| 18th Century History |
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Articles and Products of History Coffee in the 18th CenturyEveryone in the early days knew that coffee had different flavors according to the variety of the coffee bean, and upon the roasting technique. The darker the roast, the more robust the flavor would be. Lightly roasted coffee that had a cocoa color would tend to have a milder flavor. Dark roasts were more popular in the southern half of the United States. French and Italian coffees had a darker roast than most coffees that were served in America.
Everyone in the 18th century knew that you only used fresh water to prepare coffee. Old, or stale water gave coffee a flat taste. The makers of coffee in that day varied the strength of the coffee by increasing or decreasing the amount of coffee, not by adjusting the cooking time, or by adding more or less water. To make coffee clear and free of large grounds, grinding the bean coarsely was called for. Another method to clear coffee of floaters was to mix the ground up coffee with a slightly beaten egg white and cold water. About 1 tsp. of egg white was used. We are fortunate that we have coffee filters, today. Boiling coffee was done by pouring the desired amount of fresh cold water over the coffee. It was placed over a low heat and brought to a boil. It was removed from the heat, stirred and served. Steeping coffee was done by pouring boiling water over the coffee, letting it stand over low heat without simmering about 10 minutes. To both methods a few tablespoons of cold water were added to help settle the grounds. Today there are coffee shops on every corner. Coffee makers are a staple in every home. We should not forget those die-hard caffeine attacks of yesteryear who had a chore, indeed, to get their first cup of coffee each morning. Further Reading
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