Edmund's espresso machine will join the household of his niece Cate, who just happens to be married to an Italian engineer. I'm told his eyes lit up when he heard my voicemail message. They can have half a dozen espresso cups as well.

I think I have found a good coffee solution, as they say these days, with a gadget (trademark Zevro) that brews about 14 fluid ounces -- just right for a certain type of Wedgwood beer mug of which I have several. It's essentially a large cup with a lid on top and a wire filter and a clever wee valve in the bottom. When it sits on its feet on the table, the valve closes and the coffee steeps; when it's ready, you set it on top of the drinking vessel and the valve opens and the coffee streams out. The coffee is excellent, with no bitterness at all and a fine robust flavour. The gadget is made of plastic, however, so I know that eventually a critical component will break. I'll be as gentle with it as I can and put that day off as long as possible.