The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-05-09
How to Make Coffee.

To the Editor OF tie Sun.
Sir My attention has been called to
an article in a recent number of the Sun
on the culture and preparation of coffee as
a beverage. Having resided many years
In Europe and travelled extensively, |
have drank coffee almost everywhere, and
given some attention to the different modes
of preparing it for use. / will give the
result of my experience, which is some
what opposed to the statements in your
article The Turks, Arabs, and Persians
roast coffee as highly as possible without
burning it, because if coffee Is actually
burned the oil, which Is the only good
property in the berry, Is consumed. At
ter the coffee is thoroughly roasted, the
Orientals generally pulVerize it in NOR
tar, put it in an open vessel or bowl, pour
boiling water upon it, and drink 1t as the
French do chocolate; or they allow It to
remain in the vessel N which it is pre-
pared until it settles, when they carefully
pour it off, avoiding the grounds or dregs.
When required for use 1t Is put into
small sauce pan which is placed over q
fire where 1t remains until the coffee Is
hot, when it is served 10 small quantities.
Every person who has drank coffee in
Eastern countries knows the effect It has
Ol tic f1GIHObo lS1CltA tAAC NAALSbhSJ ID
that the aroma has ali passed off and the
tannin remains, which Will always pro-
duce nervousness.
There are three components in coffee
cafTein, tannic acid, and wOo6-the first
Is a heaithful stimulant, the second is
very injurious to the stomach, causing
headaches and deranging the system
generally; hence the reason why many
are obliged to abstain from the use Of
coffee Coffee should not be boiled. The
mode of preparation suggested by the
authority named in I'll: article alluded 10
above Is decidedly erroneous, it is simply
impossible TO envelope a vessel with steam,
produced from boiling water during a
sufficient length Of time to bring the
LIQUID contained in the vessel to the tenn
perature of the steam, which it must be
to extract the caffein without boiling it.
Again, the length Of time required to DO
this is sure to extract the tannin, which
mingles with the liquid and renders tie
coffee unfit to drink, the healthful pros
perty having all passed off. The French
generally put coffee into funnel bag
aud pour boiling water upon it This
method is defective, from the fact that
the greater portion Of the water passes
out at the sides of the bag instead of
through the coffee ; therefore the grounds
must remain in the liquid until the caffein
Is extracted, and i'h 1t the tannin.
In this country coffee is generally boil
ed, and eggs Or some other article used
to clarity it. BY this process the aroma
all escapes and the bad properties remain.
The only perfect apparatus | have ever
seen for preparing coffee as beverage
I Is az urn which has two inside cylinders,
/ both having a strainer attached 10 the
bottom, the larger occupying about eneS
! half Of the inside Of the main urn, while
the smaller fits inside of the former, but
/ Is not so deep The coffee or tea is placed
( in the larger cylinder, and boiling water
/ is poured in'O the small cylinder, which
/ passes through the strainer upon the COTS
] fee, not IN a volume, but in fine spray,
/ and then through the coffee and the lower
/ cylinder, taking with it ali the cafTein and
/ leaving the taunin in the grounds. The
coffee falls into the main urn perfectly
clear, and forms a most delightful bever>
( aga. Some time ago, while dining with a
celebrated French physician in Paris, we
were taking coffee, when he said to me.
"Do not the people in America generally
boil coffee ? / replied in the affirmative.
lie then SAID, 'If coffee is boiled it should
not be drank, as the best part passes of
into the atmosphere and tickles the nos
I trils. while the remainder contains the
poison. which is very injurious to the
stomach.