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Let’s start with a caveat. Nearly any coffee expert will tell you that a percolator is about the worst possible way to make coffee. Because the water is heated to a boil in order to perk, it’s really too hot for the coffee. It gets over extracted, and you end up with the bitterness and acidity that made coffee a ‘grownups only’ drink.
That said, there are people still who prefer perked coffee to any other kind. Taste is, after all, a matter of taste. In addition, those enormous coffee urns are still the best way to make lots and lots of coffee for a crowd.
A coffee percolator consists of five parts. There is the percolator coffee pot, into which you put your coffee. There is the stem, a hollow metal tube that fits into the bottom of the pot. In non-electric percolators, it has a flat, round bottom. There is the filter basket, which slides onto the tube and holds the ground coffee. There is the filter basket cover, a round perforated lid that fits on top of the filter basket and makes sure that the water showers the entire basket of coffee evenly. Finally, there is the coffee pot lid, which often has a glass bubble in it.
The glass bubble just might be the most fun part of the entire contraption. It lets you watch the coffee splurting up from the tube and splashing inside before it spills back down onto the lid.
Coffee percolators come in two distinct types – electric and non-electric. The electric percolators include coffee urns that can make up to forty cups of coffee at a time. Stovetop percolators are great for bringing along on camping trips. Both can actually make decent coffee despite their horrible reputation if you follow a few simple guidelines.
1. Keep all parts of the percolator clean.
That means washing the entire thing with dishwashing liquid and hot water every time you use it. To clean inside the stem, use a pipe cleaner or a long, thin brush.
2. Use freshly ground coffee.
Obviously, this may present a problem if you’re on a camping trip with no electricity miles from nowhere. In that case, carry your ground coffee in a vacuum container with a lid to prevent the air from getting at it and spoiling the flavor.
3. Disassemble the Coffee Percolator. Put the coffee stem in place.
4. Fill the Coffee Percolator with water to below the line on the stem where the filter basket will rest.
5. Put the filter basket in place.
Add one heaping tablespoon of coffee for each cup of water in the pot.
6. Fit the basket lid into place inside the percolator.
7. Here’s where we branch off in two directions. – If you are using an electric percolator, plug it in and turn it on. The coffee pot is now on its own until its done perking. If you are using a stove top percolator, put it over a low flame to heat the water. As soon as the first splurt of coffee hits that little glass bubble, turn the heat down. We now return you to your regularly scheduled directions. For both electric and stovetop pots:
8. Watch the pot carefully.
As soon as the pot stops perking, remove it from the heat.
9. This is the most important part of making coffee with a percolator.
Being careful not to scald yourself, remove the lid of the percolator and remove the entire filter stem from the pot. If you leave it in there, the steam from the coffee will continue to condense, drip over the spent coffee grounds and drip into your coffee.
10. Fill your cup and enjoy.
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Eric says
Golly, glad to see how many people have started using pecolators again! I would like to address a couple items I noticed in some of these posts. First of all, if your coffee is coming out weak, then you are either using too coarse a grind, or your percolator is stepping down (from perc to warm) too soon, indicating a bad heating element.
Try using a grind that is only a little coarser than you would use for auto drip. And if you suspect that the heating element is bad, you are probably best off just getting a new perc, unless you feel confident in your ability to replace the element. Few appliance stores these days do that kind of work.
Fred says
Vicky, I measured my 9 cup Pyrex perc and the bell diameter is exactly the same for both (I have them both)the stem hight is 1 inch longer for the 9 Cup thus the 6-cup innards should work just fine.
Vicky says
Question here!.. I found my mothers Pyrex 9-cup perc, and its missing it’s “innards”(basket & stem). A friend of mine found the “innards” from a 6-cup Pyrex perc and gave it to me. Can this shorter set up be used in my 9-cup? Does the bubble on the lid play an important role? Thanks!
