UK energy

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

Re: UK energy

Post by Cugel »

simonineaston wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:52am
The EU tried to ban coffee machines that kept things hot...
Blimey - that's an old chestnut! Haven't heard that one for nigh on a decade... this from a 2014 Sky News web page:
New rules designed to make domestic appliances more efficient came in on January 1. Last year, they were interpreted in some parts of the media as a death sentence for the humble coffee machine. Not so, says the European Commission – it's just that any coffee machine made after 1 January 2015 must have an energy efficiency option allowing the hotplate or element to go into standby after a certain period. Older machines are unaffected.
My emboldening - but of course the fab. thing is now we can make our own coffee machines that can stay on forever and keep our coffee perfectly stewed all day long! :wink:
The insulated pot is far better than an afterburner heaterupperer. Them afterburners often turn the coffee to brown water in a trice, as the nice parts of the liquid evaporate.

CUgel, ex coffee-gubbins tester.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

Re: UK energy

Post by Cugel »

francovendee wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:56am
al_yrpal wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:10am Franco is your tea ceremony like the Japanese one? What do the French think of it? :lol:

Al
French tea is rubbish, even those marked up as English Breakfast Tea. Very weak brews.
We've converted a number of friends to English builders tea.
Tea should be drunk at a table with biscuits (digestives) available, never 'on the go'.
Coffee is the fill in drink for times when we're in the middle of something.
If you enjoy (how!?) builder's tea then you will enjoy even more bus conductor's tea. This is made in the depot before setting off, employing some madly strong tea such as Ikumbi. It's made with superheated water from a bus radiator, in a large tin billycan, which is sealed with the water and tea leaves until 2 hours later, when tea-break time has been reached.

One then takes a special strong spoon that both resists the dissolving power of the evil stuff now lurking in the billycan and allows the crust to be broken so the dark brown gurgle can issue forth into a tin mug that's only wiped, never washed. A half pound of sugar is added along with some sterilised milk tasting like sterilised milk tastes.

The idea is that you're so eager to get past the drinking of it and back to work that little time will be wasted in tea-breaking, as passengers accumulate and begin muttering about being late.

The tradition tended to die out when the Thatcher Thing did away with bus conductors. Still, you could revive it and perpetrate it upon the French. :-)

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: UK energy

Post by thirdcrank »

We've come a long way in a short time from ensuring the continuity of power supplies. I had previously believed that a big (the biggest?) influence on the taste of tea was the purity of the water supply, so this may be more relevant to the thread about the impurities there. Or not
rjb
Posts: 7183
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: UK energy

Post by rjb »

I'm a tea leaf in a teapot type too. Except I leave the old leaves in and just add more tea and boiling water when the pots drained. The old leaves get thrown out before retiring to bed to fertilize the rhubarb patch so nothing is wasted. :D
Milk and no sugar.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Biospace
Posts: 1990
Joined: 24 Jun 2019, 12:23pm

Re: UK energy

Post by Biospace »

simonineaston wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 8:23am What started with teabags, continues to spread, like mould through a barrel of apples, across the whole food industry. They sell us stuff that tastes like food, we roll over to have tummies tickled and they pocket the difference. More fool us.
Apart from never tasting as good, by the time you've prevented the tag on the string from being pulled into the pot or mug, then trying to dispose of the used ones without dripping over surfaces it's as easy to use loose leaves. A sieve by the sink for the used leaves is handy and the roses seem to appreciate used leaves scattered on the soil.

