We have a Dolce Gusto coffeemaker up for grabs. This was a free gift from Viking while I was working at EFDSS, and my coworker couldn't make the first one work, so Viking sent a second. I fixed the machine (it wasn't actually broken, just stuck) and took it home. It is in perfect working order, has all parts it's meant to, and comes with the original instruction manual and two boxes of coffee pods. The only thing missing is the coffee mug they supply with the machine, and I never had that to begin with; it was kept at EFDSS for folks to drink coffee out of. The coffee pods are Dolce Gusto Caffé Lungo, which is described as 'like a long espresso', and Latte Macchiato, which is a two-capsule coffee that's essentially a sweet latte.

Upsides to this coffeemaker:

• Makes coffee that doesn't taste as bad as instant by the cup and immediately;
  
• Is fun to play with;
  
• Is easy to clean;
  
• Means everybody can have whatever sort of hot beverage they want without lots of prep. You can see a list of available capsules here.

Downsides to this coffeemaker:

• Takes up a bit of space (but is all in one piece and easy to put away);
  
• Uses only Dolce Gusto coffee pods;
  
• Coffee pods are expensive (£3.28 online, £3.75ish at Sainsbury's. The prices are the same whether you're getting a coffee that requires 2 pods (8 cups/box of pods) or only 1 (16 cups/box of pods).

We also have a Tefal 3-tier Steam Cuisine Steamer. Product shown on webpage is not exactly like ours but has most of the same features. We've had this steamer for years and are just not using it very much. It comes with all accessories including a rice container and instructions.

Upsides to this steamer:

• You can steam an entire meal using all three baskets, or just steam some rice using only one;
  
• The appliance stacks away neatly and takes up less space when stored;
  
• It shuts itself off automatically according to a timer you set;

Downsides to this steamer:

• We have found it difficult to clean, but your mileage may vary;
  
• One of the steamer tiers has a crack in it, but this does not affect performance;
  
• Tastes tend to travel upwards in the steamer and drips tend to travel downwards, so particularly if you're steaming fish, will have rice and veg that tastes of fish if you steam three things together

These appliances are at our house, clean (steamer could do with descaling), and ready to be given away to the first UK-based friend or acquaintance who is willing to come pick either of them up. I will not be shipping either of these because I don't have the original packing material. Please only reply if there is actually a chance you want and can get this appliance. I love my American friends, but page after page of 'gee, if only I could afford the plane fare/had a teleporter/could make it to your house before X-and-So' is going to irritate me today; please don't do it.

As an aside, we are also looking to get rid of quite a lot of old clothing and old books. If you think you might want to come have a rummage, please get in touch. Caveat in paragraph above applies; I am emphatically not shipping books.

If I do not have takers for the two appliances by this weekend, I will be posting them on the Lewisham Freecycle list, where they will be snapped up immediately, so if you're interested, please let me know!

This post comes as result of a google search. I'm feeling guilty with all this time on my hands; I should be doing writing or revising. Problem is, my computer is currently in the kitchen/diner, and so is G's. G is playing a lot of computer games, and he is always streaming music or having a loud skype conversation. Other rooms where I have written in our house in the past contain things like televisions and beds, both of which are impossible for me to resist at the moment.

So I looked online to see if anybody had compiled a list of good places to write in London. It turned out there aren't any generic 'great places to write in London' lists that I could find, but a couple of blogging writers have posted lists of where they like to write, mostly comprised of stuff like, 'um, at my desk in the morning.'

Here's my list. Do you have a favourite place to write? Post it in a comment, even if it's not anywhere near London!

• Oxleas Wood Café. I haven't written there for a long time, but there was a time when I was there 2-3 days a week with a laptop. Probably need to do that again.
  
• Generic coffee shop writing, with or without free wi-fi. Actually, without is probably better. I find that getting out of the house helps me not beat myself up because there's a sink full of dishes somewhere not being washed. I used to particularly enjoy writing in very public places and just tuning out whatever was going on. I remember in high school purposefully writing in the IAA cafeteria because in my room I was available, and in the cafeteria if I took a seat off the beaten path and had my head down over a legal pad, I was likely not to be disturbed. Singapore, believe it or not, was great for this. Everyone mostly moves very fast in Singapore, so if you're the sole person taking up space at the back of the coffee shop (where there is certainly free wi-fi), nobody is going to complain overmuch. Also, you're obviously a tourist.
  
• Anywhere quiet and isolated. I've actually done searches for places that have picnic tables in and around London that aren't attached to particular restaurants or cafés. These are less common here than in the US, for some reason.
  
• I'm interested in the idea of writing in train stations, but there are few good places to sit with a laptop that aren't attached to specific restaurants or cafés, and there's only so much coffee I can consume over time. Writing on trains also appeals as a concept, but long train journeys are few and far between for me, I'm almost never alone, and sleeping seems to be a more common default switch for my brain than writing.

Your turn! Where do you like to write? Do you have a single writing space, or do you like to explore strange new worlds?