Dröppelminna

She is always in her place, prepared with a cup of warm coffee. A Dröppelmina is a faithful servant. But unlike the name Minna suggests, we're not talking about a woman. The Dröppelminna is a round-bodied coffee pot.

They're traditionally made of metal and have two handles and a tiny spout from which hot coffee flows. Dröppeln is local dialect in the Rhineland region for tropfen or "to drip." Coffee used to be brewed directly in the Dröppelminna. The coffee grounds would often block the spout so that the coffee would slowly drip out, hence the name.

The Dröppelminna is a traditional part of a Bergisch spread, accompanied with sweet bread, rice pudding, rye bread, quark, butter and waffles. But those indulging in a Bergisch spread on a regular basis run the risk of starting to look like a Dröppelminna - namely, rotund.