David L. Greer says
Response to Ellen & Daisy; As for non-heating, I no expert but do well enough to repair my own machines. I examined my 30 plus yrs old GE perc before using it first time and noted the type to be one with heating elements controlled by metal strips that expand/contract to control electricity for perc and then hold heat. Similar to contacts of an automobile distributor points the metal strips contact points can corrode and not allow elect. to flow. Thus, no heat/perc..Might be a simple matter of cleaning the contacts. Or, the strips might have loosened from dropping or banging the pot. I recently bought a new elect. grill but it not heat. Exam of the internal control elements revealed that during assembly someone had neglected to tighten the contact strips into place. So, simple stuff happens. Have one with knowledge check your perc. As for knobs, take the damaged one and/or lid to local owned/operated hardware store. Not Lowes, etc. plus look for cheap pots in Salvation Army/GoodWill, consignment shops for percs w/lid knobs that fit yours. Use the parts you need and chuck the rest. I would also look at Big Lots. Key is keep it simple because it usually is. Very simple control system which can be fixed by anyone with basic knowledge. However, more modern percs might utilize an electronic control system which might be more difficult to fix but relief might be found at a local fix-it shop or hardware store. Cleaning pots no big deal. No need to scrub. Mild kitchen soap as you would a tea glass and rinse well. I only rinse my perc out and clean w/soap every-other use. I suggest you read my previous blogs as of last Sept. to learn my thinking/experince re coffee. Some people make it more complicated than necessary. I never found the need to remove the stem and basket after perc-ing and I drink good coffee. Yours a little bitter, add a pinch or 2 of salt to basket then next shopping day buy a better grade of coffee but not before reading my blogs.
NewsView says
Here is where I suspect some of the confusion on how percs brew coffee and how prone they supposedly are to over-extraction stems from: I have a 20-something-year-old Faberware perc that was given to me to sell at a yard sale and I read the wattage on the bottom and it was 1,000+ watts. By contrast, the Presto Percolator I bought two years ago — which is still on the market — is 800 watts. The higher wattage in an automatic drip coffeemaker doesn’t always translate to hotter coffee because water cools as it is pumped through the tubes. On a perc, however, wattage is a better indicator. My impression is that the older percs may have been prone to outright boiling because their heating elements were overkill for the pot. As Eric astutely points out at the top of the comments here, however, that is NOT my experience with a newer perc. It isn’t boiling the grounds. I am the first one to hate scorched, acrid coffee and if I can enjoy perc, anyone can.
The *best* reviewed perc on the market is the Presto version. It is a more elegant looking perc than average, but its functionality is more than skin deep. It features a black knob on the lid instead of the clear plastic top (and no, none of the ones I know of on the market now use real glass, and that plastic WILL eventually discolor, fog over and crack).
The number one complaint against automatic drip coffeemakers (ADCs) is that they brew too low/cool. The second complaint pertains to annoying condensation/leaks/overflows. The perc solves these oft-reported problems. The aforementioned Presto will yield coffee at ~195F in the pot, immediately after the brew cycle completes. The key with the electric type is to perc until the ready light illuminates, and then unplug it immediately and take the basket and the spent grounds out using an oven mitt. This will eliminate bitterness caused *not by the brew process itself*, but by using the electric perc to keep the coffee hot (BIG NO-NO). If you use the correct grind — noticeably more coarse than drip — you can obtain a full-bodied cup of coffee without an over-extracted taste. The next best tip I can pass along for keeping the coffee hot, whether by perc or by ADC, is to use a glass-insulated serving decanter instead of the type with a polycarb (plastic) or stainless steel interior. A glass-lined server or airpot is easier to clean and will keep your coffee hotter for many more hours than a glass or thermal ADC carafe will. With these steps you will enjoy hotter coffee than you ever had out of an ADC and it will taste fresher for longer, too.
