Interesting article, especially about espresso -- and the modern knock off of the Sylex is great fun, if wasteful.
Note: the still from the graveyard of the percolators shows drip pots. The diagram of the Vesuvio omits the stem, which descends into the boiling water; in these pots, it is not the steam that passes through the grounds, but the water, which is forced by the steam.
I miss the pressure levers on commercial espresso makers, they all seem to have disappeared after the 70s.
Boiled coffee is best made by *not boiling, but adding grounds to water that has just been stopped from boiling -- or not allowed to reach that temperature.
I've heard temperatures of about 190 degrees, too.
You don't need a lab thermometer, an instant-read meat thermometer works very well. By drilling a small hole in the top of your kettle and inserting a small, inverted cone-shaped coil spring, you can make a handy mount for it.
The Dutch may have made a very strong infusion by brewing in room-temperature water in sunlight for a day or two, then decanting the clear dark liquor from the grounds which, by then, have settled. This is mixed with hot water for drinking, much like a samovar.
I don't care a hoot about this scrupulously clean business. But it's never wise to leave your coffee on the heat. And you can actually taste it much better black and at room temperature.
It is better to be addicted to coffee than to opiates.
Good coffee can be made with percolators, if you have technique and rythm, good timing, and panache.
Last edited by inselpeter; 10/31/05 02:35 AM.