The best tea at a reasonable price seems to be Do Ghazal, £4.99 for half a kilo at the Indian 'supermarket'. https://karabetian.com/do-ghazal-tea/

"Tea bags are sometimes coated with the epichlorohydrin, a carcinogen that is active in hot water [1]. As an alternative to paper tea bags, tea bags are now also produced from plastics like PVC and food-grade nylon which begin to break down in water at room temperature [2]. Additionally, many tea bags including the high-end ones also contain pesticide residues and flavouring agent, says nutritionist Aditi Rampal." - https://bit.ly/3XY7VAb
briansnail
Posts: 805
Joined: 1 Sep 2019, 3:07pm

Re: UK energy

Post by briansnail »

Rolls Royce has the potential to construct a number of small nuclear reactors in the UK.A mix of wind solar and nuclear is a good option
***********************************************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
francovendee
Posts: 3145
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: UK energy

Post by francovendee »

Cugel wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 11:36am
francovendee wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:56am
al_yrpal wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:10am Franco is your tea ceremony like the Japanese one? What do the French think of it? :lol:

Al
French tea is rubbish, even those marked up as English Breakfast Tea. Very weak brews.
We've converted a number of friends to English builders tea.
Tea should be drunk at a table with biscuits (digestives) available, never 'on the go'.
Coffee is the fill in drink for times when we're in the middle of something.
If you enjoy (how!?) builder's tea then you will enjoy even more bus conductor's tea. This is made in the depot before setting off, employing some madly strong tea such as Ikumbi. It's made with superheated water from a bus radiator, in a large tin billycan, which is sealed with the water and tea leaves until 2 hours later, when tea-break time has been reached.

One then takes a special strong spoon that both resists the dissolving power of the evil stuff now lurking in the billycan and allows the crust to be broken so the dark brown gurgle can issue forth into a tin mug that's only wiped, never washed. A half pound of sugar is added along with some sterilised milk tasting like sterilised milk tastes.

The idea is that you're so eager to get past the drinking of it and back to work that little time will be wasted in tea-breaking, as passengers accumulate and begin muttering about being late.

The tradition tended to die out when the Thatcher Thing did away with bus conductors. Still, you could revive it and perpetrate it upon the French. :-)

Cugel
Builders tea puts hair on your chest so not one for the girlies, they have to stick with dipping those mystery bags into hot water.
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

Re: UK energy

Post by Cugel »

francovendee wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 4:10pm
Cugel wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 11:36am
francovendee wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 9:56am

French tea is rubbish, even those marked up as English Breakfast Tea. Very weak brews.
We've converted a number of friends to English builders tea.
Tea should be drunk at a table with biscuits (digestives) available, never 'on the go'.
Coffee is the fill in drink for times when we're in the middle of something.
If you enjoy (how!?) builder's tea then you will enjoy even more bus conductor's tea. This is made in the depot before setting off, employing some madly strong tea such as Ikumbi. It's made with superheated water from a bus radiator, in a large tin billycan, which is sealed with the water and tea leaves until 2 hours later, when tea-break time has been reached.

One then takes a special strong spoon that both resists the dissolving power of the evil stuff now lurking in the billycan and allows the crust to be broken so the dark brown gurgle can issue forth into a tin mug that's only wiped, never washed. A half pound of sugar is added along with some sterilised milk tasting like sterilised milk tastes.

The idea is that you're so eager to get past the drinking of it and back to work that little time will be wasted in tea-breaking, as passengers accumulate and begin muttering about being late.

The tradition tended to die out when the Thatcher Thing did away with bus conductors. Still, you could revive it and perpetrate it upon the French. :-)

Cugel
Builders tea puts hair on your chest so not one for the girlies, they have to stick with dipping those mystery bags into hot water.
I can be a bit of a girlyman or even a softlad. I like girly filums with happy endings, especially those in which a machoman gets a comeuppance.

Builder's tea, though - be honest, you might as well make the tea with oak wood shavings! I've got a big bagful about once a month, if you want to try them. European oak has most tannins but some folk will like American White Oak as they may imagine the liquid off that is reminiscent of whusky. (It isn't).

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
francovendee
Posts: 3145
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: UK energy

Post by francovendee »

Gugel, I think before offering the wood shavings you should make a brew and share your thoughts.
I don't like a drink where I can see the rude word printed in the bottom of the cup.

I have Welsh ancestry, my relatives who drink tea like it to be strong.
I take it when you're asked over by the neighbours for tea and cucumber sandwiches you stick with coffee. :D
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

Re: UK energy

Post by Cugel »

francovendee wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 8:18am Gugel, I think before offering the wood shavings you should make a brew and share your thoughts.
I don't like a drink where I can see the rude word printed in the bottom of the cup.

