Object Details
Description
This wall-mounted hand-powered coffee mill belonged to the Copp family of Stonington, Connecticut during the 18th and 19th century. Beans were poured in the top, and the hand-operated crank rotated the burrs that milled the coffee down to grounds. Coffee was an important part of colonial trade and daily life in the colonial home as beans were roasted, ground, and brewed at home.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of John Brenton Copp
date made
ca 1750
ID Number
DL.006834
catalog number
6834
accession number
28810
Object Name
coffee mill
mill, coffee
Physical Description
hardwood (hopper; grinder cover; backboard; grip material)
iron (grinding plates; crank shaft and handle material)
chestnut or oak (thumbscrews material)
Measurements
overall, stored on side: 4 3/8 in x 8 in x 5 3/4 in; 11.1125 cm x 20.32 cm x 14.605 cm
place made
United States: New England
France
place used
United States: Connecticut, Stonington
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
Copp Collection
Domestic Furnishings
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Household Tools and Equipment
Beverages
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_315243