Espresso Con Pana is an Italian original now popular in the U.S.

Espresso by itself is a dark, robust blend of coffee bean perfection.  The drink that put Italy on the map has been transformed by some of the top coffee sellers in the world into many different varieties.  But one such blend is just as well known as espresso by itself, and that is espresso con panna.

The Italian drink is translated as, “espresso with cream“.  After the espresso is created through high pressured hot water then sweet homemade whipped cream is added.  And of course if you do not want the added sugar then the cream by itself is just enough to take the bite out of the dark coffee taste.

The espresso con panna is a favorite in the United States.  In fact, Starbucks has it on the menu, which can be made with one, two or three shots.  Because of it’s bitter taste this drink may not be for everyone, especially if you enjoy tasting less of the coffee and more of the filler.  But for the robust taste buds this drink is a creamy delight and very simple to make.

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Peter J. Schlumbohm, Ph.D

As you might have guessed, the Chemex was invented by a chemist.  In 1941 Peter J. Schlumbohm, Ph.D was inspired to create the Chemex coffee maker.

Born in 1896 in Germany, a graduate of the University of Berlin, he moved to New York City in 1936.  A prolific inventor he holds over 3,000 patents.  Fusing a glass funnel and an Erlenmeyer flask he modified them to include an air channel and a pouring spout. This displaced air from the dripping water bypassing the filter paper.

The famous “bellybutton” bubble mark shows the halfway mark of the bottom of the coffee pot.  Made of borosilicate glass the Chemex is laboratory grade and heat proof.

Simple and elegant, the Chemex only requires a filter, coffee and hot water.  You can accessorize with a wire grid for electric stovetops, a glass cover to keep the coffee warm, a long handled brush to clean, and a wooden collar to safely grip.

In 1956 the Chemex was selected by the Illinois Institute of Technology as one of the best-designed items in modern times.  It is in permanent collections in MOMA, New York City, the Smithsonian, the Philadelphia Museum and the Corning Museum, NY.  It has been recognized as an outstanding example of American Design.

Simple, elegant and a great cup of coffee can be enjoyed with the Chemex.

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Melitta

German housewife Melitta Bentz from Dresden thought there was a better way.  And in 1908 it occurred to her one day, “Why not use paper to filter out what I don’t want in my coffee?” 

Inspired, she took a brass coffee pot and poked a few holes in the bottom and lined it with blotting paper from her son’s notebook and voila the Melitta coffee filter was born.

The result was a filtered cup of coffee minus the grounds and the bitterness.  She knew her invention was brilliant and applied for a patent in Berlin which was granted on July 8, 1908.   It was called “Filter Top Device lined with Filter Paper”.  Not too catchy but the 35-year old created the Melitta Bentz Company knowing she was on to something.

Consequent improvements came onto the market.   The cone-shape developed in the 1930’s which had a larger filtration area and ribbed lining.  With environmental issues at hand the natural brown filter was born in 1989.  The white filter remained popular and in 1992 a new bleaching method was developed using an oxygen-cleansed filter paper. 

In 1997 Flavor Pores™ was developed with microfine pores offering a tastier cup of coffee and released in 1999 to North America. The Safety Crimp was added for extra durability in 2002 insuring easy disposal and no breakage during brewing.

Bamboo filters were released in 2007 for the Natural Food client base made of 60 percent bamboo fiber.  This same year the patented Flavor Enhancing Micro Perforations improved upon Flavor Pores with a more efficient extraction technique.

Just goes to show how a woman brewing a cup of coffee in 1908 could become the leader in coffee filters today with a little imagination and a desire to make a better cup of coffee.

Technorati Tags: coffee, filters, Melitta

Nescafe

One of the best ways of preserving the taste of coffee is the Freeze-Dried Coffee method.  More of the volatile oils remain in the product giving it that “real” cup of brewed coffee flavor.

Invented in 1901 by a Japanese scientist by the name of Satori Kato it was later marketed around 1920 by George C.L. Washington.  Nescafe was developed 18 years later in 1938, the first name brand on the market.

Post WWII America saw the advent of instant coffee and since then freeze-drying has grown in popularity as it is a higher-quality product and more expensive.

The method of making freeze-dried coffee involves brewing large vats of coffee and placing them through evaporators making highly concentrated liquid. 

To preserve the aroma and flavor “foaming” gases are infused through the coffee removing oxygen.  The wet coffee granules are then rapidly frozen and placed in a drying chamber on metal trays. 

The frozen coffee is ground into particles and the ice crystals are then removed by sublimation meaning transference from a solid state to a gaseous state without the liquification phase.  A vacuum is created in the chamber is warmed, usually by radiation. 

The frozen water in the coffee granules expands to ten times its size and is removed as vapor from the chamber.  Volatile aromas are sprayed on the coffee granules.

The product is then packaged in a low-humidity, low-oxygen environment to maintain its integrity.  The process is environmentally friendly.

The advantage of freeze-dried coffee is that it is portable and can be taken anywhere and mixed with hot water gives you a nice fresh tasting cup of coffee.

Technorati Tags: coffee, Freeze-Dried Coffee, types of coffee

Percolator

The first documented percolator coffee pot was invented in the 18^th century, not in one place but in different parts of the world.  Coffee had become a popular drink and people wanted to find a way to make it easier to brew a good cup.

The first known inventor of the percolator was by none other than a New Englander by the name of Benjamin Thompson (1753-1814).  A physicist and inventor he served in the Loyalist forces as a Colonel during the American Revolution.  In 1784 he was knighted by King George III.  He later relocated to Bavaria becoming a government servant where he was appointed Bavarian Army Minister and was thereafter known as Count Rumford of the Holy Roman Empire.  There is no exact date of his percolator invention.

A bit later in France there is record of a percolator being created in 1818 by a metal smith by the name of Laurens.

In England a few years later in 1840 James Napier created the vacuum pot which was comprised of two glass globes. The bottom one boiled the water and the vapor would rise into the upper globe brewing the coffee.  When removed from the heat, the lower globe cooled and the vacuum created pulled the brewed coffee down into it.

In America cowboys would make coffee by boiling water and the grounds together and letting the grounds settle to the bottom.  Later people began to put the coffee in a cloth bag to keep the grounds from mixing in the water.

James H. Mason patented the first percolator in the United States in 1865.  His device incorporated a basket on top of a hollow stem where the grounds were placed inside of a pot of water.  Boiling water would travel up through the hollow tube and drip down over the grounds, “percolating” them back into the pot.

This method of coffee brewing gave way to the “drip” coffeemaker and in 1972 Mr. Coffee hit the market.  Designed by Vince Marotta and endorsed by Joe DiMaggio it became a best seller. 

But if you are out camping there is no beating the good old percolator; its portable, needs no electricity and produces a great cup of coffee over the camp stove on those brisk chilly mornings outdoors – the old-fashioned way.

Technorati Tags: coffee, methods of brewing coffee, Percolator Coffee Pot