I have Welsh ancestry, my relatives who drink tea like it to be strong.
I take it when you're asked over by the neighbours for tea and cucumber sandwiches you stick with coffee. :D
I would take my own tea but I'd be mercilessly mocked for being a soft anglish dastard! So I generally stay thirsty. :-)

There are no cucumber sandwiches around here! Especially not any with the crusts cut off. Happily there are very good bakers of many fine breads - although they still have the Welsh tendency to make lead fairy cakes, no matter the style of cake. Welsh sandwiches tend to be .... big.

The ladywife is a wonderful cook, of all kinds of things including the cake. I can't allow her to make too many as I'd soon be 21st 13llbs but now and then she lets loose and produces another wonderous item that you can't stop eating until it's gone. Welsh neighbours have had some and don't now know what to do, as they've become attached to the lead fairy cake but can't resist the anglish seducer-cake made next door.

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
roubaixtuesday
Posts: 5801
Joined: 18 Aug 2015, 7:05pm

Re: UK energy

Post by roubaixtuesday »

briansnail wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 3:57pm Rolls Royce has the potential to construct a number of small nuclear reactors in the UK.A mix of wind solar and nuclear is a good option
***********************************************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
The problem with such a mix is that it's highly diurnal (no sun at night) and not despatchable (can't respond to changes in demand).

You either need a huge amount of very expensive storage which isn't even technically feasible at the moment, or run your nukes as despatchable power (massively increases cost/kwhr), or gas.
francovendee
Posts: 3145
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: UK energy

Post by francovendee »

Cugel wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 1:01pm
francovendee wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 8:18am Gugel, I think before offering the wood shavings you should make a brew and share your thoughts.
I don't like a drink where I can see the rude word printed in the bottom of the cup.

I have Welsh ancestry, my relatives who drink tea like it to be strong.
I take it when you're asked over by the neighbours for tea and cucumber sandwiches you stick with coffee. :D
I would take my own tea but I'd be mercilessly mocked for being a soft anglish dastard! So I generally stay thirsty. :-)

There are no cucumber sandwiches around here! Especially not any with the crusts cut off. Happily there are very good bakers of many fine breads - although they still have the Welsh tendency to make lead fairy cakes, no matter the style of cake. Welsh sandwiches tend to be .... big.

The ladywife is a wonderful cook, of all kinds of things including the cake. I can't allow her to make too many as I'd soon be 21st 13llbs but now and then she lets loose and produces another wonderous item that you can't stop eating until it's gone. Welsh neighbours have had some and don't now know what to do, as they've become attached to the lead fairy cake but can't resist the anglish seducer-cake made next door.

Cugel
Don't be shy, brew up a cup of oak shavings tea and get your ladywife to make some cakes, I'll be round. :D
Biospace
Posts: 1990
Joined: 24 Jun 2019, 12:23pm

Re: UK energy

Post by Biospace »

roubaixtuesday wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 1:30pm
briansnail wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 3:57pm Rolls Royce has the potential to construct a number of small nuclear reactors in the UK.A mix of wind solar and nuclear is a good option
***********************************************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
The problem with such a mix is that it's highly diurnal (no sun at night) and not despatchable (can't respond to changes in demand).

You either need a huge amount of very expensive storage which isn't even technically feasible at the moment, or run your nukes as despatchable power (massively increases cost/kwhr), or gas.

Simply massive increases in the costs of what is already an extremely expensive way of generating electricity will result if we expect nuclear to somehow "back up" solar and wind power. The economics of nuclear electricty do not look good as a major contributor to a non-fossil fuel Grid.

With some urgency, we need to start sorting out the cheapest, non-polluting form of rapidly accessible, large scale storage. Our ruling classes have been dominated by lawyers, academics and bankers for so long now that we're in a proper mess - I sense they hope the consumer will come to the rescue with their large personal investments in large batteries, with V2G and domestic battery storage which will help minimise spikes in demand.