Contrast the piping hot coffee from a perc to the following: The highest temp I’ve seen an ADC hit brewing a full pot to a stainless steel double-walled carafe is 186F (Cuisinart DTC-975). However, most drips crest at about 170-180F. The low end of that temperature spectrum, when measured using a digital thermometer inside a full decanter brewed through a clean machine is Mr. Coffee/Proctor-Silex/Hamilton Beach/Black & Decker/Sunbeam vs. Krups/Cuisinart/Capresso/Technivorm on the high end of that spectrum. Unfortunately, the longevity of an ADC is frequently only as good as one’s ability to clean the machine properly, and for all one’s best efforts there are places in your average ADC that are impossible to reach. A perc solves that problem by exposing only one material (stainless steel) to your coffee (and perhaps a plastic knob, depending on model). There are comparatively few crevices — mostly just the spout, which a pipe cleaner will get to. Moreover, the quality of the stainless steel interior on a perc pot is more stain-resistant and thus easier to clean than the cheaply manufactured stainless carafes I’ve seen paired to the ADCs, whose interiors are generally poorly manufactured and therefore highly susceptible to coffee stains, rancid residues and stale odors that normal cleaning methods fail to remove. By contrast, the stainless steel used in perc construction is of a higher grade inside and out, in my experience. This means that there are no toxic plastic, silicone, rubber and/or rusting parts contacting your coffee as is the case with your average ADC. As such, the electric perc is not only the hottest *electrical* method of brewing coffee, but the healthiest method to brew coffee (short of a completely manual method, such as the press pot).
CONCLUSION
Those who are saying bad things of the perc haven’t tried one recently. The perc falls under the category: “Until you try it, don’t knock it.” As someone else pointed out, YOUR NOSE WILL NOT LIE. If the grinds smell burnt (boiled) you will know, and a thermometer will confirm it for you. If, on the other hand, the coffee smells better than any other electric drip coffeemaker you’ve tried, that is because it IS better. The human nose is way under-rated. The experts are going off of assumption that the boiling continues indefinitely to keep your coffee heated. That may be true if you also use your perc to keep the coffee warm. But if you immediately remove the grinds and pour it off to a server, the coffee is going to be hotter and last longer with no harsh over-extracted flavor to speak of. (Use fresh, burr-ground beans for best results. Account for the fact that the pre-ground coffee sold in grocery stores is optimized for ADCs, not percs.)
The perc is the best solution for those who prefer cold milk or cream in their coffee because it is actually *too hot* to drink black otherwise. If perc isn’t the way you wish to go, it is necessary to make peace with the reality that with most ADCs on the market, adding more than a teaspoon or two of cold milk or cream to an unheated mug and stirring with a large, cold spoon is going to yield lukewarm results in short order. For those who like the programming features on many ADCs, the best workaround for tepid coffee is to pour directly to an insulated mug and immediately put a lid on it (imitating way coffee to-go is served). Your second alternative is to preheat your coffee cup with the creamer/milk in the microwave for a couple seconds before you pour that first cup of java. Yes, it is possible to obtain a decent cup of joe out of a quality ADC, but it will never be as hot as perc, and often won’t smell or sound as nice brewing, either. Those are just the inescapable facts of coffee brewing life as I see it.
Best of luck!
Kim says
Thanks everyone. I was about to give up on my new Farberware stove top percolator because the coffee was bitter but you have all inspired me! I look forward to a better cup of coffee tomorrow. Thank you for ALL of your GREAT suggestions!
Daisy says
Suzanne, I’ve always used a mild white vinegar/water solution for cleaning my electric percolators (just perc it through and rinse). It does the trick! What a lovely thing to have one of your children revive something that’s been such a part of your family life.
Daisy says
What a wonderful site! Little did I know how many other people appreciate perked coffee (stove top &/or electric). My parents perked w/stove top, I prefer electric and have had vintage as well as new. In some haste, I purchased a Cuisinart 12 cup online this past December. By January, the plastic bubble top is broken :( .. Cuisinart is glad to sell me a (back-ordered) full top for $10. I only need the bubble top. I did read Russ’ ingenious instructions for making a new bubble top and will run it by my genius husband who can do anything! :) But, in case he’s too busy, anyone know of a ‘universal bubble top’ for electric percolators? Thanks in advance.
PS .. I’ll be interested in reading responses to Ellen’s Q. since that’s what happened to my last pot.
