Gotters

haha, correct we did. it's OK, drank it but wouldn't buy. Did buy the other one thought the choc tasting one Zaroca, my other half loved that.

Swore I wasn't going to buy more coffee gear when I got the Dripper & Niche but I keep reading more and getting drawn in - especially by coffee YouTube. Saw Hoffman use this and Sprometheus (it keeps recommending his vids to me), it's the Hario Switch, a V60 glass in a holder which you can turn on/off, meaning you can use as an immersion clever dripper style, a pure pour over V60 or a hybrid. I'm less suspicious of claims of grind size and brew method making coffee taste different as have tasted this first hand - got a nice control too with the Pact advent we're going thru at present - used todays Planalto sachets and did one in the Clever, and one in this using a slightly fussy 4 stage pour where you quarter the water and do it in 4 stages. The brews are quite different with the Switch version far fuller and thicker than the lighter Clever brew. It's a bit of a rabbit hole but good fun, and I managed to get the larger size 3 Switch sent from a Danish company cheaper than buying it in the UK direct from Hario.

Disappointed, no, weirded out and pulling the famous Krusty face while watching Worker & Parasite, yes. You'd think it would merit a mention in a trailer at least.

I was always going to watch this intrigued at how the first season ended, oddly no giant flying snake in the trailer, it's almost like they trying to distance it from that weirdness to draw people back with spaceships, androids, guns and the usual sci-fi fluff.

Here's an exercise in driving yourself mad, a what if machine which checks your original team to see how much value you've added in points with tinkering. I've made 14 transfers to only add 30 points to my total from doing nothing. https://www.game-change.co.uk/2017/08/28/fantasy-football-what-if-machine/

Inspired by gogglebox watched the first ep of the Kevin Hart & Wes Snipes limited series called True Story (it’s not one) - surprised at the lowly rotten toms score as the first ep is pretty good and they both seem pretty decent with Hart essentially playing himself and Snipes his bad apple on the make older brother. Bloke behind it is the Narcos guy so good pedigree there too, can only assume the plot goes to shit after the good setup ep.

Bit harsh, or are you an advent purist that insists on a cardboard door to open ? I was more interested in espresso from the bag, do you have to squeeze it really hard to build up pressure ? It's on the Sorted food advent video from Friday, they liked it.

My other half loves this but I’m finding it tedious drivel, I’d happily give up on it now. The bloke with the big foam hands that couldn't bend the fingers was a low budget highlight this week, along with the odd looking Italian restaurant with the red awnings in the middle of the big white city market.

good point, the size is key as you don't want a 4 portion dinner rattling round in a giant 10 portion pot, it'll dry out and be a thin smear over the bottom of the dish. I've got a smaller beef stew on the go now in a small Sainsbury enamelled Le Crueset knock off I picked up in the sale one year - you can never have too much cast iron cookware !

@HarryBizzle Robot has some accessories like handle bits but not essential. some sort of foamer, either the normal magnetic spinner things that warm or these are funky looking and well reviewed https://subminimal.com/products/nanofoamer

Pact advent day 2 had a winner I'd never have bought, their Zaroca prize winner https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/zaroca I'm normally a bit 'blah blah' to coffee tasting notes, its all tastes like coffee to me but this one really strongly tastes like chocolate, its like an unsweetened natural mocha. The hope from the advent was to find 1 or 2 you'd buy a bag of, with the rest a good tasting experience. To get one we'd buy a bag of on day 2 is a strong start.

Best Mac N Cheese ever is a bold claim but this is a great recipe from Tin Eats. Its so creamy and saucy and the pasta keeps its shape and doesn't go claggy. I think the 2 clinchers are clever, the technique to coat your pasta in butter preventing it 'blowing' worked beautifully and was new to me, and the use of non pre grated cheese for smoother sauce due to lack of de-clumping agent. The crunchy top is also fantastic. I tweaked the topping frying up 150g of pancetta and using the rendered bacon fat instead of butter on the panko, also adding a bit of grated parm in to it. Otherwise followed exactly using Gruyere and the Galbani block of mozz. As always no milk for me due to other half so used the full fat Mylk sub which is fine for a béchamel, you wouldn't know.

I have a smaller Le Creuset enamelled casserole & a big Staub - they are both great bits of gear and will last a lifetime I'm sure. The Le Creuset is a bit easier to clean as has light enamel colour so you can see the muck, the Staub is black so harder. The Staub has the special lid which isn't smooth on the underside and has these raised bumps all over which encourage condensation to supposedly form and fall back into your dinner faster, keeping it more moist (that is the marketing blah anyway). Both are great but the Staub is my go to for big stews or anything where you want a great seal on the lid and limited evaporation.

there is definitely still a childish delight to getting a surprise item or flavour behind a window for things you know you generally like. having had coffee, popcorn & scratchings so far we're saving the Hotel Choc for this evening.

Martin was just using the TV gimps as his AB test so he told them an idea to try it out and when it got universal hate he'll swap the book to end differently.