History of the Cafetiere

Cafetieres are probably the most commonly used method of brewing coffee. Many coffee lovers swear on the fact that the cafetiere is the best method, as it preserves the delicate flavours in the oils, giving a smooth, rich bodied coffee.

The exact history and origin of the cafetiere is not clear. Both the French and the Italians lay claims to its invention. What is known is that the first cafetieres appeared in France in the 1850s. These coffee pots were made of metal and fitted with a metal screen attached to a rod. The metal screen would be plunged down, using the rod, forcing the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot.

One story of how the cafetiere was invented involves an old man from Provence. The story goes that the old man used to go for a walk up a hill everyday to get some peace and quiet from his nagging wife. No matter how bad the weather was, blistering heat or driving rain, the old man would make the journey. As he sought to escape his wife for as long a period as possible he would take with him a small amount of food, some firewood and his favourite old coffee pot. When he reached the top of the hill he would take an extended rest, taking time out to light a fire, eat his food and brew some coffee.

Now coffee back then was typically strong, bitter and tasted dreadful. It would be made by adding water and coffee grounds to a pot and then placing the pot on an open fire or stove until the water boiled. Little did they know back then that boiling water destroys the oil in coffee, from which coffee gains its flavour.

One day the old man was making his coffee as he always did. But this time he forgot to add his coffee grounds to his coffee pot. It was not until the water started boiling away in the pot that the old man realised his mistake. He quickly removed the pot from the flames and added in his coffee grounds. Of course the old man did not know that making his coffee this way would result in the coffee grounds floating to the top. Made the usual way, the coffee grounds would have sunk to the bottom of the pot by the time the water had boiled. The old man took one look at his coffee and thought, "I can't drink this. I'll end up swallowing the ground coffee."

As if by chance, as the old man contemplated going without his coffee (he had only brought enough water and coffee grounds for one pot), an Italian travelling merchant appeared on the horizon. Among the many goods the merchant was carrying was a metal screen. The old man saw this screen and quickly hit upon an idea. He swiftly brought a section of this screen from the merchant and carefully fitted it over his coffee pot. Using a stick which lay nearby, he plunged the metal screen down to the bottom of the pot, thus trapping the coffee grounds. He then took a sip from his pot and immediately a big smile broke out across his face. The merchant, keen to find out why the old man was smiling, asked if he could try some of his coffee. After taking a big gulp from the pot, the merchant gave the old man a knowing look. This was the best coffee either of them had ever tasted!

The story goes on to say that after trying this fantastic coffee, the two men decided to open a small factory manufacturing their new invention: a coffee pot with a fitted plunger. Their cafetiere made them both a small fortune.

Stories aside, we know that the first registered patent for a cafetiere was lodged in 1929 by a Milanese man called Attilio Calimani. Over the years, Attilio refined his 'apparatus for the preparation of infusions of coffee' to quicken the filtration of the coffee.

The next significant step in the history of the cafetiere came in 1958, when another Italian, Faliero Bondanini, was granted a patent for his version of the cafetiere. Bondanini's version became very popular in France, and by the early 1960s it was seen as a must have item for every French home. It was around this time that a British company, Household Articles Ltd, realised the potential for the cafetiere and introduced their version, the 'Classic', to the UK. Drawing on the French influences on this coffee maker, they marketed it as 'La Cafetiere' (The Coffee Pot). This is where the generic term 'cafetiere' for French-press or 'plunge-filter' coffee maker comes from.

Food Dehydrators and What to Look for When Buying One

Have you ever wished that you could eat healthier? Maybe you've decided to go vegetarian - or even vegan - and now the question for you becomes, "What am I going to eat now?!" In the beginning you might try buying dried goods from health food stores, but it usually ends up being an expensive proposition over time. Thankfully for you, there could be a better solution: dehydrating your own food at home!

With so many different types and brands of food dehydrators on the market today, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. The truth is that it really helps to know what the main features are which are available to you, and how much you should spend.

Most people start using food dehydration for one of several reasons - either to lead a more healthy lifestyle, or simply to create their favorite foods at home. Many people often do it for both reasons. The advantages to dehydrating your own food at home are many though, and that includes having control over the foods you prepare, including the levels of salt and other seasonings. Plus there is the obvious cost advantage; a one-time payment for a food dehydrator easily outweighs the cost of repeated trips to the natural foods store to buy items in bulk at retail prices!

Traditionally, the most common method of dehydration was to use Mother Nature - curing food in the sun. This goes back to ancient times and is still by far the most popular way it is done in many parts of the world. This is changing, however, in our modern age, with the advances in technology. Now you can obtain a food dehydrator which you can plug into the wall and use any time of day or night, instead of being dependent on the weather. Plus, an indoor dehydration machine will make the whole process significantly faster for you! Most machines will come with one or several trays for food. You simply load up the trays as directed, flip the switch, and watch. Within no time you'll have healthily prepared foods, which have all the vitamins and minerals that are sorely lacking in conventionally cooked food.

So how do you choose the right food dehydrator? Well, I say from experience that it is best to avoid purchasing these items used from eBay, Craigslist or other resale channels. Sometimes these dehydrators can have damage or structural defects or damage from the former owner. Although you may not be able to tell until you receive the item, you should be able to do quite a bit of checking in advance. First of all, make sure the food dehydrator comes from a decent manufacturer, such as Excalibur. All too often, cheap knockoffs are available. While they will likely be cheaper, like most things in life you really do get what you pay for. That being said, there are many high quality options available in price ranges in the low hundreds. You also want to make sure that you order a model with enough trays to suit your cooking needs (and the size of your kitchen.) If you're planning to cook in large batches, go with a nine-tray machine. But if you don't cook as much, a couple trays will work just fine.

I hope this quick article was useful to you in your search for the perfect food dehydrator! With a little time and research, it will be easy for you to find the best fit for your needs.