How to Make Coffee

The best-known coffee-pot is the one with a filter, of which a design is shown (Fig. 762). They are to be had of various sizes and more or less luxurious. To obtain a limpid infusion quickly place the ground coffee in the cylinder on top of the coffee-pot, then put in the strainer on top of the coffee, press it down and pour boiling water over so that the infusion runs slowly down into the pot. While the infusion filters the coffee-pot should be kept in a vessel containing hot water to the depth of two fingers so that the infusion attains the same degree of heat without allowing it to boil. For the sake of economy, after the infusion is made, the grounds can be boiled up once more and an infusion prepared with it to take the place of plain water, but, in order to obtain a good result, the grounds must first settle, then the water be poured off, strained and heated to boiling point. In this way less coffee can be used without deteriorating from its excellence. Use one and a half pounds of Java coffee, a pound and a half of Maracaibo, one pound of Mocha and seven gallons of water. The best way to obtain good coffee is to make it only when required; the maxim should be "little and often." It takes three kinds of coffee to obtain a good result; for instance, Mocha for the aroma, having it only slightly roasted, Maracaibo for the color, which should be well roasted, and Java for the strength, roasted to a degree between the other two.