Of the Excellent Qualities of Coffee. 633 



make the experiment with due care will find, as I have 

 done, that coffee of the very best quality may be pre- 

 pared with the quantity of materials above-mentioned. 



But this cannot be done unless the method which I 

 use be employed for making the coffee. 



In order that the advantages which will result from 

 the adoption of that process may be perceived and 

 estimated, it will be useful to give a short description 

 of the method formerly pursued, and to explain the 

 disadvantages which resulted from it. 



Formerly the ground coffee being put into a coffee- 

 pot with a sufficient quantity of water, the coffee-pot 

 was put over the fire, and after the water had been 

 made to boil a certain time the coffee-pot was removed 

 from the fire, and the grounds having had time to set- 

 tle, or having been fined down with isinglass, the clear 

 liquor was poured off and immediately served in cups. 



From the results of several experiments which I 

 made with great care, in order to ascertain what pro- 

 portion of the aromatic and volatile particles in the 

 coffee escape and are left in this process, I found rea- 

 son to conclude that it amounts to considerably more 

 than half. This loss may easily be explained. It is 

 occasioned principally, no doubt, by the motions into 

 which the liquid is thrown in being heated, and after- 

 wards on being made to boil ; but there are two other 

 unfavourable circumstances attending this process that 

 deserve attention. 



The air that is attached to the small solid particles 

 of the ground coffee often remain attached to them ; 

 and causing them to rise up to the surface of the 

 water, and to remain there, these particles contribute 

 very little to the strength or qualities of the liquor; 



