each time: old and stale, you can get total Finkelstein cracks. So a high-quality cup begins with freshly roasted beans, but it end there. Home brewing has evolved beyond the one- button convenience of Mr.

Coffee and the disposable pods of Nespresso. You need education. For starters, you need to understand the benefits of a burr grinder, which pulver- izes those fresh beans more evenly than your typical cheapo blade grinder. A burr grinder also allows you to adjust the grind size of your beans, an important feature when you start using the more labor-intensive tools to brew coffee. One grind size does not fit all of these contraptions.

Immersion brewers de- vices such as the siphon and French press, in which the full complement of water remains in contact with the grounds for the entire steep- ing process typically re- quire a coarser grind to prevent bitter, over-extract- ed coffee. Pour-over devices whether a Hario v60 drip- per, a Chemex coffeemaker or some other contraption in which water passes over the grounds more quickly generally take a medium or fine grind. longer the extraction time, the coarser the the Chad McCracken notes. From there, things can get really geeky really fast. Any barista worth her weight in Geisha beans will determine the perfect coffee-to-water ratio for every available bag, looking for a calculation that brings out a best characteristics.

Baristas may start with a general ratio say, 1 ounce of coffee to 16 ounces of water but will quickly adjust the percentages to arrive at the perfect cup. Or at least the perfect cup according to their taste, which is important to re- member. the end of the day, good to making says Judith Mandel, a for- mer barista with Peregrine Espresso who finished ninth out of 40-plus competitors in the U.S. Brewers Cup last year in Boston. Mandel now works as a barista for Blue Bottle Coffee in the Bay Area.

If you talk to enough baristas, you begin to hear a pattern: They all have their own approaches, their own ratios, their own ideas about brewing the ideal cup. It begins to make you feel like a Wild West out there, with no set standards for baristas and home- brewers to follow. a lot of opinion- ated baristas who have a lot of science behind says Alex McCracken of the Wydown. Yet there are standards. The Specialty Coffee Asso- ciation of America has set them down in its Brewing which is based on research con- ducted by the Coffee Brew- ing Institute (later the Cof- fee Brewing Center) in the mid-20th century.

Of course, to make sense of the science, a barista has to become familiar with a refractometer and how to measure things such as the not sure ever reach the level of Mandel, whose OCD-like labors have led her to employ screens (to sift grounds for precisely uniform particles) and a rubber restrictor in her kettle (to slow the flow). This is where the bad news comes in: There is no ideal brewing system, per- fect for every bean and every taste bud. been absorbing that hard lesson through a lot of trial and error, testing and retesting, and yet some part of me still wants to pronounce that one of these devices outperforms the others. Some days I think the siphon (which generally produces a balanced, full- bodied cup). Other days I think the Bee House dripper (which always seems to extract a best flavors).

But one morn- ing the Clever might sur- prise me with an exquisite cup, and I want to hold it forever close. Then the Moccamaster KBG-741 AO arrives via delivery. a handmade automatic drip machine, the top model produced by Technivorm in the Nether- lands, engineered to heat water to the proper temper- atures and steep grounds the proper length of time. one of only four home brewers certified by the SCAA. I want to be- lieve this contraption can brew something as complex as my (increasingly sophisti- cated) efforts, but it does.

Or it can, I should say. The per- formance reminds me of something Ryan Jensen, owner of Peregrine Espres- so, told me recently: Large- batch brewers may one day reclaim specialty coffee shops. Think of it as the rise of the machines, again. BREWERS Continued from E1 COFFEE-BREWING TIPS If convenience foods turned Americans into strangers in their own kitchens, imagine the damage that automated home brewers have done. Many of us have no clue how to brew a good cup of coffee.

But we have tips from roasters, from baristas and from The Washington Post Food staff, for both beginners and the more advanced home coffee brewer. FOR THE BEGINNER: Buy freshly roasted coffee beans. Look for a roast date on the package. If there is none, be suspicious. You want coffee no more than two weeks off the roast.

if it starts to hit 10 days, find some other use for like iced coffee, says Ryan Jensen, owner of Peregrine Espresso. Invest in a good conical burr grinder. You will get better extraction from coffee beans that are evenly ground. You can get a Baratza Encore grinder for as little as $129. grind the coffee beans until right before ready to steep them.

Make sure your water is hot enough, between 195 and 205 degrees, which leads to optimal extraction. Water about 15-30 seconds off the boil should be ideal; let it go longer than a minute off the boil, however. Study up. You have to read the Specialty Coffee Asso- ciation of science-heavy Coffee Brewing but you can scan the Facebook pages, which offer tips on various devices: French press, pour-over cones, Clever dripper and AeroPress. get hung up on techniques.

fascinating that we have these parameters that set says Judith Man- del, a barista formerly with Peregrine, now with Blue Bottle Coffee in the Bay Area. fun to push them, because coffee can taste great if we go outside FOR THE ADVANCED HOME BREWER: Preheat your brewing vessel, whether a Chemex or a French press, so the water does not cool on contact and drop below the ideal brewing temperature. Pre-wet your filters with hot water. It will help eliminate any taste in the finished coffee. Let fresher coffee (that is, let it degas with hot water) longer than older coffee.

more carbon dioxide in coffee only a couple of days off the roast, says Joel Finkelstein, owner and roaster at Qualia Coffee. If trying to calculate ratios for the ideal cup, start with 1 ounce coffee to 16 ounces water. just tell people: Start there, and based on what you get, go a little bit up or a little bit on the ratio of coffee to water, says Alex McCracken, co-owner of the forthcoming Wydown shop in D.C. If using a siphon brewer, place the upper glass chamber into the bottom chamber until the water starts to reach the ideal temperature. need a thermometer, of course.) Otherwise, water will begin to push into the upper chamber and extract coffee before the water has reached the proper temperature.

