Coffee loses generally about 15% in weight in roasting, and afterwards should always be kept as tightly sealed as possible, as it loses in flavor from contact with the air and the beans become tough and hard to grind.
Grinding, Preparation, Etc.
The manner of grinding or cutting the coffee bean depends upon individ ual taste and custom. Coarse-ground coffee is not generally desirable, as it requires too long an infusion to extract the full strength—and too much boil ing tends to spoil both flavor and aroma. A medium-fine grind is the most generally serviceable for ordinary home use. There are many different formulas for preparing coffee for the table, the majority capable of being classified under the three following headings : Infusion or drawing: putting the ground coffee into boiling water and keeping it hot on the range without boiling for eight to ten minutes. With ordinary care this method will produce a very pleasing beverage, but it does not bring out much of the stimulating property of the bean.
Decoction or boiling: putting the ground coffee in cold water, allowing it to come to a boil and keeping it boiling for a few seconds. This brings out more strength than the preceding method and makes an excellent liquor—but if the boiling is continued too long the fine aroma passes away.
For the "old-fashioned" boiling method, the white of an egg is first stirred into the ground coffee. The latter is then placed in the pot and the proper amount of boiling water is poured over it—the water, taken fresh, having previously been allowed to boil hard for ten minutes. The coffee is permitted to come to a good boil, is stirred thoroughly once and then placed on the back of the stove for ten minutes. If any grounds appear on top, they are stirred a little and allowed to settle. This process gives excellent results but it requires a good deal of care.
Filtration or distilling: by the use of a "percolator," the boiling water passing slowly through the ground coffee held in the center of the machine. This method is largely used because the result is nearly always uniform.
No matter which method is employed, the grounds should never be allowed to remain in the coffee for any length of time after it is made.
In hotels, restaurants and other establishments where it is brewed in large quan tities, the coffee is generally held in a bag or other receptacle in the upper part of the urn, in order that the grounds may be the more easily removed.
The best general advice to the person wishing a good cup of coffee is to buy coffee as pure as possible and of flavor that suits the individual taste, to have it fresh roasted, fresh ground to moderate fineness and fresh made in a scrupulously clean coffee-pot. With these points secured, a little practice will produce a fine beverage by any reason able process.
A little cold water dashed in boiling coffee checks the boiling and causes the grounds to settle, leaving the beverage perfectly clear. In Creole cookery, the same result is obtained by adding a small piece of charcoal.
French Coffee. The special flavor noticed in much of the coffee served in France is generally due to any one or all of the three following causes : (1) the addition of 10% to 30% of chicory, (2) the especially heavy roasting of the beau, and (3) the oc casional addition of a little butter and sugar during the roasting. It is generally made in a percolator from fine ground coffee, the liquid being passed through the per,c,oRtor two or three times to acquire greater strength.
Cafe au lait, "Coffee with milk" or French Breakfast Coffee," generally means strong coffee served with boiling milk—about half coffee and half milk or to suit the individual taste.
Cafe noir, Black Coffee or After Dinner Coffee, requires an especially generous proportion of coffee, and percolation continued until the liquid is black.
Demitasse de cafe, or cafe demitasse, means literally only a small or half cup of coffee, but, carelessly used, the expression has come to signify Cafe noir or After Dinner Coffee.
Cafe a la cre'ine is made by adding plain or whipped cream to good Cafe noir.
Vienna Coffee is prepared in a special urn which passes and repasses the steam through the (finely ground) coffee, thus retaining the full aroma. It is served with whipped cream.