Coffee is kind of an essential around here. We can’t imagine a day without starting it with a hot cup of coffee (or an ice-cold glass of smooth cold brew). The mere aroma of coffee can excite your senses and prepare you for a busy day.
As with anything personal, making coffee can be as unique as choosing your favorite variety of beans. The way you make your coffee affects how strong it is and how much caffeine it has.
The many different methods of making coffee include using an iconic drip coffee system, trendy pour-overs, quick-and-easy single-cup Keurigs, and the patience-required French press. In comparison to today’s coffee trends, percolator coffee seems a little old-fashioned. However, it has experienced a revival in recent years.
Many coffee lovers believe that brewing coffee using a percolator is the best way to make a perfect cup. Read on to find out.
Coffee percolator
A coffee percolator is a kettle with separate chambers for the water and coffee grounds. The device is often associated with camping because it can be used on a campfire as well as on a stovetop.
Percolators today are not only limited to flame-based cooking methods, but electric models make it easier than ever to make great coffee.
Coffee percolator capacity
Percolators have two chambers: a lower chamber which contains water and an upper chamber which contains a basket that holds the ground coffee beans. The water is heated and then forced through a tube that is vertical and goes over the coffee grounds. The water then drips back down to the bottom of the pot.
Percolator coffee is brewed multiple times, which is different from other brewing methods. The water used to flavor the coffee is passed through the coffee grounds a second time to create a more aromatic cup of coffee.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to over-brew coffee using a percolator. Drip coffee and pour-over brewing methods only brew the coffee once, so the flavor is easy to control.
If you want your coffee to be as strong as possible, we recommend using a timer to regulate the brewing time.
The stovetop percolator
The stovetop percolator is usually made from materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, or glass. The percolator should be placed directly on top of the stove burner to make coffee. You can easily wash these pots by hand since there are no electronic components.
It’s important to be mindful of the coffee to water ratio. It is best practice to measure the amount of water and coffee beans used to brew coffee, in order to create a consistent product. We recommend using a 1:15 coffee to water ratio.
This means that you should use 15 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee. This ratio can be simplified to one tablespoon of ground coffee for every 75 milliliters of water.
Make coffee on the stovetop by filling the bottom of the pot with cold water and adding coffee grounds to the top basket. You should use medium heat and take the brew off before it reaches a boiling point.
A rule of thumb is that perked coffee is done when you start seeing bubbles hitting the glass lid every few seconds or so.
You should establish a routine with your stovetop percolator, so that you understand how it works. Leaving your coffee on the stove for too long will make it taste burnt.
The stovetop method is for people who want to be more involved in the brewing process and for people who are willing to take a risk with their first cup of coffee every morning.
If you’re looking for a strong, consistent cup of coffee, an electric percolator may be a good choice.
The electric coffee percolator
The electric percolator is much easier to use than the stovetop percolator because it doesn’t require as much knowledge about coffee.
The designs of these coffee makers are similar to those of their stovetop relatives, with a basket for grounds above and a water reservoir below. These products come with an electric base instead of using a stove as a heat source.
Electric percolators usually have a timer so that the coffee will be ready at a certain time and the percolator will turn off automatically. If you think your percolated coffee is too strong, you can adjust the brew time by setting a timer and unplugging it when you’re satisfied.
In other words, if you’re looking for an easy way to make a significantly better cup of coffee, the AeroPress is worth checking out. The AeroPress coffee maker produces a cup of coffee similar in taste to French Press, and in my opinion, a step up from the taste you get with a drip coffee maker.
The perfect cup
Coffee-drinkers are always on the lookout for the perfect cup of coffee. There is no one perfect way to brew coffee. Different brewing methods have their own best practices to achieve a great cup of coffee.
When making coffee with an electric percolator, it is important to consider the beans, roast, grind, and coffee to water ratio.
Your electric coffee pot should be controlling your brewing time and water temperature for you.
Choosing your coffee beans
The best coffee beans for percolators have low acidities, and are grown in Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Beans from Columbia, Brazil, and Indonesia will produce a better pot of coffee using high heat methods.
Since electric percolators use higher temperatures than many brew methods, generally subtle flavors and coffee notes won’t show up well. If you want to showcase the flavor of your artisan beans, try using a French Press.
The roast you choose is very important, though. This means that dark-roasted coffee beans are not suitable for use in a percolator since they will become bitter quickly due to the recirculation of grounds. A medium or light roast will give you the best flavor while avoiding overprocessing.
Use a coarse grind
A downside to the percolation method is that you may find coffee grounds in your cup. No one wants to start their day by taking a sip of coffee only to have the last memory of it be tainted by a mouthful of sludge.
