Colossal coffee urns

Large coffee urns (1-4) seem to invite you to tap yourself a cup of coffee. Tapping one’s own cup of coffee has been a tradition at the average country wedding since the 19th century, when coffee became a common beverage. You will find a coffee urn in every farmhouse kitchen. They come made of pewter, copper and tin. Preferably decorated as richly as possible. Japanese motifs were very popular and, later on, picturesque local landscapes became fashionable. A traditional country wedding would not be complete without coffee urns standing proudly on the tables, to provide all guests with the beloved black beverage, as well as to impress the guests. Writer Dubbeld Hemsing van der Scheer, a native Drent himself, describes them as 'colossal coffee urns like the towers of a fortress'. It is quite simple to use: measure the right amount of ground coffee in the lid, put it in the urn’s belly and pour boiling water on it. The tap is exactly in the right place, as the coffee grounds always remain at the bottom. The brazier below the urn serves to keep the coffee nice and warm. Why not tap yourself a cup too?