636 Of the Excellent Qualities of Coffee. 



pressing down the ground coffee, has four small pro- 

 jecting square bars of about one tenth of an inch in 

 width fastened to the under side of it, 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 this has been done, and not before, the coffee 

 is pressed together. 



This circular plate is pierced by a great number of 

 small holes which permit the water to pass through 

 it, and it remains in the cylindrical vessel during the 

 whole of the time that the coffee is making. It re- 

 poses on the surface of the ground coffee, and pre- 

 vents its being thrown out of its place by the water 

 which is poured on it. 



The rod which serves as a handle 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. 



After having made a great number of experiments 

 in order to determine what thickness is best for the 

 layer of ground coffee, I have found that two thirds of 

 an inch answers best for the coffee in powder before it 

 is pressed together, and that it ought to be so pressed 

 as to be reduced to the thickness of something less 

 than half an inch. 



And as the quantity of ground coffee necessary for 

 making a cup of good coffee (a quarter of an ounce 

 avoirdupois) just fills a cylindrical measure which is 

 I.I 5 inches in diameter and in height, its volume 



