Ruqayyah Snyder
Coffee is an integral part of Austrian culture, with a wide variety of coffee drinks and a multitude of ways to make them. While in Austria, I came across a range of coffee-making contraptions, from the simple Moka pot to the more unusual Ortlieb drip cone made from coated fabric with tubes on the side for tent pegs. Another odd coffee maker I encountered was the PuckPuck, which uses a siphon to brew coffee. Although coffee is a beloved beverage in Austria, the country is not known for producing or processing coffee beans. Instead, they import high-quality beans from countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and South Africa.
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What You'll Learn
Coffee culture in Austria
Coffee is an essential part of Austrian food culture, with the country known for its coffee houses or Kaffeehäuser. In Austria, coffee is part of people's daily routines and diets. Unlike in other parts of the world, coffee in Austria is not usually bought as a takeaway or only consumed in the morning. Instead, Austrians view coffee as a social activity, with coffee houses serving as places to relax, socialise and hold conversations for a few hours.
Austria has an extensive list of coffee choices, with drinks varying from region to region. Coffee is typically served in porcelain cups on trays, always with a glass of water and a spoon placed on top of the glass to indicate freshness. This custom dates back to the Orient, where coffee and water were precious, and symbolises how valued the customer is.
There are several different types of coffee available in Austria, with the most common being:
- Kleiner Brauner and Großer Brauner: "Little brown one" or "large brown one", similar to ordinary coffee but black with a bit of milk, usually steamed like an espresso rather than filtered.
- Melange: A mix of frothed milk and steamed coffee, similar to a cappuccino and consumed throughout the day.
- Türkischer: "Turkish one", made with grated coffee boiled for a long time with sugar, served hot and strong with grains remaining in the cup.
- Milchkaffee or Café latte: A large coffee with frothed milk, recently gaining popularity due to its Italian name.
- Einspänner: Strong, black coffee served in a high glass with whipped cream on top.
- Fiaker: Named after the horse-and-carriages, this drink consists of coffee with a shot of rum and whipped cream.
- Maria Theresia: Named after the famous empress, this exclusive Viennese variation is made from black coffee and orange liqueur.
Vienna, the capital of Austria, is particularly renowned for its coffee houses, with around 600 in the city. The first Viennese coffee house was opened in 1683 or 1685 by Armenian businessman Johannes Diodato. Since then, coffee houses have become important meeting places for intellectuals, artists and writers, with Café Central being a notable example.
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Espresso machines in Austria
Coffee is an essential part of Austrian food culture, and the country is known for its coffee variations. In Austria, you never order just coffee; there are several different types of coffee, and the ordering varies from region to region. Coffee drinking is celebrated, and it is customary to serve coffee with a glass of water, symbolising how much the customer is valued.
There are many different types of coffee available in Austria, and it is not unusual to find espresso machines in cafes and restaurants. The traditional Austrian coffee, Kleiner Brauner or Großer Brauner, is similar to an espresso, in that it is not filtered but steamed, and served with a tiny pot of milk or cream for the guest to add themselves. Another popular variation is Melange, a mix of frothed milk and steamed coffee, similar to a cappuccino but consumed at any time of the day.
Espresso machines are commonly used in Austrian cafes and restaurants, particularly in cities like Vienna and Salzburg. The coffee that you get in a restaurant usually comes from a commercial espresso maker, and the focus is on the bean for flavour. The Kurzer, or Austrian espresso, is less common these days, with the international espresso more frequently found on menus.
ALPINA, based in the Tyrol, has been the sole professional coffee machine manufacturer in Austria since 1947. They produce high-performance, high-quality machines with a wide range of preparation methods, including espresso, and up to 300 espressos per hour can be made with their innovative coffee systems.
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Unusual coffee machine designs
Coffee lovers are always on the lookout for the perfect cup of coffee, and sometimes that means investing in a quirky coffee machine. While in Austria, you may have encountered the ALPINA coffee machine, which is known for its solid construction and high-quality coffee. But there are other unusual coffee machine designs out there that are worth exploring.
The PuckPuck, for example, has been described as a "weird" coffee brewer due to its inconvenient siphon design. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, the Ortlieb drip cone is a lightweight and compact option that uses coated fabric with two tubes on the side for sticks to support it above your coffee cup. If you're feeling adventurous, you might want to try the Dragon, a coffee brewer that uses a blue-flance torch to heat up your brew.
For something truly unique, the Bodum Santos electric vacuum pot stands out as a strange yet fascinating coffee maker. And if you're looking for an eco-friendly option, the ALPINA machines are worth considering, as their stainless steel boilers have low energy consumption while maintaining top performance.
Whether you're a traditionalist who prefers the classic drip coffee maker or an adventurous soul seeking the latest in coffee technology, there's a wide range of unusual coffee machine designs to explore and discover. So, the next time you're in the market for a new coffee maker, why not take a walk on the wild side and opt for something a little out of the ordinary? You might just brew up something extraordinary.
