The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-14
Some Interesting Facts About
Difference in Quality,
RESTAURANT COFFEE BEST
Few Housewives Know How to Make
Good Coffee, and Many Persons
Never Taste the Real Aroma.
Are Several Flavors.

Restaurants as a rule serve better eof-
fee than can be found in private house.
holds and a discussion of this subject
with Albert the restaurant man. dis
closed some interesting information.
1t is true some households serve as
good coffee as can be found at any cafe.
but such cases are rare and only exist
where the man at the head of the family
is a crank on the subject and personally
superintends the dripping process until
his cook becomes proficient. When
new cook is hired another schooling be-
comes necessary. AS a rule women are
not so particular about their coffee as
men and a little darkened water with
sugar and cream would suit them just
as well as a cup of the most aromatic
coffee made. AS women usually super
intend the kitchen this is probably the
reason better coffee is not served In pri-
vate homes.
Another reason why the restaurant
man has the advantage is that he has
more coffee to make and in the course
of time learns the process thoroughly.
He also uses better grade Of coffee.
This question of quality may be dis
puted by many of the housewives who
pay dealers IS cents pound for Mocha
and Java, but according to the leading
restaurant men It is true nevertheless.
The average price paid for coffee py
Birmingham restaurants is about 20
cents per pound in 1000 pound lots. This
same coffee could not be sold at retail
for less than 35 cents and In many cases
II would sell for more. The 35-eent cof-
fee bought from dealers. however, Is as
good as can be purchased IN pound pack
ages.
Two Ways.
There are two distinct ways of making
coffee; one by the dripping process and
the other by boiling All connoiseurs
have discarded the boiling process as the
dripped article Is much better IN every
way, though it requires more coffee.
The dripped coffee Is made by placing
the ground product in thin cloth which
is suspended from the top edges of an
urn. over this boiling water is poured
and slowly drips into the bottom of the
vessel carrying with 1t the substance
and aroma of the coffee. Under this Is
kept a hot blaze so as to keep the coffee
boiling hot. BY retaining the steam In
the vessel none of the flavor escapes.
The boiling process is known to almost
every man, woman and child. A certain
amount of coffee is placed in cold water
and this Is put on a stove or hot colds
and allowed to remain until 1t comes to
a boil. Usually all the steam escapes and
carries with 1t the best part of the coffee.
In restaurants urns having a capacity
of about ten gallons are used and these
are filled about three times a day. In
other words new coffee is made about
three times a day. To know exactly the
amount of ground coffee to make a GER
tain amount of the beverage in large
quantities Is quite an art and to spoil
several gallons would mean loss OF
trade as the error would probably not be
discovered until some customer raised a
protest The ordinary restaurant coffee
which sells for five cents Is nearly as
good as the ten cent cup, except that pure
cream is not used and little more water
is used. One pound of coffee will make
about eighteen cups. II there was no
other expense attached this would mean
q big profit, but sugar and cream has to
be accounted for besides the wages of
the person serving 1t. The amount lost
is also taken into consideration.
Roasting of Coffee.
The roasting of coffee plays a very I'M
DOTIGUl part III LIl6 HdNOA VI lnC hiiAfOA
sal beverage. The New Orleans roast is
very heavy and imparts a slightly burnt
taste. The light roast gives the coffee
more aroma as the flavor Is not dis
guised by the burnt effect. Many restau-
rant men roast their own coffee but as
rule they do not 1t can be bought
roasted in any style and shipped In 100
pound lots. These dispensers usually buy
1000 pounds at time, but do not keep
but 100 pounds in stock as 1t Is liable
to lose its flavor Some experts can tell
by tasting coffee the number of days ex-
piring since the green berries were
roasted.
The different flavors to coffee are Sc
cured by blending different varieties and
also mixing berries that have undergone
q different degree of roasting.
The best coffee in the United States Is
said to be served In New Orleans and
Mobile though Birmingham restaurant
men say they could make 1t just as good
II the public wanted 1t and was willing
to pay for the increased expense.
People living In the extreme south along
the coast are the best judges of coffee
and this is one reason why the port
towns serve the best beverage. They
usually want their coffee very strong
and though many of them never use
cream or sugar they want pure cream
when they do desire to soften 1T Fur
Their north the people are not so particu-
lar and consequently the coffee as a rule