Ellen says
why did my electric percolator stop perking? It is heating and the stem is in place but the water is not shooting up into the basket. Why?
suzanne says
i have a GE coffee pot (40 years old). Is it okay to use white vinegar to clean the inside. It wasn’t used for quite a long while but is now having a new life since one of my children has decided to use it.
Tim says
I leave my beans in the freezer now, and just grind what I neeed, returning bag of beans to freezer.
Rex M says
just picked up an 8 cup Presto coffee perc at an auction ($1.00) looks to be made in the 50s or 60s … made in USA … WOW what a great cup of coffee!
I remember my grandmother would rinse her stove top perc after each use and scrub it with a brush but would not let anyone near it with dish soap.
She would also use egg shells to smooth out the taste … her coffee was to die for and the neighborhood ladies came over each morning (like a coffee club) (gossip gossip)
This is a great site
David L. Greer says
Donna Smith; Allow me to suggest reading my frequent blogs since I discovered this last Sept. after re-discovering percs and I a big fan re good coffee,having lived in metro New Orleans many yrs and familiar w/Louisianne brand which, depending on degree of roast, can be heavy but good with equal amount/less of hot milk in cup.
I sugg. leaving the hot basket in perc due to no effect on brew, per my experiences, which include that grinding and storing in sealed container a cup or two of beans at a time, not noticable affect on quality and saves time/effort. I do not understand why some persons blog w/complaints about time to brew when all needs done is, before to bed simply load perc, i.e., water plus grounds, and upon awakened next morning turn on perc and it finished by time in bathroom and teeth brushed preparing mouth for the first cup of fresh Joe. Or, set a timer so perc done by time u awake, if wanting fresh cup immediately. Some persons seem inclined to make life more a trial when simple planning can make it a Hoot!
Works for me!
Donna Smith says
I just bought a Farberware 2-4 cup perculator after determining that it was my best option for a coffee maker that makes 2 mugs of coffee. There aren’t many drip makers of any quality that make only 2-4 cups and although the larger ones can be set to brew only 4 cups, what a waste of space. So I went retro and got a perculator. I have only had it for 2 days, but haven’t yet brewed a good cup of coffee, so I turned to Google and found this year-long discussion. I am amused that I’ve gotten the best information available about perculators from the discussion folowing an article which began, “Let’s start with a caveat. Nearly any coffee expert will tell you that a percolator is about the worst possible way to make coffee…”
After reading through quite a lot of the discussion, I am dedicated to making a good cup of coffee with my new perculator. I have the 1/4-inch Port-a-Filter brush awaiting purchase in my amazon.com shopping cart, plans to make use of egg shells which use to just go down the disposal, and a commitment to allow enough time each morning to grind coffee beans to the right consistency of coarse but not too coarse and not too fine either. I think my major problem to date has been using coffee that is too finely ground. Now that I think about it, I have an unopened bag of Louisianne coffee that is probably perfect for perculating! Now there’s real coffee!
I don’t much like handling all the hot parts to remove the basket after brewing, but I guess I will get better with practice.
Thanks for all the tips and I hope to come back soon and exclaim over the best cup of coffee I’ve ever made!
David L. Greer says
Urgent/Important caution to all bloggers using or might obtain CorningWare perc pots: I recently acquired a classic 6 cup Corning pot w/o basket/stem so contacted the Corning/Pyrex company about parts and received response from World Kitchen Consumer Care Center advising me that the percolators had been discontinued 30 yrs ago (ans. my other question as to why none new on the market) Stating that in 1979 Corning had issued a nation-wide Warning program (first I heard of it) That expoxy sealant holding the metal band/handle can become brittle and cause handle to separate from the pot w/o warning!!, thereby, possibly result in burns, etc..even if used only for holding liquids, as I have been using mine for hot cocoa but discovered it too much a trial to clean the cocoa/milk residue from the rim assembly. They suggest that one not give or sell the pots to other folks. I would be remiss in not passing-on that warning to you fellow perc users/lovers. I suggest that removing the handle might create a unique vase.