My Coffee Family Tree, Part II: Oma's Coffee Pot

Following the popularity of my last My Coffee Family Tree post, I asked my mom about an old pewter coffee pot that belonged to my grandmother. For me it was one of those old antiques that have always been present in my family, sitting next to the telephone in my grandmother's living room for as long as I can remember. I had always assumed it was for tea, but it is actually a coffee pot dating back to the 19th century.

It turns out, Mom knew very little about the pot but this did not deter her. In her second guest blog post, Mom details the history of the pot both within our family and within the tradition of coffee drinking in Holland. Enjoy!

"This lacquered and hand painted pewter coffee pot, known in Holland as a kraantjeskan, has been in the family for as long as I can remember. When André asked me about it, I turned to relatives in a quest for more information. They, however, could only confirm that this family heirloom had belonged to our grandmother (Oma). No one knows when or how Oma obtained it, or more importantly, how she made coffee in it. With the help of the internet, I found some answers.

History: In the late 17th century the popularity of coffee spread throughout Europe. The drink quickly became known as a “sociable drink” because it was only served in public coffeehouses, a place where gentlemen gathered to drink coffee and talk politics. At about that same time, the Dutch invented a coffee pot with a spigot, aptly named kraantjeskan (spigot pot). For centuries this coffee pot, which was used almost exclusively in Holland, was the country’s most important coffee brewing device. Later, as coffee moved into the home, nicer and more decorative spigot pots were made. Of those, the lacquered and hand painted kraantjeskan from the northern province of Groningen, was especially well known. In the middle of the 19th century, the traditional kraantjeskan started to disappear as newer coffee brewing techniques like the “drip” and “filtration” methods gained in popularity. In rural areas, however, farmers continued using the kraantjeskan until the beginning of the 20th century. Today, replicas of the kraantjeskan are used in specialty restaurants in Holland to serve coffee.

Brewing: Coffee was brewed in a kraantjeskan by placing the grounds, usually in some sort of linen holder, in the coffee pot and pouring boiling water over the grounds. Hot coals were placed in the cup underneath the pot. The gentle heat let the grounds steep and kept the coffee at temperature. When the desired strength was reached, the coffee was served. Cream and sugar were added to taste. Traditionally, this cup of coffee was served with koek, a gingerbread-like cake.

Age: The age of this particular spigot pot is difficult to determine because there is no trademark. However, this lacquered and hand painted kraantjeskan can be traced to the 19th century. In estimating the age of this piece, we must also keep the following points in mind. First, the paint has completely worn off the handle and spigot, a sign of a lot of use. This could not have all come from Oma’s use because, according to my mother, Oma only used her coffee pot on special occasions. Second, this coffee pot has a coal cup as a heat source instead of the small fuel burning units usually seen on later models. Third, Oma was born at the end of the 19th century. By the time she became an adult and was married, these coffee pots were no longer being made. Therefore, I feel this coffee pot was passed down to Oma, possibly by her parents or maybe even her grandparents, making this kraantjeskan between 110 and 160 years old.

Mom’s Memories of Oma’s “Kraantjeskan:” To Oma her kraantjeskan was special, something to be prized and used with great care. In 1939 when my mother met her future parents-in-law for the first time, Oma made coffee in this pot. My mother was so touched by this gesture that she instantly formed a special bond with both Oma and the kraantjeskan. And so Oma passed the coffee pot on to my mother. In 1969 this kraantjeskan made its way from Holland to California. Since then, it has proudly graced numerous rooms as a symbol of our Dutch heritage and a loving tribute to the generations who came before us."

My Coffee Family Tree

I've blogged before about the importance of coffee in family (See: "My One Year Old Can't Say "Coffee." Should I Be Worried?"). Coffee has always been part of my family. A pot of tea in the morning followed by a pot of coffee was always the standard when I grew up. (I've forgone the tea and go straight for the hard stuff myself.)

My mom has been sharing coffee memories with me over email and she's generously agreed to share her memories here on my blog. (Turns out Mom is a devoted follower of Coffee Llama.)

My family is from Holland and most of the post below regards an old stone coffee pot that my grandmother (Oma) brought over from Holland. I have never seen these types of pots outside of my Oma's house. I've included Mom's description on how to brew with these pots.

Take it away, Mom:

"Coffee is a very important part of everyday life in Holland and has been for many generations. Therefore, it is no surprise that I have vivid memories of your Omas, as well as my Omas, making lots of coffee. In the 1950’s, I remember coffee being made manually in a stone coffee pot like the one pictured here using the method below.

This coffee pot had a ceramic filter. The bottom of the filter consisted of two ceramic layers. Each layer had a series of evenly spaced, slender, slightly oblong slits. The layers were assembled in such a way that the slits crossed over one another resulting in narrow openings which allowed the water to drip through very slowly.

Brewing Coffee: Separate ceramic filter and coffee pot. Remove the lid from the filter and put in desired amount of coffee. Use the flat disk to stamp down the coffee, remove disk. Place disk with holes on top of filter (fits just underneath ridge for the lid). Rinse coffee pot with boiling water and place filter on top of pot. Slowly pour boiling water over the disk until water bubbles back up, letting coffee drip into pot. When dripping has slowed to a trickle and coffee grounds are completely saturated, add more boiling water if needed, make sure water does not overflow top of filter. To serve, pour coffee cups 3/4 full, add boiling milk, add sugar to taste.

