Cod-Bohemian might also be a fair tag for the Guardian's own brand ... still, despite the lazy shibboleth, it was a good article.

PatrickLondon, Not fair comparing home-percolated coffee with the stuff you bought in diners in the US. How about comparing the bilge water sold as "coffee" in British diner-eqivalents instead?

"It is not really coffee any more. It is globally franchised...."

Well, now, sink me. And here I was thinking coffee(and also tea) for the West had its origins on plantations run on global franchises otherwise known as 'colonies.' Now this good journalist suggests that in the good old days, the stuff of these drinks was raised, bean by bean (or leaf by leaf, as the case may be) by geriatric (as opposed to infantile) bohemians on select plots of land in Tuscany (which, although somewhat lacking the agricultural requirements for these plants, does have the advantage of being Giacomo Puccini's birthplace....)

I don't know about London, but here (Seattle) people with their laptops hang about in espresso cafes for hours. Sort of an updating of a Viennese coffee shop with news over the Internet instead of newspapers. Can't figure out why these people have so much time.

Mimar, they may very well be working. Many people don't work in conventional offices these days, especially in the Seattle area.

Patrick, thanks for the explanation of "cod" -- hard to guess the derivation of that one...

As a tea lover, I have to add that the water must not be re-boiled. I get a lot of grief about the fact that I only add enough water for my tea, and if I need a second cup, I start with a fresh pot of water. Overboiled water is not the done thing.
<-- teacup

Actually, Miss Prism, I <i>do</i> have boiling water from a tap---one installed for that purpose. When serving tea to a crowd of ladies (flock, posse, gander?) I usually make one pot of very strong tea concentrate, if you will. Another pot, which is replenished as needed from the boiling water faucet in the kitchen, contains plain boiling water. When pouring a cup, the &quot;concentrate&quot; is poured in first---about an ounce. Then the boiling water is poured from the second pot. We make the concentrate from loose tea, not bags.

We thought we had invented this method of serving many people tea, but I was surprised to see it done in N.C., in just the same way. ~o)

Could someone please tell me how to make coffee in a caffetiere? There was one in the flat we rented several years ago (which we didn't try to use), and I see Jean and Lionel using one on As Time Goes By, but I would like to know exactly how it works.

Carolyn

If it's like a Bodum, you need first to understand what level in the pot corresponds to how many cups. If it isn't marked, experiment with cold cups of water in the empty pot until you understand the levels. You can also practice using the plunger using cold water - and remember, never overfill the pot once you make coffee for 'real.'

To make coffee, first boil the water; let it cool slightly as you grind and measure out the coffee. You want fairly coarse, evenly ground coffee.

Measure a fairly generous tablespoon of grounds per 4 oz cup - or you can experiment cup by cup to your taste; add (steadily but not too fast) the just-below-boiling point water. Now wait for the coffee to steep - it generally takes 3 to 4 minutes, but you may have to experiment a bit to get it to your taste. Also, some people like to stir it slightly at this point but I don't generally bother.

After the wait is up, depress the plunger GENTLY to isolate the grounds at the bottom of the pot. Again, this is a simple procedure but you might need to practice a couple of times to ensure how to do it so that no grounds escape from around the filter plunger. Once again, it is critical to avoid over-filling the pot, since you don't want to scald yourself with spilled water.

Serve immediately because the stuff tastes terrible if you leave it in the pot too long. Good luck, and happy coffee drinking.

oops, I'm having trouble editing but I should have mentioned that after adding the water, of course you must position the top/plunger/filter at the top of the pot, in preparation for plunging after steeping. Hope I haven't made this hopelessly confusing.

Thanks, Sue.

My tea sources say that not all teas should be brewed with boiling water; some require a lower temperature, such as my beloved Assam Greenleaf Estate.

Barbara,

<i>However, the term &quot;Great Britain&quot; began in 1603 when James VI of Scotland took over the throne of England upon the death of Elizabeth, becoming James I of Great Britain.</i>

My understanding is that James was king of two distinct nations - hence the references to James I &amp; VI. GB was not formed until the United Kingdom of Great Britain arrived with the Act of Union in 1707. In 1801 it became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Er... Great Britain is the name of the island. The United Kingdom was created when the King of Scotland (James VI) became King of England (James I) <i>as well</i> as Scotland. That was the &quot;Union of the Crowns,&quot; and it was in <b>1603.</b>

The Scottish <i>Parliament</i> merged itself with the Westminster Parliament in <b>1707,</b> the &quot;Union of the Parliaments.&quot;

This was not an especially popular event in Scotland, to wit Robert Burns -

<i>... I'll mak' this declaration
We are bought and sold for English gold
Such a parcel o' rogues in a nation!</i>

For a time following the Scottish rebellions that followed (in 1715 and 1745) it became &quot;fashionable&quot; (among some) to refer to Scotland as &quot;North Britain.&quot; Didn't take.

To Sue xx yy's instructions I'd add that it <i>is</i> important to stir the coffee before pressing the plunger down. I had a Bodum cafetiere explode on me once because the coffee formed a sort of plug and stopped the plunger from going down properly - when I pressed down the whole thing cracked open and boiling coffee spurted everywhere.

&quot;In 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, a new international entity was created: Great Britain&quot;

http://www.unionofthecrowns.com/story/06/

&quot;Overboiled water is not the done thing.&quot; Not just not done, but bad for the flavour, apparently becauseit drives out the oxygen. The water should be poured from the kettle as soon as it comes to the boil.

And I don't think that warming the pot was mentioned, was it ? I have to admit I usually use a teabag in a mug, but I always warm the mug

&quot;Actually, Miss Prism, I do have boiling water from a tap---one installed for that purpose. When serving tea to a crowd of ladies (flock, posse, gander?) I usually make one pot of very strong tea concentrate, if you will. Another pot, which is replenished as needed from the boiling water faucet in the kitchen, contains plain boiling water. When pouring a cup, the &quot;concentrate&quot; is poured in first---about an ounce. Then the boiling water is poured from the second pot. We make the concentrate from loose tea, not bags.&quot;

Aaah, I can't believe everyone's let this one go. Tea concentrate for Pete's sake! Sacrilege!

Yes &quot;tea concentrate&quot; forsooth.
..and boiling water from the tap too.

Americans usually make good coffee. Why not serve coffee and cakes to your posse of ladies?
Horses for courses ;-)