History of the Coffee Grinder

We have several coffee grinders in our Relic Home collection.  Sometimes people will ask: "I thought Mormons don't drink coffee, Why so many Coffee Grinders?"  Our usual response is "Well, coffee grinders weren't always to grind coffee.  Sometimes they were used to grind grain."   Then another explanation.  There were a lot of early pioneer Mormons that had a lot of trouble giving up their coffee.  Especially the Danish.  

My own great grandfather wrote in his history that when he wanted to attend the temple, he would throw out his coffee pot onto the rubbish pile.  He then felt alright to attend the temple.  But then, he inevitably would go out to the rubbish pile and retrieve his coffee pot and scour it out and resume his daily coffee habit. 

The following is taken from: https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Coffee_Grinders

A Brief History of Coffee Grinders

From the fifteenth century invention of the first spice grinder, also used for grinding coffee, to the addition of the ground coffee receiving draw in the eighteenth century, coffee grinders underwent many changes and improvements. The following are several of these changes:
The refinement of various types of Turkish grinders including the cylinder, pocket and combination grinder with folding cup
Richard Dearman was granted a patent for a new type of English coffee grinder in 1789.
The first American patent for an improved coffee grinder was granted to Thomas Bruff Sr. In 1798. His invention was the beginning of the wall mounted coffee mill.
American Alexander Duncan Moore was granted a patent for an improved type of coffee grinder in 1813.

During the following decades many patents were granted for improved versions of the coffee mill to American, English and French inventors. Manufacturers produced coffee mills of several types that included:



During the following decades many patents were granted for improved versions of the coffee mill to American, English and French inventors. Manufacturers produced coffee mills of several types that included:
Canister
Box or lap
Upright
Wall post or side mounted
Double wheel
Antique Gold and Jeweled Coffee Grinders

A beautiful example of an early oriental coffee grinder in an Indo-Persian design is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Made of teak wood and brass, this magnificent nineteenth century coffee grinder, also known as a coffee mill, is decorated with red and green jewels. Within the teak wood are inlays of ivory and brass forming an exquisite pattern. This antique treasure can be viewed on page 600 of William Harrison Ukers All About Coffee on Google books.Another fabulous coffee mill belonged to the mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour. She describes a golden coffee grinder in her inventory of 1765. The coffee mill, made of gold, was adorned with carvings of colored gold in the image of the branches of a coffee tree.