THE HISTORIC GRINDER OF GREAT-GRANDMA
My great grandmother was a very special person; he knew how to do everything and loved to tell fairy tales. When on a spring evening he sees a packed box on the kitchen table, seized by curiosity, she asks her daughter what it contains. Knowing his great passion, my grandmother had bought her an electric grinder. “With this you will not struggle to prepare coffee!” he begins happily, handing her the gift. In the following weeks in the great-grandmother's house, the aroma of coffee wafted through the air with the usual pleasantness. At the end of the Sunday lunch, the inevitable drink was enjoyed, praising the quality of the new appliance in the kitchen. The only one who did not express opinions was the great-grandmother, silent and attentive to the comments of the diners; she abstained so as not to disappoint whoever had given her the beautiful gift. A few months later the old coffee grinder had taken its place in the cupboard. The slow movement on the crank, the pleasant noise of the crushed grains and the heady scent were back! In your opinion, hand ground coffee,it had a more intense flavor; or perhaps the reassuring pleasure of ancient gestures had prevailed over technology.
THE HISTORY OF THE COFFEE GRINDER
During the 17th century the first models of coffee grinders were built. In parallel in the same period they spread to Turkey and France. Turkish coffee grinders were very peculiar, cylindrical in shape made of copper or brass; worked with valuable inlays enriched with refined stones. Although the French were very fond of this drink, the very first example of coffee grinder was forged by an English blacksmith; Richard Dearmann nel 1799. Over the ocean, its diffusion in the United States was widespread. In 1818 il signor Increase Wilson, built and patented the wall coffee grinder. We have to wait for the industrial revolution for the birth of companies in this sector in Europe; the coffee grinder becomes an object within everyone's reach. So in France, Peugeot starts production in 1842. With us in Italy, the Piedmontese factory Fratelli Bertoldo was born in 1894; with the great success of the article, the Tre Spade brand is created for the production of coffee grinders. For many decades, French and Italians competed for leadership of the European market.
PELLEGRINO ARTUSI'S POINT OF VIEW
The good fortune of being Italian lies in the fact that the genius of the greats of our beloved peninsula is always useful to us; eclectic characters and profound connoisseurs of their subject. If by chance there was a doubt about the usefulness and beauty of an "old-fashioned" coffee grinder, just read Artusi's text. The famous chef/writer in his notes,advised to grind the coffee in minimal doses; only what it needs because once in powder it tends to lose its aroma and taste. Who knows what coffee grinder he used? It is not known, but his advice is still valid and scientifically proven.
I TOO LOVE OLD COFFEE GRINDERS
Having the ability to travel to Europe, I bought for myself some beautiful coffee grinders. I was impressed by the travel models, pleasant objects built to end up in the suitcase during our grandparents' trips. I found original Bakelite ones. I displayed them in my kitchen on a shelf to enjoy the view, but the pleasure did not last long. During a dinner with friends they convinced me to sell them. “You'll find them again when you go back to Prague!”. It will be like this, but for the moment the hunt is on and the fabulous coffee grinders have gone missing; well holed up I struggle to find them!
