If you enjoy drinking coffee or tea after Sunday services, we hope YOU will take a turn making it. It’s an easy process, and you can do it just once in awhile. Look for the sign-up sheet on a clipboard on the kitchen counter and sign up for either service. Robin Schantz-Mulford is the Coffee Coordinator - as of October 14, 2008.

Pre- and Post-Sunday Services Coffee Process

1. Brewing the Coffee

1) Arrive about 30 minutes early. Make sure wall switch next to plug behind coffee maker is ON - if not, turn it on. (Do NOT turn it off until you are ready to go home.) It will take 20 minutes to warm up enough for the green light to come on so you can start brewing coffee. Do everything else (below) while the water heats up.  (NOTE:  the custodian is supposed to turn on the wall switch the night before, so hopefully...)

2) Use the coffee in the two canisters, on or under the counter, labeled "regular" and "decaf".  If you need to add more, look in the cabinet under the coffee maker.  Put filter (in drawer under coffee machine) in brew basket. Place 3/4 cup of coffee grounds into filter (for 12 cups of coffee).  Be sure to keep track of which carafe you brew Decaf in - use the orange topped carafe for Decaf.

3) Slide brew basket into holder.

4) Place empty carafe on warmer directly under brew basket and turn corresponding Warmer Switch to “On.”

NOTE #1 You NEVER have to ADD WATER to the top of the coffee maker. It's plumbed into the water system.!

NOTE #2 Do not turn off switch by plug on the wall until you are ready to go home.

NOTE #3  Do not turn off main warmer until you are ready to go home, otherwise you will have to turn off the wall switch and turn it back on again to restart the whole system. But leave either some coffee or water in the pot, don't leave a dry pot on the warmer.

5) If green "Ready" light is on, wall switch has been on. Press "Brew Start" switch to begin brew cycle. It will only take about 3 minutes to brew one pot. -- If it has NOT been on, it will take about 20 minutes for the water in the coffee maker to become hot enough to brew coffee. Green “Ready” light will come on when coffee is ready to brew. Then press the "Brew Start" switch to begin brew cycle. 

NOTE: do NOT press "Brew Cycle" more than once - if you do, water will overflow the pot!

6) Once a carafe is brewed it can be moved to another warmer and that burner's switch switch can be turned to “On” to keep it hot -- or it can be poured into airpot.

7) After initial start-up, brew time per pot is about 3 minutes. Ideally you would wait for green "ready" light to come on before making your next carafe, but in reality, you can make one after another.

8) Pour coffee into AirPots (each airpot holds two carafes) - each is labeled:

a. Black lever airpot gets regular coffee only
b. Orange lever airpot gets decaf coffee only
c. Black push top gets hot water for tea only

9) Keep brewing until each airpot is full, then brew two more carafes - one caf and one decaf. Leave those two sitting on hot burners during the service.  Don't continue brewing coffee once service starts - it's noisy.  Stop and enjoy the service, then come back and make more, as you need to.

10) During coffee hour, watch for opportunities to refill the airpots and make more coffee. At the beginning, the carafes get empty fast.

2. Counter Set-Up

Set up counter with 3 insulated cream/milk pitchers,  one for 1/2 and 1/2, one for 2% milk, one for soy milk;; 2 sugar bowls,  and blue canisters of tea bags, which are found on the side counter.  Refill tea bags as needed, from beneath the counter.  Milk, cream and soy milk should be in refrigerator; if you find it is not, send someone to Safeway, and save receipt, putting it in donation basket (or reimburse from the donations that day, if there is enough).

Set a lot of cups in neat rows on a pretty towel on white counter facing the social hall.

Plan to set Coffee and Decaf AirPots on the counter nearest the patio door, and the hot water airpot on the other side of the counter.

Put clean spoons in tall mug near coffee and also near tea water. Put clear mug next to them for used spoons. Place cereal bowls or saucers there too for sugar wrappers and used tea bags.

Place basket for donations in a very visible place.

Place two bus tubs on one of the carts, one on the top shelf, and one in the middle. Place one silverware container (white plastic "glass" with many holes in it) in each bus tub.

Place the cart and the tubs in the "doorway" to block entrance to the kitchen, so people will put their dirty dishes there instead of clogging up the kitchen.

3. After Each Service Clean Up

Place dirty cups in dishwasher with one teaspoon dishwasher detergent, wash them (2 minutes or so), tip them up slightly to drain water off the tops, and put them away on shelf. Put away sugar, tea bags, creamer, and wash milk/cream pitcher and put away.

The "dishwasher" is a DISHWASHER (not just a sterilizer), so you do not have to "wash" the dishes before using it. Wiping or rinsing the worst of food and lipstick is ok too. Use one tablespoon (max) of dishwasher powder (under the sink) per load, close the door, lock it (move the handle to horizontal or vertical), and press the red button. The load washes and then rinses in about 2 minutes, so wait till the red light goes out before trying to open and unload. Be sure you take the "opportunity" to shanghai others to help you with this whole process.

Wipe down all counters, carts, bus tubs, and center table. Clean coffee machine area.

Discard any remaining cream, milk or soy milk; wash interior of insulated pitchers with soapy water, and leave open to drain.  Do NOT place them in refrigerator with their contents, as they will spoil before next use!

Rinse and wipe airpots and carafes, replace interior rods, return them to area by coffee maker.

After second service, make sure all warmers are off, and then turn off switch by plug on wall behind coffee maker after 2nd service coffee hour is finished (but NOT after 1st!).

Clean sink, drape wet towels over laundry basket. If you are willing, the selfless act of taking all the laundry home and returning it after washing it (i.e., early next Sunday or sooner) would polish your halo and surely would make up for several of your more minor sins.

Put clean dishes and silverware away.

If you are last to leave, make sure wall switch behind the coffeemaker is off, and doors are locked.

Robin Schantz-Mulford is the Coffee Coordinator - as of October 14, 2008

There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth,
beyond the highest, the very highest heavens.
This is the light that shines in your heart.
~ Chandogya Upanishad