This helped to prevent the grounds from clumping together and floating on the surface The cowboys in the wild west solved this problem by mixing a raw egg in with the grounds before brewing. This helped to prevent the grounds from clumping together and floating on the surface As the egg cooked with the heat, is prevented the coffee grounds from flowing freely through the drink.
The egg makes the coffee less acidic and bitter.
If you don’t want to add an egg to your coffee pot, you can use a coarse grind so the grounds won’t fall through the holes in the stainless steel coffee basket. Some percolators come with paper filters that fit the pot to provide extra protection.
A finer grind will result in a quicker extraction. If you want to make coffee using the percolation method, you should use a coarser grind than you would for espresso.
The coarser the grind, the less time it takes to extract the coffee, and the less bitter your brewed coffee will be when using a percolator.
Check your coffee: Water ratio
In order to make the perfect cup of percolated coffee, it is just as important to pay attention to the amount of coffee and water you use, as you would with any other method. A 1:15 ratio is recommended, which would be 2 grams of coffee per ounce.
If your coffee is too strong, adjust the amount of coffee grounds you use until it tastes better to you.
Making coffee in a percolator
You’ll Need:
- Coarsely ground coffee
- Water
Directions
Step 1
Prep the percolator
Clean the percolator before starting. Coffee grounds that are left over can affect the flavor of a new batch.
Then add water to the reservoir, making sure not to exceed the maximum water level as indicated by the manufacturer.
So, in order to make four mugs of coffee, you would need eight cups of water. The water reservoir can be found by taking apart the stand and stem. Once the water is in place, put the stand and stem back together.
Step 2
Add the grounds
Add the coffee grounds to the upper basket. Use a tablespoon of grounds per cup for a strong coffee or a teaspoon ground per cup for a weaker coffee.
Ensure the percolator is correctly put together by screwing everything in place and making sure the lid is on.
Step 3
Heat
To make coffee using a percolator, first place the percolator on the stovetop and heat it over medium heat. Heat the percolator slowly and watch it through the glass top.
Reduce the heat of the water so it is hot, but not at a simmer or boiling point. The percolator should not be emitting any steam. To use an electric percolator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for heating the water.
Step 4
Perk
Percolate the coffee for seven to ten minutes, depending on the desired strength.
Step 5
Let the coffee rest
Remove the percolator from the heat. Take the coffee grounds basket out of the oven using oven mitts and throw away the used grounds.
Wait a few minutes before serving the coffee. If there are any grounds in the coffee, they will settle at the bottom of the percolator during the resting period.
Serve with a slice of homemade coffee cake!
Coffee grains in a percolator
You will be able to tell how much coffee you need to make percolator coffee after a few brews. To make a strong brew, use one tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee per cup of water. For a weaker brew, use a teaspoon per cup.
The best coffee for a percolator
Choose your coffee beans carefully if you want to make percolator coffee. The coffee is brewed multiple times, so dark roasts can be too intense.
When looking for coffee that is low in acidity, look for coffee that is labeled as light-roast, smooth, or mild. The beans need to be coarsely ground so that they don’t end up in the finished coffee.
Boiling time in coffee percolator
The desired strength of the coffee will determine how long you will want to percolate it for, anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes. It is important to keep the percolator at an even temperature during the brewing process, which electric coffee percolators excel at.
If the water gets too hot, it will produce steam. If the coffee is over-extracted, it will taste extremely bitter, even if you brew it for a short period. If the water is not hot enough, it will not be able to extract maximum flavor from the grounds.
Cleaning a coffee percolator
The best time to clean your percolator is immediately after you finish using it. If the coffee grounds are left to dry in the basket, they can become a dense cake. Leaving coffee in the brewer overnight can also cause the machine to overwork, which will produce a less than ideal cup of coffee the next morning.
Wash the brewing basket, the water chamber, and the stem that connects them with warm soapy water. If necessary, scrub lightly with a sponge.
To clean built-up stains and oil residue from your percolator, mix baking soda or vinegar with water and scrub the inside of the pot. Pour water into the chamber as if you are making coffee. Add either two tablespoons of baking soda OR vinegar (but not both).
Instruction: Boil the mixture for 10 minutes, then pour out the water. After vinegar cleaning, you may need to add clean water and heat the pot again.
The complete percolating
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make a strong cup of coffee, using an electric percolator is a great option. This brewing machine makes it easier to choose the right bean for the perfect taste.
In other words, you will never have to worry about filters! Electric pots are a great way to experience the traditions of the past while still enjoying the benefits of modern technology.