Francisco, beans grown high in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. Hario V60 ceramic dripper, size 2 Retail price: Starting at $20, available at Amazon and other outlets. Pros: Designed to create a uniform brew. Brews straight into a single cup. Easy cleanup.

Works well with East African coffees, balancing sweetness and acidity. Cons: Brews only one cup at a time. Breakable. Requires specific filters. Large hole in middle, easy for water to pass through without the right grind and pouring techniques.

Produces a roasty, rather than sweet, cup of Don Francisco. Bee House ceramic dripper (small) Retail price: Starting at $14.95, available at Ama- zon and other outlets. Pros: With two small drain holes, Bee House provides easier water control than a Hario V60. Brews straight into a single cup. Easy cleanup.

Openings at base allow brewer to see how much coffee has been produced. Makes a beautiful cup of Don Francisco, like biting into a good chocolate bar. Cons: Brews only one cup at a time. Breakable. User needs to learn water-pour- ing techniques.

Requires specific filters. Clever Dripper (large) Retail price: Starting at $22, available at Amazon and other outlets. Pros: Requires no pouring skills. Allows precise control over steeping time. Easy cleanup.

Durable, BPA-free plastic construction. Drains straight into a single cup. Cons: Can lead to over- extraction unless beans are ground coarsely. Not dish- washer-safe, and it stains. Brews only one cup at a time.

Makes a smooth, cho- colaty cup of Don Francisco, but with a cardboardlike aftertaste. Moccamaster KBG-741 AO Retail price: Starting at $279, available at Amazon, the Starbucks store and other online sites. Pros: Brews coffee at the proper temperature. Brews up to 10 cups at a time. No pouring skills needed.

Each unit is handmade. Produces a smooth, sweet and nutty cup of Don Francisco, like eating a Peanut Butter Cup. Cons: Expensive. Requires a large amount of counter space. Coffee decanter is breakable.

Has more equip- ment to clean than other devices. Chemex eight-cup coffeemaker Retail price: Starting at $38.75, available at Amazon and other sites. Pros: The bonded filter, heavier than most, filters out oils and sediment, lead- ing to a bitterness-free cup of coffee. Produces eight cups at a time. Elegant hourglass design; corrode or crack.

Cons: Breakable. Requires Chemex brand filters. Needs a long-handled brush for proper clean-up. Produces a smooth, chocolaty cup, but not as complex as those in other devices. Bodum Chambord eight-cup French press Retail price: Starting at $40, available at Amazon, Bodum.com and stores such as Sur La Table.

Pros: Requires no pouring skills. Allows precise control over steeping time. Brews up to eight cups at a time. No filters needed. Produces a rich and cocoa-heavy cup of Don Francisco; like drinking a cup of hot choco- late.

Cons: Grounds and coffee sludge seep into cup. Clea- nup is messy. AeroPress Retail price: Starting $25.99, available online at Amazon and at stores such as Crate and Barrel. Pros: Device is small and portable. Easy cleanup.

Requires no pouring skills. Air-pressure element allows for shorter steeping times. Can produce both coffee and espresso. Espresso can be made without proper tamp- ing of grounds. Produces a balanced, sweet and slightly acidic cup of Don Francisco.

Cons: Makes only one small cup of coffee. Requires some practice to produce a decent espresso. Requires specific filters. Yama 3-cup tabletop siphon (vacuum pot) Retail price: Starting around $61, available at Amazon and other sites. Pros: Aesthetically beauti- ful; a conversation piece.

Requires no pouring skills. Allows better control of steeping times and water temperature. Less grounds seepage than a French press. Produces perhaps the ideal cup of Don Francisco: sweet, chocolaty, nutty, acidic, creamy, full-bodied. Cons: Fragile and not easy to store.

Cleanup is messy. Requires practice to perfect technique. To better control heat, you need a small bu- tane burner, available for $41 at Sweet Keurig K10 Mini, with reusable K-Cups Retail price: Starting around $85, available at Amazon, Keurig.com and other sites. Pros: Quick and conve- nient, producing a single cup in under two minutes. Easy cleanup.

The reusable K-Cup filter allows you to use any coffee. Cons: A single K-Cup reusable filter runs an extra $10 on Amazon. The filter always hold enough grounds to give you the proper ratio of water to coffee. The water seem to get hot enough for proper extraction. Produces a cup of Don Francisco whose flavors seem muted.

DEVICES Continued from E1 The wristband uses five small LED indicators, each one lighting up on the wristband when a portion of a goal has been met..