When electric percolators and drip coffee makers came out, Oma Mol was quick to put manual coffee making behind her. Oma Venema, on the other hand, continued with her old faithful method until she moved into an assisted living home at the age of 84. When Oma Venema lived in California, her ceramic filter broke but by then those filters were no longer being made. Oma Mol came to the rescue as she gladly passed on a ceramic filter she had kept. Now Oma Venema had a pot and filter from two different manufacturer, resulting in a coffee pot that did not fit together properly. That didn’t matter to Oma, the important thing was that she could continue making her coffee the way she was most comfortable with – the manual way. I can still picture Oma’s brown coffee pot standing on top of her stove. When we lived in California, we gave Oma Venema an electric coffee maker to use when she had company - that way she wouldn't have to spend so much time in the kitchen away from her guests. That coffee maker stood on her kitchen counter for at least 15 years......she never used it.

Childhood “Coffee-Making” Memories

• I remember my Oma’s kitchen as being a happy place where the women congregated, a room full of laughter and chatter. The kitchen itself was tiny but that didn’t stop the women from gathering, lending a helping hand where they could, and enjoying each other’s company. This was especially true when dishes were being done, or better yet, coffee was being made.

• My Oma ground her coffee using a manual coffee grinder. The manual grinders were held between the knees with the drawer, which caught the grounds, up against one knee to keep it from flying open and spilling the contents. As a little girl, my Oma would let me grind her coffee. Inevitably I would forget about the drawer and have it facing forward, resulting in the drawer flying open and spilling the grounds. My Oma would have to clean up and start over. I remember my Oma as a very understanding and patient women – a real sweetheart. I feel sorry I didn’t get to know her better.

• Boiling milk for the coffee was a problem for my Oma. I always remember her having to clean her stove top because the milk boiled over. She got so involved in conversation that she would forget to keep an eye on the milk until it was too late, even if she was standing right next to the stove top. Your Oma confirmed this fact but did not mention that she found herself in that same situation more times than she would care to admit."

Thanks Mom for sharing the coffee memories!

My one year old can't say "coffee." Should I be worried?

In the competitive sport that is childrearing, I'm learning that the first twelve months is a time to brag about the significant milestones, especially with other parents you don't know. The bragging rights are awarded to the parent in the room who can prove that their child hit the milestone first. For example, my daughter started walking at nine months, which is relatively early. This turned out to be the best time to parade her in public, or better at the local Gymboree, where she could toddle around in front of the children her age who were still drooling on themselves while struggling to get their feet under themselves.

My favorite reaction was one woman who came up to me at the local market while I was encouraging my daughter to walk in my direction. "She's too young to be walking," she scolded me as my daughter confidently made her way toward me with steady steps -- implying that I was in some way forcing my child to walk before she was ready. (If only this woman had seen me discouraging my daughter to walk knowing very well what tortures were coming our way as soon as she became mobile in our small apartment.)

The woman in the market exemplifies an attitude that appears to be very common in New York City: unsolicited advice from absolute strangers. I first experienced this when I got my dog. It's worse with parents. I've also been told that my daughter will burn on a sunny day even though I have her slathered in sunscreen and I've been told that she will freeze in the cold when I've given up on putting her hat back on her head after she repeatedly unties it and throws it under the wheels of the stroller.

But my absolute favorite advice has been the people who have suggested that I am teaching my daughter bad habits because I drink coffee in front of her. Really??

Let's stop for a second to think about all the behaviors that my daughter experiences through my coffee habits. First, let's examine the caffeine. I'm cranky and sluggish without it. My wife often refuses to talk to me until I've had my first cup in the morning. So maybe they have a point.

Aside from the caffeine though, what else does my daughter experience? Almost every day that I am home, I make a point of taking her with me to one of our many local coffee shops. I have been doing this since she was two weeks old. In these places, she meets and interacts with new people and experiences new sights and new sounds. Often we will site for a few minutes while I drink coffee and she drinks her bottle. Now that she's older we often split a muffin or part of a bagel together. And most of the time, she ingores me because she's too busy looking at all the people or staring in wonder as the baristas fix drinks for the customers.

At home, of course, I roast my own beans and brew my coffee by hand in a press pot. Since she was born, she has been around the sights, smells and sounds of coffee being roasted and brewed in our apartment. And she has experienced all the rituals that go along with this process starting at day one. As she has grown, I've seen her get more and more engaged in my activities. I often bring her into the kitchen to watch the beans come out of the roaster or smell the fresh grounds coming out of the grinder or watch me press the coffee and pour my cup. No mirowaves, no easy food out of packages, no instant gratification. Instead, she sees the whole process from green bean to cup.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I am proud that coffee plays such a prominent place in my home life. Over time, I hope my daughter looks back at all of these experiences and appreciates the enjoyment of the ritual and the satisfaction of all the work that goes into one small cup of coffee. And let's not forget the fact that I try to control as much as I can about the processes that occur before I get my beans by buying as much organic, fair-trade/direct-trade coffees from local businesses as possible.

I wonder if all these things are good enough to outshine the inarticulate grumpy dad she sees before the caffeine hits my veins in the morning.