Could Coffee be Considered Steampunk?

[elShoggotho]

Because it has a few brass trimmings? No, for elegance and engineering you need one of these:

Gold Balancing Vacuum Espresso Coffee Machine

Emperor Franz-Josef's favourite way of brewing a cup, or so the legend goes.

[olson.v]

My kidneys just exploded in admiration of that glorious contraption

I just leave this here...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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I rest my case.

[JohnOdin]

As people have said. The drink itself is just coffee but the way its prepared lends itself to Steampunkery devices. Even the humble Cafitere has a Pistoning movment.
Does the effort involved is using a machine or cafitiere make a nicer more appreicated cup of coffee as opposed to just dunking some instant poweder in a mug.

[Cubinoid]

Because it has a few brass trimmings? No, for elegance and engineering you need one of these:

Gold Balancing Vacuum Espresso Coffee Machine

...and put me down for two of those...gold...coffee things too.
I'll have one in each bathroom.

[Lady Chrystal]

Of course, it's a matter of historical record that ladies were initially not allowed in coffee houses in England.

It'd be a brave man who stood between Lady Chrystal and her morning caffeine fix, believe me.

[Magdalena Hai]

It'd be a brave man who stood between Lady Chrystal and her morning caffeine fix, believe me.

  Likewise.

[proteus]

Of course, it's a matter of historical record that ladies were initially not allowed in coffee houses in England.

This was officially resolved as a result of admitting ladies to officer ranks in Her Majesty's Air Corps; and enforcement was swiftly achieved through the rather expedient adoption of Æther Disruptors as sidearms for said ladies.

[andrew craven]

Latte and Cappucino are most certainly Steamspunk!

[Jane_Faye]

Whilst I agree with Honeythorn, I don't think anyone would deny that it's more amusing to acquire your morning caffeine fix from an all-singing, all-dancing, levers-and-brass buttons-everywhere Automated Bean Beverage Extractor, as opposed to from granules in a polystyrene cup. Customizing one's coffee maker is wholly unnecessary and also completely awesome.

[Will Howard]

Without wanting to open a debate between "steampunk" & "Victorian",
steampunk IS based loosely (more loosely by some than by others) on Victorian styles.  After Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, she adopted a number of German habits (presumably to make him feel at home in England).
One habit that she picked up was to eat her cake soaked in her COFFEE.  My source for this is "London's Secret History" by Peter Bushell (1983, ISBN 0 09 464730 5), page 96.

[Lachlan_MacAuslander]

Sadly, my underdeveloped palate cannot abide coffee (except as a flavoring agent in tiramisu), and I'm simply not that fond of tea in general.

Fortunately, Dr. Pepper was invented in the 1880's. 

[citizen_erased]

While it was written almost a 100 years too late for it to be "proper steampunk" (if there ever is such a thing), I have always liked this quote:

"Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy. [Coffee] is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so. From roadside mugs to the classic demi-tasse, it is the perfect democrat."

– The New York Times, 1949

I once saw a documentary on the history of coffee. Allegedly, the reason tea stayed more popular in the UK for so long, is simply because the British could not be bothered with the hassle of grounding your own beans and the rest of the process of making coffee, when you could make tea so easily. Basically it was pure laziness that resulted in this tea-culture. While I`m not sure about how true this story actually is, it does make for an interesting story at least.

However, I personally only drink coffee that doesn`t taste like coffee, and even then I rarely ever drink it. It`s just not for me. But if you want to drink coffee, I don`t see any reason not to. All the more tea for us tea-drinkers 

[TimeTinker]

I once saw a documentary on the history of coffee. Allegedly, the reason tea stayed more popular in the UK for so long, is simply because the British could not be bothered with the hassle of grounding your own beans and the rest of the process of making coffee, when you could make tea so easily. Basically it was pure laziness that resulted in this tea-culture. While I`m not sure about how true this story actually is, it does make for an interesting story at least.

I really don't know where those conclusions came from.  Coffee was popular in Britain before tea and it was actually the coffee houses which popularised it.  Tea grew in popularity very rapidly but coffee continued.  it could well be argued that tea culture grew in Britain because the East India Company and the tea clippers made the very best quality tea available in Britain in preference to the rest of Europe. One other key factor is volume.   Tea produces far more beverage per kilogramme than coffee does.  This means it is easier and cheaper to transport  (global warming anyone?)  Tea was also substantially cheaper than coffee and it rapidly established itself as the preferred drink for the lower classes (after gin of course!)

