Coffee Making as a Science: How 1919 Changed Home Brewing Forever

📌 Discover how early 20th-century domestic science revolutionized coffee brewing. Learn why boiled coffee is inferior, how filtration improves flavor, and how scientific principles transformed coffee from a household ritual into a culinary art. A must-read for coffee lovers, epicureans, students, and historians! ☕📚

Enjoying Good Coffee at Home. The Importance and Procedure of Proper Coffee Making Expounded by Edward Aborn Before Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. Good Housekeeping, August 1920. GGA Image ID # 222ad8c507

☕ Mastering the Art of Coffee Making: A 1919 Guide to Brewing Perfection

🔎 A Deep Dive into Coffee’s Role in Domestic Science, Health, and Culinary Mastery

This 1919 article on coffee brewing is more than just a historical guide—it’s a revolutionary look at coffee science, household efficiency, and culinary expertise. Featuring insights from Edward Aborn, a leading authority on coffee preparation, the article challenges old brewing traditions and introduces scientific principles that elevate the coffee experience.

For epicureans, coffee lovers, food historians, students, and educators, this article is a rich educational resource that explores:

✅ The scientific principles behind coffee brewing

✅ The health implications of different brewing techniques

✅ How early 20th-century domestic science shaped modern coffee culture

The evolution of business life today, the increased range of opportunity and responsibility coming to the manufacturer, especially of food products, and the evolution also of housekeeping under modern conditions with the changes and adjustments necessary to efficient housewifery are well represented by the series of lectures recently given at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences by Miss Helen Louise Johnson.

As the housewife's teacher and representative, Miss Johnson conducts first-hand studies of the production of foods and drinks. She visits factories and mills to acquaint herself with the knowledge that the housewife can use wisely and rightly the products that supply her family table.

Realizing the changes from former times when the home produced so much for which the factory is now responsible, the housewife organizes leagues and clubs for investigation inspection, and instruction in the "scientific management" of the home.

Miss Johnson has made herself the connecting link between the housewife organized in meetings and the manufacturer who finds a medium of expression to the consumer in his trade associations.

No product on the housewife's list is more vital to understand correctly than coffee. When Miss Johnson applied for information to the National Coffee Roasters' Association, a valuable opportunity was opened for both the coffee roaster and the housewife.

The result was an interesting and significant meeting of 400 women at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences on Tuesday, Jan. 12. This meeting followed Miss Johnson's previous lecture on the subject of coffee.

In introducing the speakers, Miss Johnson confessed that her previous opinions and teachings in favor of boiled coffee were incorrect and that by her comparative tests, she had found that the filtration method, as described by Mr. Aborn, produced a better cup of coffee than the boiling method, even to her prejudiced personal taste.

Edward Aborn of Arnold & Aborn, New York, whose investigations on the proper making of coffee have been followed with great interest by the coffee trade, addressed the meeting on "Grinding and Brewing of Coffee." He emphasized the following points in his discourse:

The coffee roaster is the family cook for coffee engaged in what used to be a household art when the housewife roasted coffee in her oven. The housewife brewing the roasted coffee is involved in the final manufacturing process, depending on the ultimate fate of any coffee's quality and health value.

This meeting, therefore, became a conference of fellow manufacturers of mutual interest in the coffee trade and the home. The roasters, striving to suit the consumers' taste and win success by perfecting their product by all possible means, found the family coffeepot too frequently a "grave" in which their fine quality and hopes are buried.

Scientific investigation of brewing revealed certain fundamental principles that were not previously understood, even by domestic science authorities who taught old recipes with no scientific basis.

These principles, affecting both health and quality, should be known in every home and constantly put before the public. Grinding rules: The aromatic oils stored in the fibrous cells of the bean are more quickly, thoroughly, and purely released as the "cells" are more thoroughly opened. The finer the granulation, the stronger, the better, and the purer the brew.

Uniform granulation is necessary to uniform brew.

Pulverized Coffee

Using finely pulverized coffee, not coarser than the finest corn meal, is a key technique that can significantly enhance the quality and strength of your brew. This granulation is 100 percent efficient, yielding the fullest result. It's a secret weapon in your coffee-making arsenal. Water at the full boiling point is a vital necessity. The aromatic oils fuse instantly with boiling water, requiring only the briefest contact. Water under the boiling point is inefficient and futile.

Tannic Acid

Contrary to aromatic oils, tanninic acid is extracted by water at any temperature and requires time. The longer the contact between water and coffee, the greater the yield of tannin. Tannic acid is an undesirable and unnecessary ingredient in coffee, making it bitter and decreasing its health value.

Following the above principles, the filtration method, asserted Mr. Aborn, produces better flavor, requires less coffee than any other method, and practically eliminates tannin. The chemical analysis shows less than one-third of a grain per cup as compared with about 2% grains for boiled coffee.

