Antique Enterprise Coffee Grinder, Restored and Working

Description: Offered is an antique re-worked Enterprise No. 4 coffee mill or grinder. Originally patented in 1900, this item has been repainted and cleaned to serve as a stunning decorative item. The very top portion of the mill is missing, but the piece still provides a bright, classic look deserving of any home. This cast iron coffee mill has one handle crank and two wheels that would grind the coffee inside. The mill includes a small wooden drawer at the bottom and was originally designed to sit on a countertop rather than being mounted on a wall. History: Coffee grinders have been used for hundreds of years and can be traced back to Ethiopia, however, the first US patented coffee mill (also called a coffee grinder) was issued to Thomas Bruff in 1798. A well-known dentist, Bruff even wrote to his dental patient, Thomas Jefferson, of his mill that could grind a pound of coffee in 4 ½ minutes. By the 1870s, large floor and counter coffee mills were introduced to general stores and could have a hand-crank, one wheel (patented in 1870), or two wheels (patented in 1873). Later in the 19th century, coffee mills extended to private homes. Marrying function and decoration, an antique coffee mill is still appreciated today. Enterprise Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia was founded in 1864 and became one of the leading coffee mill and grinder producers in the US. They manufactured hand crank, one wheel, two wheel, home, and retail coffee mills that grew in extravagance as the 19th century continued. Condition: Overall good condition considering age and use. The item has been repainted, cleaned, and is missing the topmost compartment. Dimensions: 30"H x 13"W x 20"D Date: circa 1900 - 1919