Francis B. Thurber

Francis Beattie Thurber (1842–1907) was an American wholesale grocer and lawyer from New York City. Quotes Coffee: From Plantation to Cup (1881) '''Quotes sourced from the 9th ed. (New York: American Grocer Publishing Association, 1884) thumb| At a majority of breakfast tables, "if the coffee is good everything is good." thumb|Coffee was designed for man's sustenance and happiness as much as the golden grain, or the delicious fruits of mother earth. At a majority of breakfast tables, "if the coffee is good everything is good," a fact so significant in itself that no other argument is needed to prove the all-importance uniform success in the preparation of this one article. Ch. 1 (p. 1) I began by investigating the mysteries of the kitchen; and this led to an examination into the different ways of making the beverage, including the use of many patent coffee-pots; the degree of fineness to which the coffee should be ground; the method and extent of roasting; the deterioration in quality after roasting; the best receptacle for the preservation of the aroma; and finally...a study of the varieties and qualities producing the best results...I have had an opportunity to verify impressions...formed by observations made in some of the principal coffee producing and consuming countries. Ch. 1 (p. 2) There are...conditions both in the selection and preparation of the bean which apply equally to all varieties, and which, if observed, will add greatly to the satisfaction of lovers of coffee. Ch. 1 (p. 2) [C]offee was designed for man's sustenance and happiness as much as the golden grain, or the delicious fruits of mother earth. Ch. 1 (p. 3) The story has been told of an Indian chief who, dressed in a robe of great beauty, came in contact with a trader, who tried every means to secure the coveted garment. At last the meeting terminated with the accustomed treat of coffee. The chief was one of the first to gratify his palate with the beverage. It seemed as if his spirits had been roused by some unseen power. He pressed eagerly for more, and, delighted at receiving a second supply, he threw upon the trader, as an expression of his joy, the magnificent robe that money could not purchase. Similar experiences attended the introduction of coffee into all the countries where it is consumed, and if to-day thousands fail to find pleasure in lingering over a cup of delicious coffee, it is due, probably, to a lack of knowledge how to select and prepare the bean. Ch. 1 (p. 3) My experience...leads me to the belief that two-thirds of the lovers of coffee are, from lack of knowledge, daily cheated out of the solid enjoyment of an ideal cup of coffee...It is...my design to try and point out how dealers may select and furnish, and how consumers may prepare coffee which will satisfy the critical palate. Ch. 1 (p. 3) External links Q94290001 Category:1842 births Category:1907 deaths Category:Businesspeople from the United States Category:Lawyers from the United States Category:Non-fiction authors from the United States Category:People from New York City