Coffee mill

Coffee mill from the museum’s collection, made of brass sheet and steel, dates from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. A small coffee mill in the shape of a cuboid, closed by a domed lid with a movable element that allows to pour in the coffee beans. The lid is topped with a steel crank (handle) with an oval wooden knob, the crank sets the mill mechanism in motion. At the bottom, a small pull-out drawer for ground coffee, with a round knob-shaped handle. Between the domed lid and the walls of the mill, there is a wave-cut collar with decorative pinnacles at the corners. The same collar (without pinnacles) forms the base of the mill. The walls of the mill are entirely grained and decorated with floral and plant ornament. These types of mills were in common use until the invention of the electric mill. Coffee as a beverage became popular in Poland after the Relief of Vienna – at first considered distasteful, with time it found its way into all noble households and was brewed especially by a dedicated woman servant – a coffee-maker, who was responsible for roasting the green beans and preparing them.