Grinders - Remembering a time long past
I spied on some coffee grinders at a quaint antique shop during a trip to Vermont. I couldn't help but to marvel at the stark differences between the grinders. These were certainly nothing like my home grinder and my curiosity drew me closer. One was spectacular in appearance - a large, ornate and uniquely shaped device. Others were more primitive and rudimentary in design.
Photos Courtesy of Fox Hollow Antiques & Trading Post
After having received a lesson on the history and functionality of these devices by the owner, it struck me that no matter their physical presentation these grinders of yore were built to serve one purpose - create fresh grinds to produce the same drink we enjoy today. But the act of doing this back then went well beyond the simple act of selecting a setting and turning on a switch. This was clearly an act done out of a labor of love.
Producing the amount of fresh ground coffee to serve your needs involved continuous hand cranking only to produce small quantities at a time. And to think that even further back, mortar and pestle were the prevailing technology. Imagine the poor bastard who had to grind up enough to serve greater numbers back then. Hosting a party was probably used as a punitive measure for lesser crimes back then.
As I sit here back home watching my coffee brew, I’ve come to appreciate that though the process of making coffee has certainly evolved, the love for coffee has remained constant across many generations. The desire for that certain aroma, flavor and pick-me-up has been the driving force behind what we did to achieve that cup of “Ahhhh” then, and the innovations that have made that same experience much simpler now.
What are your thoughts? Let us know if you’d be fine cranking out your grinds or, better yet, go full-Jurassic Park and sport a mortar and pestle for a cup of Joe. I’d like to thank the folks at Fox Hollow Antiques for giving me a primer on early American grinders and providing pictures of their wares for this article. You can find them here.