WHAT ABOUT THAT COFFEE?

Old Trunks wonders if grandma had a coffee mill. Or did she have it ground at the store? Did it come home in a brown sack tied with string? Or am I confused with Little House on the Prairie? The picture is the Folger's building in San Francisco, CA

Although there were two coffee grinders in Mrs. Johnson's house, Tom states she never ground her own coffee beans. Although she drank coffee hot and cold, year around.

Grandma Mae opened her Nash's coffee can with the key that came with the can. Twist, Twist and listen to the vacuum seal break and smell that marvelous aroma as it swooshed out to fill the air. Those very metal try offs were gently pulled to form what looke like a Shirley Temple curl and placed on the Christmas tree.

Mother did the same with the Hill's Brother's coffee can. In 1900 Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum sealed tins in San Francisco. This led to the decline of rival roasting shops and coffee mills. During World War II, the metal containers were replaced with glass bottles.

Grandma Ranum drank Chase and Sanburn. The Chase company started in 1862 and did vacuum pack their coffee already ground. Hills Brothers bought out Chase, later, Sara Lee bought out Hills Brothers.

James Folger came to California during the gold rush days. Perhaps it was Mrs. Olson doing advertisements that started me on Folgers. I say me, because Tom makes my coffee but does not drink it. As I get older, I have lost taste buds and have bought the stronger brews, which of course, I feeble up with cream.

Oh for the products on the market now. How many of us have bought grinders, whether it be a hand grinder at an antique shop or an electric grinder at the local kitchen shop? How many have ground their coffee at the market and sniffed the aroma as the grounds fell into the bag?

Are you affected by television ads? Do you know the Folger's jingle? Have you bought into the Dunkin Donut coffee ad? Have you bought your Dunkin Donuts coffee yet?

Do you, as my daughter, go to a Starbucks-like place and get your coffee through out the day? Do you, when eating out, drink coffee as a beverage? When people come to visit, do you offer coffee?

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