Coffee Grinder

Manufacturer C. Adams Company (American)

MediumWood with cast iron

Dimensions5 1/2 × 5 1/2 × 6 in. (14 × 14 × 15.2 cm)

ClassificationsHousehold, Kitchen, Miscellaneous

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Robertson. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number78.25.12

Status

On view

Collections

Household objects, Musical instruments and Tools

CultureAmerican

Label TextCoffee is one of the world’s most iconic and enduring beverages. By the Victorian era, it was already immensely popular, with expanding global trade establishing it as an international commodity. In the United States, coffee gained special significance in the 1770s, when many Americans adopted it as a patriotic alternative to British tea during the years leading up to the Revolution. Although not cultivated in North America, coffee became an essential ration for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, further cementing its place in American life. The ability to grind beans and store them in a dark airtight container became essential. The coffee grinder is an antique Adams coffee mill, a hand-operated grinder likely produced in the 19th or early 20th century. The handle of this style of grinder typically has the name “ADAMS” in raised letters. The original Adams Company, a foundry and machine shop, was an American manufacturing concern founded in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1883. This type of mill was a common household device in farm or country kitchens for grinding coffee beans and sometimes other spices. By the late 19th century, improved transportation and trade networks enabled large-scale imports from regions such as South America and European colonies in Asia and Africa, securing its status as the beverage of choice for the Victorian public, a popularity that continues today. https://www.pbs.org/food/stories/history-coffee

MarkingsAdams on handle

Locations