Make your coffee the best it can be

Dear Readers: For many of us, enjoying a morning coffee (with a newspaper) is an important part of the day. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your next cup is the best it can be:

•Start with fresh, cold water.

•Use the right grind for your coffee maker.

•Measure the correct amount of coffee, which is usually 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water. Experiment until you find the strength that’s right.

•Keep the coffeepot clean! Many people just give the pot a quick rinse, but over time this causes the oil from the coffee to build up and creates a rancid taste! Clean the pot with hot, soapy water as often as you can, at least after every third or fourth use. Many pots, filter baskets and lids are dishwasher-safe, too.

•To remove heavy deposits, run full-strength vinegar through a brew cycle. Pour the hot vinegar back in and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Then turn on, let it run through a second time and follow with several cycles of plain water.

Did you know vinegar has a zillion money-saving uses? It does; cleaning appliances, washing windows and windshields, and more. For an alphabetical list of green hints using cheap old vinegar, send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

FYI: If your teakettle has lime deposits built up on the bottom, fill it with full-strength vinegar, then boil for several minutes. Let it sit, then scrub if necessary. Rinse well afterward. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I hated making sausage patties because the fat stuck to my hands and was very difficult to remove. To solve the problem, I dampen my hands with a little water before handling the sausage and remoisten if the sausage begins to stick. The reason it works so well is because oils and water repel one another. You can make patties the size and thickness you want very quickly and save money by buying sausage in the roll instead of pre-sliced. Joyce Allen, Palestine, Texas

Dear Heloise: For readers who buy more groceries at a time than can be carried in a recyclable bag, I have my cold items bagged in paper and the rest in plastic. This way, I can unload the things to be put the refrigerator first, and I’m not sorting through bags to find which ones have frozen items. Valerie Campbell, Las Vegas

Dear Heloise: Often I have found myself overwhelmed by the number of small and medium-size gift bags I accumulate. Some of these are not in perfect shape, but need to be put to some use before discarding. I use them as a replacement for the brown lunch bag. Each one can be used several times. Kathy T., Kenosha, Wis.

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate