Coffee-making has evolved over the years

By Chris Fennimore
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, February 9, 2003

The other day, my son asked me what coffee tastes like. As I was trying to describe the slightly bitter, musty but rich flavor of my morning ritual beverage, I realized that coffee is one of those unique tastes. Other things might be like coffee, but coffee is not like other things.

As I was growing up, my father always put the pot on in the morning. Like 99 percent of all Americans, he used a little stovetop percolator. The method was quite simple. Water boiled up from the bottom of the pot, hit the top and sprayed down over a basket of ground coffee.

The longer it perked, the more the coffee brewed and the stronger it became. You had to keep an eye on the pot to make sure you lowered the heat when the water began to boil and shut it off when the coffee was dark enough.

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