Thread: Coffee in a percolator

I picked up a vintage Revere Ware 6 cup percolator on the bay. Stainless with the copper bottom. So I brewed my first pot this morning. I found some instructions on the web as I hadn't done a percolator in forty years. The coffee was weak and I went back to Google and did a search for better instructions. I found these quoted below and took another shot at it. The results are stellar and I am enjoying a cup right now.

It is interesting to read opinions on making coffee with a percolator. It reminds me of threads on honing with or without tape. It seems that there are strong feelings on both sides of the issue. I don't know that I am going to switch to this method on a regular basis but I am happy that I got the gizmo and will use it when the mood strikes.

Coffee Perking suggestions
The Pyrex brand percolator has beverage cup markings for easy measuring. Put water into the percolator bowl.
(Water should not touch the bottom of the coffee basket.)
To help prevent sediment in the brew, run water
through the percolator basket before adding coffee.
Measure proper amount of percolator or regular grand coffee into the basket.
Insert basket assembly into percolator. Cover.
Place over direct heat.
When perking begins, lower the heat to perk gently for 6 to 8 minutes. Rapid perking (boiling) causes bitter flavor and grounds in the brew.
Coffee may be served more easily if basket assembly is removed before pouring.
Brew proper time at correct temperature.
For percolator coffee, perk 6 to 8 minutes. A clear, rich, brown, flavorful cup of coffee is best achieved when brewed without boiling.
Coffee is at its peak of flavor immediately after brewing. It can be kept piping hot for serving later,
but after 30 minutes, coffee loses its flavor rapidly.
For strong brew, use 1 coffee measure (2 level teaspoons) of coffee to each 6 oz of water.
A coffee serving is 5-1/2 oz of finished brew. Therefore, instructions are written for servings of coffee, not measuring cups.
The measurement markings on the percolators are for 6 oz of water per serving. This allows 1/2 oz for absorption by the grounds and for evaporation.
Making a full pot of coffee is preferred, but do not make less than 3/4 capacity of the coffeemaker.
If you own an electric range, use a grid under your Pyrex flameware. These can be made out of galvenized heavy gauge wire.
They look like the grid under the percolator in the photo shown above.
If mineral deposits collect on flameware, boil a solution of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water for about 20 minutes. Or use the newer product CLR, available at Walmart.
>From the older percolator instructions, cool before washing, to remove mineral deposits or discoloration from coffee, for other cleaning problems, use non-abrasive cleansers such as baking soda, Bon Ami, Zud, Ajax, Comet or plastic or nylon pads such as Dobie. Do not use metal or abrasive pads.
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Nice! Percolators make some of the very best coffee, IMO. I am a coffee nut, and just love drinking it. Not to wake me up, but just because I love a good cup of coffee ;-)

I own 2 percolators, both of them Bialetti's. 1 is a stovetop, and the other is an electric. The stovetops are rather inexpensive, ranging from $25-40 and they last a good long time, not to mention they make a killer cuppa joe!

I work in an office, and I have a full coffee setup at my desk... Bialetti EasyCafe (An electric bialetti percolator), powdered creamer (coffee-mate), a bag of sugar in the raw (like at Starbucks), whole beans (Peets) and a coffee grinder. Oh, and some wooden stir sticks too, lol.

I have found that for me, the best cup of coffee using a percolator is as follows:
1.) Use WHOLE BEANS!!! Never buy preground beans. Grind only what you will use for that cuppa joe.
2.) Grind beans coarsely, rather than fine as is the Norm for drip coffee makers
3.) Use filtered water, and do not double boil the water.
4.) Use plain powdered creamer, I use coffee-mate. It seems to work the best. IMO, flavored creamers take away from the coffees taste.
5.) Use your choice of sugar. I prefer sugar in the raw with my coffee. Some like splenda, some like regular ol' bleached sugar. Not much difference here, from what I have tasted.
6.) Stir, and enjoy!

Very nice Jimmy! A percolator is an essential camping tool, imo. No weekend, outdoor trip would be the same without one.




Mac

Thanks for the directions. I just got a camping type percolator for my woodstove in the event of power outage. I could not bear the thought of being stuck in the house without a good cup of coffe. I like to use a senseo, not with thier nasty coffee but I make my own pods with 4-cup filters and my own coffee mix. Yes, I LOVE my coffee

The big problem with forced water coffee makers is the bitterness and I found that a little sprinkle of salt for each cup mellows out the flavor just perfectly!

I'm going to print your directions out and stick them in the pot in-case-of-emergency!

Originally Posted by pstrjp

Thanks for the directions. I just got a camping type percolator for my woodstove in the event of power outage. I could not bear the thought of being stuck in the house without a good cup of coffee.
......

When the stove is hot in the morning make coffee.
No need for a power outage.

The way the heat flows will fill the room with an aroma
that is well just -- excellent --.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

When the stove is hot in the morning make coffee.
No need for a power outage.

The way the heat flows will fill the room with an aroma
that is well just -- excellent --.

hmm...Ill have to try that sometime soon! Just hope my senseo doesn't get jealous.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

When the stove is hot in the morning make coffee.
No need for a power outage.

The way the heat flows will fill the room with an aroma
that is well just -- excellent --.

Ah, now that would be a great way to make coffee... Now... where'd I put that wood stove again??

that is the only way to make coffee, i have a corning ware 9 cup , been perking for 20 years. I stumbled on to perking while on an ice fishing trip in northern NH, it was great then and is great now!

I am sitting here having my second cup of freshly ground beans perked in my 6 cup Revereware Percolator. This is the fourth time I've used it and the results are great. The first pot was weak. I did a google search and found instructions (see my post above) and the letting it perk for six minutes was the ticket.

Then it was a matter of dialing in the proportions of water to coffee and the second pot was decent the third good and this the fourth is delightful. That is the good news. The bad news is that it takes too long to get up to speed and start perking for me to do it in the morning. Maybe I'll change my mind about that but my pour over Mellitta ain't half bad.

I was wanting to get the 9 cup Reverware and settled for the 6 cup size and that turned out to be serendipitous. It is the exact same size pot as my porcelin Mellitta in terms of the volume of coffee and the 9 cupper would have been too large for a single guy and would have taken even longer to perk. So if nothing else this is perfect for an afternoon or evening cup or two.

Some really like perks, but I prefer Freench press or drip. Perks keep recirculating the coffee over itself and I find that makes it bitter, of course that's only my opinion and you know the saying [opinions are like a--holes, every one has one and most of them stink.]
I also use vacumm pot, semi-auto espresso machine, ibrick, and have a vietnamese drip coming in the mail.