Texan Magazine
By Bill Dante
It’s that special time of year. The gift giving season is here. It has been said, “The most perfect gift is one you buy for someone and then are tempted to keep for yourself, but you give it as a gift anyway.”
Here are a few gift ideas that you may want to buy for a friend or family member….. and then maybe buy one for yourself too!
Not Just A Coffee Machine
I must confess, coffee is my passion. I have spent hundreds of hours watching shows like “Seattle Coffee” and others on YouTube …..over and over. For many years, I have interviewed the owners of numerous roasting facilities with hundreds of questions and answers. I have ground whole beans and compared tastings with coffees from all over the world, including Ethiopian.
I own a Delonghi coffee machine, which is a good machine to “learn” on in today’s world.
An espresso machine can cost as little as one hundred dollars, probably a pod, to thousands of dollars. I do mean thousands with all kinds of bells and whistles.
But, there are a few parts that mean more and are more important as to the quality of coffee you’re going to produce. The grinder being one and the pump being the other.
Some of the better machines run about seven hundred dollars. A good choice, is one with a built in grinder with at least 15 settings. That will save you money with no need to buy an additional separate grinder.
Barista quality with 15 bars of pressure and stainless steel is ideal. Precise water temperature is very important. Also, an Italian pump is something that provides quality and will last over many, many cups of cappuccino.
But can you get the same quality without the hefty price tag? Yes, you can! Instead of $700 dollars how about $299? Walmart, yep…. walmart.com has two machines that meet the above criteria.
Soonbuy is the first machine and Ultima is the second. If you go to You Tube you can find everything you wanted to know about the Ultima machine. That’s the one I’m buying! Uh, I mean gifting….
Ciao!
Game Of Drones
Finally, the weather is cooler and we can go outside and have some family fun. Buying a drone is absolutely worth it if you’re looking for a fun new hobby.
PLUS, there is always a sale going on which could enable you to buy a higher priced drone for the same money that you planned on spending.
The Holy Stone Drone is one of the best for the dollar. You can start at $100 for the Holy Stone HS440 but this would be for beginners. You’re better off spending a few more dollars and starting off with the better quality and more intelligent functions.
For $199.00, you can get the HS 360S, 4K UHD camera drone.
I like the automatic return and time lapse capability. You just need to compare the options with your needs and desires. Read what each one does. You’ll definitely want the auto return! Otherwise you might be climbing a tree to get your drone back!
Eventually you may work up to the HS600 which can be assigned to track you effortlessly. This drone locks in on your location and makes sure you’re always the star.
Telescope For Your Smartphone
The brand is Pankoo, it’s on Amazon. Look for the red Macaw logo. It’s a 12 x 50 Monocular Telescope High Powered HD scope.
It attaches to your smart phone. It just slides right onto your phone. It even comes with a small tripod for that perfect, steady long distance magnificent picture or exciting video that you will remember for a lifetime. It does comes in different sizes. Look for the one with the smartphone attachment and always remember, “It’s better to give than receive!” Most of the time…
Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!