As for laziness.  Did you know that the British Army issued coffee grinders to the troops in the field right up until the end of Victoria's reign?

Is coffee steampunk?  Of course it is if you want it to be.
Is coffee Victorian?  Well if it was good enough for the lads of Her majesty's army then it's good enough for me.

[citizen_erased]

I once saw a documentary on the history of coffee. Allegedly, the reason tea stayed more popular in the UK for so long, is simply because the British could not be bothered with the hassle of grounding your own beans and the rest of the process of making coffee, when you could make tea so easily. Basically it was pure laziness that resulted in this tea-culture. While I`m not sure about how true this story actually is, it does make for an interesting story at least.

I really don't know where those conclusions came from.  Coffee was popular in Britain before tea and it was actually the coffee houses which popularised it.  Tea grew in popularity very rapidly but coffee continued.  it could well be argued that tea culture grew in Britain because the East India Company and the tea clippers made the very best quality tea available in Britain in preference to the rest of Europe. One other key factor is volume.   Tea produces far more beverage per kilogramme than coffee does.  This means it is easier and cheaper to transport  (global warming anyone?)  Tea was also substantially cheaper than coffee and it rapidly established itself as the preferred drink for the lower classes (after gin of course!)

As for laziness.  Did you know that the British Army issued coffee grinders to the troops in the field right up until the end of Victoria's reign?

Is coffee steampunk?  Of course it is if you want it to be.
Is coffee Victorian?  Well if it was good enough for the lads of Her majesty's army then it's good enough for me.

well like I said, I had my doubts about how true the story was, but it makes for an interesting story anyway     but thanks for the extra information! I`ll look into it some more. Always good to have some new information ^^

[Maj. Clive Hathaway]

Sure, coffee can be Steampunk. If you dont like tea, try Lapsang Souchong. Its the tea that smokes like a campfire, and stronger than most coffee. Mix it with a peaty Scotch for a great winter pick-me-up.

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

It reminds me a bit of how certain tabloids seem determined to divide everything into things that cause cancer and things that cure cancer.

The Daily Mail's particularly bad at that. It's not uncommon to see that something's a definite cause for cancer one week, and a panacaea for it the next.

[Blake]

Lagavulin might be a good whiskey to go with that coffee, although I think I'd prefer the whiskey just on its own. Can be a hard one to find in the local stores though.

[Pivole]

Oh, are, steampunk and then some. It was a favourite of Brunel's, it was. And he's pretty steampunk.
See here and accompanying notes: http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/lovelace-and-babbage-vs-the-organist-pt-6/

[Arabella Periscope]

I want that machine with the eagle on top. (And it produces coffee!) How can one be in love with a machine? I guess a lot of steampunks are infatuated with steam devices.  And they're not faithful to one engine either!

[D.Oakes]

I cannot believe this lovely device has not come up.  Now, it is not steampunk, but it could be considered steampunk before steampunk in the era that steampunk is based on....and it is all about coffee and killing.  A good mix.  http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/spring/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=9886,DATABASE=objects

[Lady Chrystal]

Another beautiful machine! Thank you for posting, Sir.

Ever noticed how you think of the perfect comment ten minutes later?

Make Coffee - Not War!   

[celephicus]

Oh, are, steampunk and then some. It was a favourite of Brunel's, it was. And he's pretty steampunk.
See here and accompanying notes: http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/lovelace-and-babbage-vs-the-organist-pt-6/

Brunel was steampunk. Of course he drank coffee. Gallons of it. How do you think that the Victorians crammed so much into their lives? I also suspect no internet & TV helped.

[Crowquill]

My espresso machine puts out a lot of steam.  That's a pretty good start.  Maybe I need one with pressure gauges...

[Dangerdean]

Somewhat less intricate than the fancy espresso machine, but I have one of these...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[barb dwyer]

Customizing one's coffee maker is wholly unnecessary and also completely awesome.

I actually went into the kitchen
and studied the plain old
(hard-working and reliable as all hell)
Mr. Coffee I've got -
just a plain white plastic jobbie...
the eight bucks at Wal mart standard-

Why WOULDN'T a layer of craft paint
(with the right primer)
work?

hmmmmmm.....