THE BOILING OF COFFEE [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Snt,—Mr. A. G. Grenfell's illuminating letter in the Spectator Of July 16th, on the making of coffee, suggests that the physics of tea-making are not as simple as they may appeir to the casual drinker. At the sea-level we use boiling water, _ at a temperature of 212°,, with excellent results ; ascending a mountain, the water may boil at s 205°, and again the results are good. Supposing now we return to sea-level anI make tea with water at a temperature of 205° ; the tea is as, grateful as coffea robusta to the connoisseur. It wouls1 seem, then, that boiling is the essential condition. Is it , possible that latent heat may play a part in extracting the flavour of the tea ? Perhaps some scientific tea-drinker, with a laboratory at his disposal, will brew some tea with water boiled at a temperature of, say, 60°, and favour ns with the results of his experiment.—I am, Sir,- &c.,
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