# Percolators



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

I know that the universally acknowledged wisdom is that percolating is probably the very worst way of making coffee, but I wonder if anyone has any recent experience of using a percolator?

From my late teens I just remember fondly going to a friend's house and hearing the *****-***** of the percolator on the stovetop, and the fragrance of coffee throughout the house.

I'm just wondering if it's worth giving it a try again, if only for the nostalgia? Any tips to get the best out of a perc will be greatly appreciated.


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

That's what I've read too, that they produce a great aroma in the home (good for when selling a house?), but a terrible beverage.

I'll be getting the parents' old '60s one out the cupboard at the next opportunity in the interests of don't-knock-it-til-you've-tried-it...

What do we think, very coarse grind I'd guess? Extract time?


----------



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Sometimes boiling the hell out of beans is the only way to get any flavour out of them, by this I mean you can get a drinkable coffee out of supermarket beans, where as in an espresso maker they taste rank.

When I was in africa, they used to roast the green beans in a home made pan over a coal fire, crush them with a basic pestal and morter (a clay pot and a stick) then put them in something called a gebena, put it on the fire until it boiled over, poured out the top of the water and poured it back in then reboiled, they repeat this several times.

My point is they boil the hell out of their coffee, but it comes out tasting lovely. This may well be to do with the smokey flavours that using an open fire and clay pots produce, along with a very course grind, but the advice that you should never use boiling water with coffee is not necessarily always true.

Anyway, that was a bit of a random tangent there... honestly all the coffee I have had from a percolator has been from pretty disgusting to ok, there may be better advice around on how to get a nice brew out of one.


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

According to 'The Art and Craft of Coffee' - Coarse grind, 10gms per 180 mls water. Bring to boil, lower heat to just simmer, allow to perc for 6 to 8 minutes.

It's the 'bring to boil' and '6 to 8 minutes' that's frightening.


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

But they specifically established this procedure is not likely to overextract the coffee. Reducing the heat after adding the grounds should see the slurry drop to "under boiling". This advice is pretty much from the horses mouth from the guys who instigated the SCAA standards and the brewing control chart (not that getting in the desired box will guarantee a great brew, but it's somewhere to start). Can you pour a little out at various stages and taste it?

Given that many brewers are concerned about heat loss during a brew, the percolator does seem to address that issue...can't remember ever having a percolator brew though, let us know how it goes.


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

Interesting. Like a moka pot, it's going to need a low constant heat source to maintain a constant circulation then, so a small gas ring with diffuser or an Aga-type hotplate, or perhaps a cona burner.


----------



## CoffeeDoc (Dec 26, 2012)

The percolator, brings back so many childhood memories of coffee at breakfast time, in the early 60's. Ours was an electric device not stove top, a great morning ritual, coffee was bought on Saturday morning at a small grocers and ground for you and put into brown stiff paper bags. Used over the week and bought again next week. I still remember the fabulous smell as they ground the coffee for you.

It brings back memories but I bet the coffee was poor compared to today's

Paul


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

This lady seems to have perking down to a fine art...


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

Really it just looks too hot for too long to me, I still struggle to believe it's not terrible. And distilled water? If that passes muster they must be measuring from a very low bar. We need someone here to try it out!


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

My curiosity got the better of me!

So I bought one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lakeland-Stovetop-Coffee-Percolator/dp/B00BAR3FC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370273637&sr=8-1&keywords=lakeland+coffee+percolator

Reporting back after first use - following the directions on the box. Filled up to the 4 mug mark (used hot water, as I would do with a Mokka) and 6 tablespoons of very coarsely ground coffee (no weighing here!). Brought to boil and simmered for 5 minutes. The smell is fantastic. Totally different mouthfeel to anything that I've drunk recently - but, in all honesty, not all that bad, and certainly much better than anything that most of my friends make. And it's nice to be able to go back for second, and third mug, which I'm not used to. It will never replace espresso, but a very enjoyable change.

Using Hasbean's Brazil-fazenda-cachoeira-da-grama-bourbon-pulped-natural, home roasted to just a little darker than I usually do. This has been one of my all time favourites for espresso (sadly now sold out), so the perc was at least getting a fair crack of the whip. I expect that I'll be doing a fair bit of experimentation.


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

I've been meaning to ask how you've been finding your percolator, Vintagecigarman?

I've seen a vintage one in a local antique shop I may splash out on. Even if it produces horrible coffee, it's pretty enough to be an ornament


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

It makes the kitchen smell nice, and it's nice and shiney.

Need I say more.....

It's good enough for some of my wife's friends.


----------



## Coffeeaddict (Aug 21, 2014)

Percolators on the whole are really good. But the only problem is to boil the coffee for the right time because if you over boil it the coffee will come out bitter and awe full. And also I recently saw a site if tells all about coffee percolators and helps you to choose the right one. Coffee percolator


----------