Below, three Guardian pieces. The first takes them to task for its lending unquestioning support for nuclear power when there are better alternatives. The second is a subsequent article which cites tidal energy's potential and the third one exposes a few of HinkleyC's problems.

https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver ... on-letters
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... lity-flows
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/d ... ower-plant
roubaixtuesday
Posts: 5801
Joined: 18 Aug 2015, 7:05pm

Re: UK energy

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Biospace wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 11:06pm
roubaixtuesday wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 1:30pm
briansnail wrote: 6 Dec 2022, 3:57pm Rolls Royce has the potential to construct a number of small nuclear reactors in the UK.A mix of wind solar and nuclear is a good option
***********************************************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage.
The problem with such a mix is that it's highly diurnal (no sun at night) and not despatchable (can't respond to changes in demand).

You either need a huge amount of very expensive storage which isn't even technically feasible at the moment, or run your nukes as despatchable power (massively increases cost/kwhr), or gas.

Simply massive increases in the costs of what is already an extremely expensive way of generating electricity will result if we expect nuclear to somehow "back up" solar and wind power. The economics of nuclear electricty do not look good as a major contributor to a non-fossil fuel Grid.

With some urgency, we need to start sorting out the cheapest, non-polluting form of rapidly accessible, large scale storage. Our ruling classes have been dominated by lawyers, academics and bankers for so long now that we're in a proper mess - I sense they hope the consumer will come to the rescue with their large personal investments in large batteries, with V2G and domestic battery storage which will help minimise spikes in demand.

Below, three Guardian pieces. The first takes them to task for its lending unquestioning support for nuclear power when there are better alternatives. The second is a subsequent article which cites tidal energy's potential and the third one exposes a few of HinkleyC's problems.

https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver ... on-letters
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... lity-flows
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/d ... ower-plant
The flow tidal referenced has very little potential (not zero, but not game changing). Large scale tidal has huge potential, but the capital cost and environmental concerns seem to have made it a non-starter at the moment.

V2G could be huge, and it's a total mystery to me why it's not a compulsory option for EV installations, but in fact it seems not to be available at all. Bonkers while a huge investment in home infrastructure is underway. Just barmy.

Solar is essentially useless for capacity unless backed up by gas or storage and even then only when rated at winter capability.

Nuclear to reduce the dependence on intermittent renewables seems like a no brainer to me.
reohn2
Posts: 45143
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: UK energy

Post by reohn2 »

francovendee wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 1:56pm
Cugel wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 1:01pm
francovendee wrote: 7 Dec 2022, 8:18am Gugel, I think before offering the wood shavings you should make a brew and share your thoughts.
I don't like a drink where I can see the rude word printed in the bottom of the cup.

I have Welsh ancestry, my relatives who drink tea like it to be strong.
I take it when you're asked over by the neighbours for tea and cucumber sandwiches you stick with coffee. :D
I would take my own tea but I'd be mercilessly mocked for being a soft anglish dastard! So I generally stay thirsty. :-)

There are no cucumber sandwiches around here! Especially not any with the crusts cut off. Happily there are very good bakers of many fine breads - although they still have the Welsh tendency to make lead fairy cakes, no matter the style of cake. Welsh sandwiches tend to be .... big.

The ladywife is a wonderful cook, of all kinds of things including the cake. I can't allow her to make too many as I'd soon be 21st 13llbs but now and then she lets loose and produces another wonderous item that you can't stop eating until it's gone. Welsh neighbours have had some and don't now know what to do, as they've become attached to the lead fairy cake but can't resist the anglish seducer-cake made next door.

Cugel
Don't be shy, brew up a cup of oak shavings tea and get your ladywife to make some cakes, I'll be round. :D
Oakshavings for tea leaves could make Cugel Sycamore and his pallor Ashen,I'm not hedging my bets though as it could be a Privet matter between the two of Yew,so I'm not Pining for a reply....
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Post Reply