METHODS OF MAKING COFFEE. 79 



struction is very simple, consisting of an outer shell or reser 

 voir enclosing a plain coffee-pot, containing the coffee with 

 the required quantity of cold water. This is placed over a pan 

 or receiver which boils water and generates steam. The steam, 

 envelopes and completely surrounds the inner pot containing 

 the coffee and water, which gradually becomes heated, but never 

 fioils, thus perfectly distilling the coffee. By this process the 

 coffee does not become black, bitter, or stale, and can be served 

 at any time, with all the rich, oily, and fragrant aroma of the 

 bean. As the inner pot is air-tight, coffee made in this way is 

 stronger and incomparably superior in flavor to that produced 

 by any other method. Nothing is lost in evaporation nor at 

 mospheric action ; all the fine aroma and food properties are 

 held in solution, and the coffee is extracted by the action of 

 steam surrounding every part of the vessel containing the fluid. 

 The bitter taste other methods produce and the oxidation of 

 the acids are avoided, and the coffee always remains palatable 

 and agreeable to the taste. This process requires no substance 

 of any kind to clear the coffee ; the grounds settle at the bottom 

 by their own gravity, after the rich properties of the coffee are 

 fully distilled. It is perfectly pure, and is poured from the 

 coffee-pot as clear as amber, and resembling wine. 



The infusion is superior as a beverage to that made by any 

 other method yet discovered, besides consuming less coffee ; and 

 as it is a simple and economical utensil, coming within the 

 means of all who use coffee, it has the further advantage of hav 

 ing no complicated mechanism likely to get out of order, and 

 difficult to keep clean. If the advantages really existing in the 

 last-mentioned system are once understood, the benefits reaped 

 by all the consumers of pure coffee throughout the world will 

 more than realize the most sanguine hopes of philanthropy in 

 extending the universal use of the beverage so palatable to the 

 rich, so healthful and invigorating to the laboring classes. 



