My favourite tool

This is my favourite tool. It's a piece of cheap wood that used to form the base of a jewelry display stand. Those inscriptions are a new addition, made with a permanent marker and a liquid correction pen. More on that in a moment.

Every morning, I wobble out of bed, stumble into the kitchen and grab this trusty tool off the counter.

Here it is again.

I dislodge the sticky portafilter from my espresso machine, and use the flat edge of this bit of timber to knock out the used coffee grounds into the green-waste basket. I give the portafilter a rinse and wipe it down. Then it goes into my automatic coffee grinder.

8 seconds pass.

I give the fresh grounds a sniff, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Coffee is imminent.

I gently nest the portafilter, with a heap of fresh grounds, into an upturned lid from a pasta jar (another important piece of equipment).

I level out the grounds, grab my tamper, and use my favourite tool to give the tamper a firm press. I used to hammer it - really whack the crap out of it - but a controlled press seems to work better.

Here it is again. So you don't forget.

The portafilter goes into the espresso machine, and I hit the brew button.

So far the things I've described are well-trained, automatic, muscle-memory behaviours. But now, I pick up my favourite tool again, and read the inscriptions.

While the espresso is pouring, I have time to think for the first time.

Every morning, I use it to remind myself to drink water, take my meds, and just breathe. Simple, but effective.

Like the best camera is the one you have with you, the best tool is the one you actually use, and sometimes that means grabbing a piece of junk that was destined for the trash.