Coffee Maker History

Our Coffee maker history section provides the answers to those questions you’ve got brewing about this wonderful device. Sure, we all know coffee is as old as the ages, but what about the coffee maker? Was there such a thing before electrical outlets?

The History Of Coffee Makers

The history of coffee began in Africa, but it wasn’t actually brewed until the Turks got a hold of it in about 575 AD. They used a device called an Ibrik that used the heat of the desert sand to heat the coffee.

Apparently, the Turkish method worked for a good many years, and there were many methods tried to separate the grounds from the water and many vessels invented to pour the water and keep it warm but mostly, the method of making coffee was to boil the grounds in the water. In the early 1800’s the French Drip Pot was invented by Count Rumford (yes, the same guy who the Rumford fireplace is named for). This pot had an insulating jacket and brewed coffee by dripping hot water through it instead of boiling it.

In 1818, the first coffee percolator was invented (again in France). In the mid 1800’s coffee really came into fashion and there was a flurry of inventions including the glass vacuum pot, a coffee maker that brewed a superior cup of coffee and went through several variations in the 1800’s.

By 1850, the balancing siphon method of making coffee was favored over the glass vacuum. This method used 2 pots and a siphon which had the effect of mixing the water and coffee for brewing and then siphoning out the water again when done.

In 1868, a patent was filed by two gentlemen (one from Russia and one from Prussia) for a vacuum brewer which had an upper and lower chamber and worked by tipping on it’s side as the chambers became unbalanced.

In the early 1900’s a bevy of patents were filed for glass vacuum brewers but since glass was not yet heat proof, these devices could be problematic. It wasn’t until 1915 that Pyrex introduced ovenproof glass and a vacuum coffee maker that would hold up to high heat. During the first half of the 1900’s there were many subtle tweaks and improvements to these glass coffee makers, the handles and filters. History shows many patents filed and variations of this one simple design.

The vacuum pot served coffee drinkers well in the early 1900’s, but by 1950, it was old news. For a while this old standby was replaced by the pumping percolator but once a new variation of the French Drip Pot, Mr. Coffee was invented, coffee makers took on a new look and usefulness in the home.

The automatic drip process invented by Mr. Coffee was a convenient way to have coffee fresh on the counter. Since it was first introduced in 1972, there have been many coffee makers that use this type of method to brew coffee. Some additions to the original design include, thermal carafes to keep coffee warm, easy to use filters, led control panels for pre programming your coffee making routine, automatic shut offs and pause functions so you can pause the dripping to remove the carafe from the unit.

These drip coffee makers are the norm now, but there is some indication that history may repeat itself and there is a surge in interest in the double glass vacuum pot. Many people like the retro look as well as enjoy the taste these coffee makers offer.