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Coffee preparation methods
Coffee is an essential part of Austrian culture, and the country is known for its many unique coffee variations. While there is no single "Austrian coffee", the country has a rich coffee culture and a variety of coffee preparation methods. Here are some of the most common and unique coffee preparation methods in Austria:
Espresso Machines: In Austria, espresso machines are commonly used in restaurants and cafes to prepare a variety of coffee drinks. These machines range from fully automatic to filter machines, and they are known for producing high-quality espresso shots.
Percolators: Percolators are another popular option for coffee preparation in Austria. Ground coffee is used in these machines, and the bean type plays a crucial role in determining the flavour of the final brew.
Moka Pots: Moka pots, also known as "Mokka" in Austria, are stove-top coffee makers. They are filled with cold water up to the valve level, and a filter is inserted and filled with ground coffee. The two chambers are then screwed tightly together, and the pot is placed on the stove to brew.
ALPINA Coffee Machines: ALPINA is an Austrian company based in the Tyrol region that manufactures high-performance and high-quality coffee machines. Their machines offer a wide range of preparation methods, including ristretto, espresso, caffè crema, tea, and hot chocolate. ALPINA machines are known for their solid construction, with all components made of milled stainless steel, ensuring longevity and unique coffee quality.
Unique Coffee Variations: Austria has several unique coffee variations that are prepared using specific methods:
- Kleiner Brauner and Großer Brauner: This is ordinary coffee, black with a bit of milk, usually steamed like an espresso rather than filtered.
- Melange: A popular variation, similar to a cappuccino, made with frothed milk and steamed coffee.
- Milchkaffee or Café Latte: A large coffee with frothed milk, often served in a mug.
- Einspänner: Strong black coffee served in a high glass with a dash of whipped cream.
- Fiaker: Named after horse-and-carriages, this drink consists of coffee with a shot of Austrian rum and whipped cream.
- Maria Theresia: A Viennese variation named after the famous empress, made with black coffee and orange liqueur.
- Kaisermelange: Consists of strong black coffee, an egg yolk, and honey, sometimes with a shot of cognac.
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Coffee variations in Austria
Coffee is an essential part of Austrian food culture, and there are several different types of coffee, which vary from region to region. In Austria, you never order just coffee – there are easily a dozen coffee variations available in a decent cafe. Ordering just "coffee" might leave the waiter disgusted.
- Kleiner Brauner and Großer Brauner: Translates to "little brown one" or "large brown one". It is similar to ordinary coffee: black with a bit of milk, yet typically not filtered, but steamed like espresso.
- Melange: A mix of frothed milk and steamed coffee similar to the Italian cappuccino, but consumed at any time of the day.
- Milchkaffee or Café latte: A large coffee with frothed milk.
- Einspänner: Strong, black coffee typically served in a high glass with a dash of whipped cream.
- Fiaker: Named after horse-and-carriages, the Fiaker is a rather uncommon drink of coffee with a shot of Austrian rum and whipped cream.
- Maria Theresia: Named after the famous empress, this exclusive Viennese coffee variation is prepared from black coffee with orange liqueur.
- Kaffee Baileys: Served in a glass, the black coffee is topped with fresh Baileys, whipped cream and cocoa powder.
- Verlängerter: A diluted and weaker, but larger version of the Großer Brauner, typically served with milk and optionally a bit of sugar.
- Franziskaner: Fine black coffee doused with foamed milk and served with whipped cream and cocoa powder.
- Türkischer: Meaning "Turkish one", Turkish-style coffee is grated coffee boiled for a long time in water with sugar and served as a very hot, strong coffee with the grains still in the cup.
- Eiskaffee: Cold coffee with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and whipped cream, served typically in the summer months.
- Cappuccino: The Austrian version is a regional variation made from coffee and whipped cream rather than frothed milk.
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Frequently asked questions
I assume you are talking about the Moka pot, also known as the espresso maker in Vienna. It is a simple espresso maker that produces a very strong brew.
First, fill the base chamber with cold water up to the level of the valve. Insert the filter and fill it with ground coffee. Make sure the filter and rubber gasket are in place before screwing the two chambers tightly together. Finally, place the Moka pot on the stove.
No, it is not. While coffee is an essential part of Austrian food culture, the Moka pot is not a very Austrian way of making coffee. It is also not known for producing or processing coffee beans.
Some other unusual coffee makers include the PuckPuck, the Dragon, the Bripe, the Stanley coffee maker, and the Ortlieb drip cone.
Traditional Austrian coffee variations include Kleiner Brauner, Großer Brauner, Kleiner Schwarzer, Grosser Schwarzer, Melange, Kaisermelange, Milchkaffee, Einspänner, Fiaker, Mazagran, Kapuziner, Kaffee Verkehrt, Kaffee Baileys, Wiener Eiskaffee, Biedermeier, Haeferlkaffee, Zarenkaffee, and Kosakenkaffee.
Coffee makers are manufactured in various countries, including China, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, and Australia.
