Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

It takes a strong will to compel someone to get out of bed in this weather, but an even stronger cup of coffee! In order to launch pioneers into the ‘grind’ of the day many resorted to the morning beverage with the initial chore of making ground beans with the coffee grinder. For over 2800 years millstones in Ethiopia were used to ground ripe berries and seeds of the indigenous coffee bush. Romans resorted to either the mortar and pestle or, for large production, the wheat mill was adapted consisting of hourglass-shaped and cone-shaped carved stones. In 15th century Turkey, the hand-cranked spice grinder was invented that stood on four legs above a bowl. By the 1700s, a drawer was attached to catch the grind below the blade to add a convenience and portability feature. From Venice to Paris to London in the 1600s, the coffee grinder hit the ‘ground’ running to such a degree that prime locations would have master craftsmen gild centres to produce the finest powdered grain. When the popularity of the coffee grinder reached its zenith between the 1850s to the 1950s, many were fashioned from beech to prevent splinters and add naturally occurring oil flavors from the wood. WWII arrested the production of the steel-cut grinder blades saving raw metals for artillery manufacturing. However, the Peugeot coffee grinder was commonly spotted in many trenches across Europe making it a staple treat for soldiers in the field. If the deep freeze has ‘grinded’ you down, drop by the Heritage Museum for some relief and relaxation.