116 0/ Coffee, and the Art of preparing if. 



cold bodies, than when its metallic splendour is impaired 

 bv necleciiniT to clean it*. 



"At il'c small quaiuily of water which is pat into the 

 boiltr cnTves nierelv lor generating the steam which is ne- 

 cessary in order to keep the reservoir and its contents con- 

 stantly boiIi!ig-h<it ; if the reservoir be made of silver, or 

 even of cjinnmn tin, the boiler may, without the smallest 

 danger, be made of copper; or of copper plated with silver, 

 which will eive to the boiler an elegant appearance, and at 

 the same time render it easy to keep it clean on the out- 

 side. 



*'' The boiler niav likewise be made of tin, and neatly 

 japanned on the outside, provided the hoop to which it is 

 fixed below be made of copper ; but this hoop must never 

 be japanned nor painted ; and it must always be made of 

 sheet-copper or silver ; and the boiler must always be 

 heated over a small portable fire-place or lamp, somewhat 

 less in diameter above, than the hoop on which the boiler 

 is placed. 



'^ in order that the flat bottom of the boiler may not 

 smother and put out the fire, the brim of the small fur- 

 nace or chafing-dish, which is used, must have six pro- 

 jecting kufjbs at the upper part of it, each about one quarter 

 of an inch in height, on which the bottom of the boiler 

 may rest. 



" If these knobs (which may be the large heads of six 

 nails) be placed at equal distances from each other, the 

 boiler will be well supported; and as the hot vapour from 

 the fire will pass off freely between them, the fire will burn 

 welL As a very small fire is all that can be wanted, no 

 inconvenience whatever will arise from the heating of the 

 boiler on the table, in a dining-room or breakfast-room, 

 especially if a spirit lamp be used ; and the quantity of heat 

 wanted is so very small, when the water is put boiling hot 

 into the boiler, that the expense for spirits of wine would 



• " T have in my possession two porcelain tea-pots of the same fonn and 

 dimensions, one of wliich is gilt all over on the outside, and tnight easiij' 

 bs mistaken for a g!>ld tes-pot ; the oilier is of its natural white colour, 

 both within and witl;"Ui ; being neither painted nor gilt. When they are 

 'U'.y.h filled at the sanje lime with hoiling water, and exposed to cool in 

 the suiic room, that which is gilt retains it? iient half as long again as that 

 •which is not gilt Tiie times employed in cooling them a giveu number of 

 degrees, are as three to two. 



" The resu!t*of this interesting eaperiment (which I first mad© about 

 seven years ago) affords a good and substantial reason for the preference 

 which English ladies have always given to silver tea-pots. The de- 

 tails of this experiment may be seen in a paper published in the Metaoirs of 

 ihe French National Institute for the year 1807." 



noti 



