Coffee in Chicago

by Robert Darnell [date unknown]

Jerre and Robert are coffee heads from way back. That is they enjoy a good cup of coffee quite frequently and especially early in the morning when they first wake up.

Recently they were in Chicago visiting the three -- Pat , Di, and Sam.

The first morning there, everyone was sleeping late except Rob who always gets up early. He stumbled into the kitchen to make some coffee, trying to be real quiet like a mouse. He found a coffee pot but no cord. He found a can of coffee unopened but no opener. After searching the kitchen silently for a cord and opener with no luck, he finally gave up and went for a walk.

A little later Jerre got up, and then also Pat.

She asked about coffee and he showed her how they make it.

First he knew where the can opener was to open the coffee can, but an opened can of coffee was on top on the refrigerator in a basket where one would naturally expect the coffee to be kept. Then he put exactly two cups of water in a kettle on the stove to boil.

Then he got a large filter from he cabinet and stuck it into a funnel. He poured two spoons of coffee into the filter.

The funnel was then placed into a coffee thermos jug. When the water in the kettle boiled it was poured over the coffee in the filter and ran into the thermos. It was not strong enough the first time through, so was poured through the filter again.

This second time through the filter was wet and soft so it disintegrated into the coffee. The coffee was then poured through a wire strainer to filter the paper out and finally poured into two cups.

Rob came in from the yard and he and Jerre had a cup of coffee.

The procedure was repeated for Pat and Di to have a cup and that's how they make coffee in Chicago.

In the first letter Rob and Jerre got after they got home it said: "Oh, by the way, we got a coffee pot."

end