Just Google "coffee and egg" and Google will come up with a number of sites about this. Seems that it is something the Swedes use. The egg coagulates and grounds are seperated, thus giving a clear liquid cup of drinkable coffee. I once heard that this method was used in the "Gold-Rush Days" by the old miners to clear the grounds out of the boiled coffee. Doesn't sound too appetizing to me!

Here is a link that might be useful: Coffee and Eggs

My Dad used to put egg shells in campfire coffee. Used to use a granite pot, water, coffee grounds & egg shells. I think it either settled the grounds or made the coffee not bitter. Don't really remember.

Breaking an egg into boiled coffee is said to settle the grounds. However, merely pouring some cold water into the pot does the same thing---ask any historical re-enactor.

In actuality, just letting the pot sit, off the heat, for a bit will let the grounds settle too.

I finally learned how to make consomme this year with the raft of raw eggs and shells. I would think that adding eggs and shells to the coffee would work the same way but you'd have to bring it to a boil and then simmer it so the coagulated eggs didn't break up.

My Swedish MIL would mix an egg white with....coffee grounds?? Maybe? and put it into the pot of simmering water....take it off the fire and have the most wonderful coffee. I think the clue is that the pot is clean...no percolater tube to get nasty and rancid, no basket with holes to get nasty....just a pot that is easily washed.
Linda C

I remember the ladies making the coffee with egg in the church basement when I was a little girl, and those who are still around say it was the best coffee. I have never tried it, and I wonder if they'd still say it's the best coffee, now that we have much more convenient ways of making quantities of coffee, because I do remember the coffee with egg in it was made in the big graniteware pots where you decanted the cofee into those fancy urns to serve it. Even so, here's one recipe I found in our town's 1925 ladies civic club cookbook:
Coffee for 25 persons:
1 pt ground coffee into which stir one egg. Put into thin cloth bag. Add enough water to boil. Boil 5 minutes, then add 1 gallon boiling water. Keep hot, but do not boil. Ready to serve in 15 minutes.

The "Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" first edition, 8th printing, 1953 says:
"Boiled" Coffee
Actually there is no such thing as "boiled" coffee. Even though it is brought to boiling and simmered or steeped, coffee chemists advise not boiling it for even a minute.
Use 2 level tablespoons all-purpose grind to 1 standard measuring cup water. Eggs help to clarify; mix slightly beaten egg with dry coffee, using 1 teaspoon beaten egg to every 2 tablespoons coffee.
Place coffee in pot; add cold water; slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasonally. Immediately remove from heat; add 1/4 cup cold water to settle grounds; let stand in warm place 5 minutes. Strain into serving pot.

My old favorite Betty Crocker says about it:
for 40 cups of coffee: mix 1 egg (shell and all) into 1 lb coffee. Add 1 cup cold water. Tie coffee in cheesecloth bag large enough to allow room for coffee to swell. Measure 7 qt cold water into large coffee pot. Immerse coffee bag in water, bring to boil. Remove pot from heat. Leave bag of coffee in water 3 to 4 min, remove and stir. Keep hot. If preferred, use boiling water to start, bring to boil. Stir. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 min. Remove coffee and stir.

Betty Crocker also mentions coffee in Australia: Eggs, milk, syrup, and coffee are mixed to a foam; served cold.