The fundamental rules of the filtration method are:

• Pulverized coffee: Not coarser than fine corn meal.
• Muslin filter bag: The mesh must be fine enough to prevent the grounds from passing through, but the cheesecloth must not be too coarse. The bag must also be large enough to ensure quick flow. Too small a bag is a frequent fault, causing delayed filtration and overdrawing.
• Boiling water: At the absolute boiling point, it is fresh.
• Action: Pour the boiling water through the grounds once only. Don't flood the bag all at once; pour gradually.
• Treatment of bag: Rinse and place in cold water until next used. Never dry it, as drying causes decomposition and is one of the commonest causes of failure, producing a bad flavor. The bag keeps sweet if kept wet.
• Vessel: Heat before using.
• Keeping hot: Brew just before serving. Don't put the brew on the stove. Any degree of cooking or heating up causes a bitter taste. If service is delayed, put the vessel in hot water or put the brew in a double boiler.

This constitutes the “law and the prophets” of coffee brewing.

The questions and answers following the address reemphasized the above points and developed an urgent demand for an efficient home mill that can produce fresh, finely ground coffee.

Mr. Aborn explained that an official association mill was being perfected and would soon be ready for the market. The association committee had developed a very satisfactory type.

He said this mill was an improvement from any mill before it was manufactured. It grinds to any degree of granulation, pulverizes efficiently and quickly, and has new features such as a lock-nut, which ensures a fixed and uniform grind.

The meeting closed with cordial and approving individual expressions. A helpful and instructive occasion was recorded in favor of coffee.

"Coffee Making in the Domestic Economy," in Simmons' Spice Mill, March 1915, p. 230, 232.

🔥 Key Takeaways: What Makes This Article a Coffee Lover’s Treasure?

☕ From Household Tradition to Scientific Precision

🔹 Before the industrial revolution, coffee roasting and grinding were household rituals. The advent of mass production and scientific research changed this, shifting coffee preparation from an art to a precise science.

🔹 Edward Aborn’s lecture at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences marked a turning point—dispelling myths, debunking ineffective brewing methods, and introducing a data-driven approach to coffee making.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

✅ Epicureans & food historians – This reveals how scientific advancements transformed coffee from a household tradition into a gourmet experience.

✅ Teachers & students – It offers a case study on how food science and domestic economy merged in early 20th-century education.

📜 Debunking the Myths of Boiled Coffee

🔹 Miss Helen Louise Johnson, a leading authority in domestic science, admitted she had been wrong about advocating boiled coffee.

🔹 Through comparative taste tests, she found filtered coffee superior—a revelation that shifted her stance and influenced thousands of households.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

✅ For educators & students – This is an early example of scientific experimentation applied to culinary traditions.

✅ For coffee lovers – It validates why boiling coffee ruins flavor, producing bitterness and excessive tannic acid.

🔬 The Science of Grinding & Brewing: What Makes Coffee Taste Better?

🔹 Pulverized coffee (ground finer than cornmeal) ensures maximum flavor extraction.

🔹 Boiling water fuses aromatic oils instantly, requiring only a brief contact time for optimal taste.

🔹 Over-extraction releases tannic acid, which causes bitterness and reduces coffee’s health benefits.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

✅ For foodies & home baristas – This is an early precursor to modern specialty coffee practices.

✅ For coffee professionals – It highlights why uniform grinding and precise water temperature are essential.

📖 The Filtration Method: A Game Changer for Home Brewing

🔹 Instead of boiling coffee, Aborn advocated the filtration method, which:

✅ Produces better flavor

✅ Uses less coffee while maintaining strength

✅ Eliminates excess tannin, reducing bitterness

🔹 Proper filtration requires:

✔️ A muslin filter bag (not too coarse, ensuring smooth flow)

✔️ Water at full boiling point (not underheated)

✔️ One-time pouring of water (avoiding over-extraction)

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

✅ For educators & students – This showcases an early food chemistry breakthrough in home brewing.

✅ For home coffee makers – It provides a timeless guide to making better coffee without fancy machines.

🖼️ Noteworthy Images / Commentaries & Their Significance

📌 "Enjoying Good Coffee at Home"

➤ A rare visual insight into how coffee was enjoyed in 1919, connecting domestic life with evolving coffee culture.

📌 "Pulverized Coffee" (Commentary)

➤ Emphasizes the importance of fine grinding, a key principle in today’s specialty coffee industry.

📌 "Tannic Acid Extraction" (Commentary)

➤ Shows the science behind bitterness, reinforcing why boiling coffee is outdated and inferior.

🎯 Final Thoughts: Why This Article Still Matters Today

This 1919 guide to coffee brewing is more than just a historical curiosity—it’s a precursor to modern specialty coffee trends. The insights shared by Edward Aborn and domestic science pioneers like Helen Louise Johnson remain relevant, practical, and scientifically sound today.

✅ For coffee enthusiasts & baristas – This article validates why modern coffee methods prioritize proper grinding and filtration.

✅ For food historians & educators – It offers a fascinating look at how domestic science shaped food preparation in the early 20th century.

✅ For home brewers & epicureans – It provides a timeless guide to making better coffee using simple, effective methods.

💡 Whether you’re a history buff, a coffee aficionado, or an educator, this article bridges the gap between past and present, proving that great coffee is both an art and a science. ☕✨