Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-11-18
German Coffee.

Do let some one introduce the Ger
man O'Clock coffee custom in its pure
simplicity into our American social life,
saws a writer in the New York Record
er. There in Germany, the work of
the day ceases for most people, and the
housewife, rejoicing in her we'll Learned
leisure, occupies her throne behind the
coffee table. Friends who happen in
and they always do happen-are given
warm and coy welcome. But even
if wind and weather keep away casual
visitors, the little informal ceremony
proceeds and the members of the fami-
ly chat and drink and drink again for
one or two hours, varying their occu-
patton, or rather accompanying 1t, with
their ever present fancy work or knit
ting. Talk cannot anguish nor need 1T
be altogether personal and gosslpy,
when new patterns, new shades OF
thread and new stitches in knitting or
crochet are constantly suggested by the
presence of enthusiastic workers and
their diverse bits of work.
According to German ideas we always
drink to much coffee here in America
at our regular meals. 1t is better, far
better, they believe, taken when the
palate, uncloyed by mixture of
viands, is prepared to taste and appre-
sense SO near akin to taste is free to in
hale solely that wonderful aroma which
is almost an intOXicant to some peo-
pie.
A friend writes from Braunschweig: 81
have taken especial pains to find out for
you Just how the Germans make the de-
licious, clear, strong coffee they always
serve to us. [ have been in the kit
chen myself and seen enough strong,
black coffee made for ten people to
each have a large cup, and even a half
cup beside, for most of them, out of
only four heaping tablespoonful of I'M
ground coffee. The secret is this much
in-littIeness is time-with a capital I
most certainly, for it prominent fac
tor in the process.
''The four spoonfuls of Drowned cof-
fee went into a grinder, coming out in a
semi-powdered condition. 1t was then
divided into three parts-but before L
60 any further, | must sketch for you
the earthenwars coffee-pot they use.
| imagine you have often seen the
like in New York furnishing shops.
Perhaps you have even used one,
but if you have you probably
made the mistake of thinking
the whole of the coffee you were to
drink was to be passed and repassed
through the grounds and the infusion
kept hot.
No, they divide the ground coffee, as
| said, into three parts. Put one part
in the top Of the cotfee-pot and pour
over it onehalf cup of boiling water.
1t is poured on very slowly SO that the
coffee becomes very solidly packed
down. Then they pour another half
cup of boiling water on very slowly,
and leave the whole thing for about an
hour to drip, drip, drip, little by little,
into the bottom part of the coffee pot.
Then the third portion of coffee is put
on the top of the wet grounds and the
extract that has dripped through is
poured through the whole of the
grounds.
Half an hour is given to that drip,
then the third portion of grounds is put
on top of the rest and cup of boiling
water poured slowly through ALL That
is the final drip. The cold liquid in the
bottom of the cofee-pot is called coffee
essence. Six or eight cups of boiling
water is thrown into that and it is ready
for serving and is, par excellence, the
most delicious of drinks. The servants
coffee is made from the grounds thus
used and is quite as good as that served
uptsairs, only it takes longer to drip
through all the three portions.
A little of the coffee essence is always
kept in the house in covered jar, and
by adding a little of it to cup of boil
ing water a cup of cof ee is made ready
at moments notice.