Coffee Makers - A Brief History

For any coffee lover in any part of the world, your morning 'cup of joe' has been something people have enjoyed for centuries. Even if some methods of creating the perfect cup of coffee were easier than other ways, it wasn't long before coffee makers as we know them today were born. If you do not know about some of the coffee makers throughout history, you are missing out on this wonderful information. Here is a brief history of the coffee maker and how our modern ones came to be.

As early as the 19th century, people were brewing coffee in pans with boiling water on their stoves. They placed their pot on the stove, filled it with water and coffee beans, and boiled it until it just 'smelled right'. When their brew was ready, into the mug it went. This method was used in inns, castles, homes, and restaurants all over the world.

Of course, coffee makers like we use today didn't really come about until over 120 years ago. One of the very first methods of brewing coffee was a two-level pot. The water was poured into the top pot, drained down through holes that were in the bottom, and down into the pot below. This created a rich cup without all of the work of watching it brew on the stove, but this method was a bit slower.

After this method caught on, the first coffee makers were created by a French inventor. These newest coffee makers were called 'pumping percolators' and made their coffee by using boiling water. This water was forced up through a small tube, then was allowed to go back down into the coffee grounds below. This created a great cup of coffee for those awaiting the warm brew.

When these more modern coffee makers became popular, other types followed quickly around the world. Next came the vacuum brewer, which was invented in 1840. This type of coffee maker was known for creating a clear type of coffee, yet it still tasted just as rich. These coffee makers were extremely popular all over the world until the end of the 19th century.

Next came the percolator. While it was a more modern version of the pumping percolator, it wasn't patented until 1865. In this type of percolator, you placed the water into the pot and it was boiled until it was forced into a metal tube inside the coffee makers and then dumped into the brew basket. Coffee grounds were placed in the basket, and the water dripped through this area back into the pot below.

Of course, the coffee makers that we love today didn't appear until the 20th century and even then didn't catch on right away. Electric drip coffee makers were in no way popular until Mr. Coffee became one of the hottest brands in the world in 1972. Once Mr. Coffee showed that electric coffee makers could brew a great cup quickly, many homes around the world switched over.

As you can see, there are so many different types of coffee makers throughout history. It's always neat to see how people just a couple of centuries ago made their morning cup of coffee before the coffee makers that we know today came about. Of course, there are other massive machines out there - such as espresso machines - but many people don't own these big machines as they still love their smaller, electric coffee makers.

Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is furniture, mattresses and oak coffee table