How do you make Swedish coffee?

by Marc DuCharme
(Bellingham WA., USA)

Coffee beans and egg shells for making Swedish coffee.

Coffee beans and egg shells for making Swedish coffee.


QUESTION:

My aunt used to make delicious coffee that she called Swedish coffee. All I can remember is that she used egg shells in with the grounds. The taste and smell was great. Can you tell me how to make Swedish coffee?

ANSWER:

This was a new one to me, so I had to do a little research.

The first thing I found was that people have been adding egg shells to coffee grinds for a long time now, including in the movie "The Big Store", in which Harpo adds eggshells to the coffee maker's basket when he's making Groucho's breakfast.

It seems that the calcium compounds in the eggs shells help neutralize the acidity in the coffee, resulting in a milder and less acidic brew.

This is probably a great tip for people with sensitive stomachs.

Digging a little deeper (just on Google) I started to find "Swedish coffee" recipes that actually included the egg itself.

That sounds a little too weird for me...but if you try it, let us know how it turns out!

Comments for How do you make Swedish coffee?

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Mar 01, 2017
 Egg Coffee
by: Anonymous

You'll find the recipe for "Egg Coffee" in the book Be of Good Cheer: Memories of Harmonica Legend Pete Pedersen. Pete came from good Norwegian stock, and he and his grandparents, parents, aunts and cousins made what they referred to as "egg coffee" often - adding the shells to lower the acidity and create a clearer brew. Pete's aunt, like one of the people who wrote earlier, used a large enamel coffee pot, much like something you'd use while camping. When made well, the favor and aroma of this incredible coffee is beyond beyond.
Jan 24, 2016
 Swedish egg Coffee
by: Dave

or Norwegian or Scandinavian. I use an enamel coffee pot. Bring 8 cups of water to full boil. Mix approx. 3/4 cup(adjust to taste) grounds w/ 1 cracked egg. Discard shell. I mix mine well so as not to end up with cooked yolk on bottom off pot. Add coffee/egg mixture to boiling water and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and(here's the important part) add 1/4 cup cold water. This will sink grounds to bottom of pot. Keep coffee warm as desired. This is what my Swedish grandmother (b. 1898 d. at 101) taught me.
Nov 04, 2015
 Still searching
by: Papa Doug

When my wife and I went to Sweden a few years ago everywhere we went the coffee was delicious. We were used to drinking our coffee with cream and sugar but there we enjoyed it black.

Back home we imported some different varieties/brands of Swedish coffee and were disappointed to not find the same as we had there.
The best coffee I remember having before that was boiled coffee when I was a kid but instead of egg shells we used a very light sprinkle of salt in the grounds to remove the bitterness. I said a LIGHT sprinkle. We add salt to our grounds now but it has never been the same as we had in Sweden.

We should have asked them when we were there and will always kick ourselves for not doing so.
Apr 26, 2015
 Response: to "Swedish Americans"
by: MPI

The two coffee varieties are Arabica and Robusta, not Arabica and Columbian. Columbian isn't a coffee variety. It is just a coffee growing country. I can see the confusion though because until about thirty years ago, most coffee imported to the United States sucked, but all of the coffee producers had commercials that said 100% Columbian. That was because Columbia was thought to produce the best coffee, yet for America, it was Robusta.
Sep 20, 2010
 Ironic
by: Swedish American

The Irony is: back in the 19th century when the great Swedish Exodus was occurring (mass migration of Swedes to US) they found that coffee in America was more bitter than coffee in Sweden: this is probably due to the fact that Swedes usually import Arabica beans and the US at the time was importing Columbia beans. And so "Swedish Americans" added the egg to the coffee: my family in Sweden was shocked, (and disgusted) when I told them what "Swedish Coffee" was in the states. It is certainly not anything you will ever find in their country! The irony.
Jan 29, 2009
 Swedish coffee make with EGG
by: Anonymous

My 91 year old neighbor only makes Swedish coffee and it is delicious - adds a beat up egg into the grounds - just enough to moisten it - and she throws it into a coffee pot (enamel one) She boils the water - then throws in the grounds - cooks for 5 minutes - takes it off the stove - let's it rest a little then pours it though a strainer into a coffee urn - delicious, the best I have ever had.

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