Originally called the Napier, after
its Scottish inventor, this brewing method has been in use since
before 1840. In Britain these wonderful machines are manufactured by
the Cona company. If the dinner table conversation is flagging, put
one of these in action on the table; they are amazing to watch
(although they are a bit fiddly) and make good coffee, if it is not
kept warm too long. Some of them come with an electric coil heater,
others require a spirit lamp.
The grind should really be
fine-to-medium; if a fine grind is used, you may get sediment in the
coffee liquid, depending on the type of filter stopper your machine
has; if you use a medium grind, you may require slightly more coffee
if you want more flavor. the vacuum might be the one method that
actually benefit the omni-grind now marketed by many coffee
companies as working for both filter and plunger, a fallacy, of
course.
Pour the cold water into the bottom
jug. Place the filter into the top of the glass funnel. (In some
Cona machines the filter may be a glass stopper; if it is the rubber
stopper, drop the chain through the funnel and anchor it around the
funnel's bottom rim.) Place the jug on or over the heat and
carefully twist the upper bowl and the funnel into the bottom jug.
Put the dry coffee in the upper bowl and wait for the water below to
boil. When the water has finished rising up the funnel, it always
leaves a small amount of water in the bottom jug, but this protects
it from the heat - stir the upper mixture well, immediately lower
the heat, or remove entirely from the heat, and wait for the coffee
to descend. Carefully remove the upper bowl and grounds, and serve
the coffee.
