The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
In l908, Bentz, a German housewife, improvised a means of drip-brewing coffee using a piece of paper from a school notebook. Tired of the bitter and granular brew yielded by the coffee-making methods of the day (either wrapping coffee in cloth and boiling it or simply dumping loose coffee into boiling water), Bentz cut out a circle of paper and fit it into the bottom of a pot she had perforated, hoping that by setting the coffee on top of this crude filter and pouring boiling water over it, she could brew a far better tasting beverage. She did, and Bentz and her husband, Hugo, commissioned a tinsmith to fashion a supply of their new drip coffeemakers, eventually selling them at a trade fair. From this venture grew the Melitta Company, which went on to manufacture coffee filters and replace the metal pots with porcelain and plastic ones.In addition,Melitta Corporation has opened retail coffee shops,and sells a variety of coffee related products including flavored syrups.An entrepreneurial award for women, the "Melitta Bentz Woman of Innovation" award offers $5000 to the winner and $1000 to her favorite charity.