1 14 Of Coffee, and Uie Art of preparing it. 



pourpd, must be of a certain thickness, and it must fee 

 pressed together with a certain degree of force. If it be 

 too thin, or not sufficiently pressed together, the water will 

 pass through it too rapidly; and if the layer of ground 

 coffee be too thick, or if it l)e too much pressed together, the 

 water will be loo long in passing through it, and the taste 

 of the coffee will be injured." 



The amhor recommends as of importance that the sur- 

 face of the cofit-e be rendered quite level after it is put into 

 the strainer, before any attempt is made to press it together, 

 tliat the water in percolating may act equally on every 

 part. For this purpose he uses the following contrivance: 

 " The circular plate of tin, with a rod fastened to its cen- 

 tre, which serves as a rammer for pressing down the ground 

 cofiee, has four small projecting square bars, of about one- 

 lenth of an inch in width, fastened to the under side of if, 

 and extending from the circumference of the plate to within 

 about one quarter of an inch of its centre. On turning 

 this plate round its axis, by means of the rod which serves 

 as a handle to it, (the rod being made to occupy the axis 

 of the cylindrical vessel,) the projecting bars are made to 

 level the ground coffee ; and after tliis has been done, and 

 not before, the coffee is pressed together. 



*' This circular plate is piercf;d by a great number of small 

 liolcs, which pcrrr;it the wafer to pass through it, and it re- 

 mains in the cylindrical vessel during the whole of the time 

 that the coffee is making. It reposes on the surface of the 

 ground coffee, and prevents its being thrown out of its place 

 by the v.?.icr which is poured on it. The rod which serves 

 as a hanfiie to this circular plate is so short, that it does 

 not prevent the cover of the cylindrical vessel from being 

 put down into its place." 



Two-th'rds of an inch answers best forthc coffee in powder 

 before it is pressed together, and the pressure should be such 

 as to reduce the thickness to something less than half an inch. 



" A Table, showing the diameters and heights of the 

 cylindrical vessels (or strainers) to be used in making the 

 following quantities of coffee : 



Quantity of Coffee to Diameter of the Height of the 



be made at once. Strainer. Strainer. 



1 cup \\ inches .... 5| inches. 



2 cups 2-i- 5| 



3 or 4 cups 2|- 5 , 



5 t!»r 6 cups 3^ 5-J- 



7 or 8 cups 4 5 j 



9 or 10 cups .... 4|- 5-i- 



11 or 12 cups , , . , 5 , 5t." 



As 



