Does anyone use a stovetop percolator?

[rosarugosa]

We've always used Farberware electric percolators, but lately, they aren't even lasting a year for us. We should be able to get a replacement for our current pot under the one-year warranty since we bought it in April, but I feel like I don't want to buy another one when the replacement dies sometime in 2012. Not only is this not frugal, but I don't want to continue rewarding this company with my repeat business for such poor quality products. Browsing Amazon reviews indicate that people have the same type of complaint about all electric percolators (or if there's a good one, I haven't run across it yet). So I'm wondering about a stovetop model: how tricky is it to use, how much attention does it need while brewing, and how long does it take to make a pot of coffee? I am not particularly capable in the kitchen :)

[mara61]

Well, we used one this summer for the first time while camping but I have plans on using it at home to. I am pretty sure taking our coffee maker camping and plugging it in to the outlets messed it up and have no desire to do that again so I asked my MIL if she still had her percolator. We also bought a French press to try out to (not bad, but coffee was not hot enough for me and I drink too much for it to really work for first morning coffee). The percolator I thought had the better tasting coffee, I believe it was ready in under 5 minutes but those little camping stoves do heat up really quick. The coffee from that was preferred over the coffee that our friend made in her coffee maker, we had 10 other adults with us. We have a gas stove at home, so if we do lose power I can use the percolator and have my coffee to.

[crunchycon]

If you can find it in a thrift store, look for an older electric percolator. I have one I snagged from my mother's attic from the late 60s and early 70s and it's still going strong (knock wood). I do prefer perked coffee over drip.

[Mrs-M]

Rosarugosa. All I can say is, easy-peasy! No kidding. And stove-top peculated coffee is the best, flavour wise! I simply fill my percolator with water until the water level sits JUST below the coffee basket, then I fill the basket (to taste) with coffee, set the metal basket inside, put the lid on, set the peculator pot on the stove, turn on high.

Now comes the waiting game. Depending on how fast your stove brings water to a boil (I've never timed how long it takes for our percolator to come to a boil), but I'm guessing 5-7 minutes (average). Once the water starts to boil and starts bubbling up through the centre metal post/rod of the pot and spewing up against the inside glass dome, the percolating process has begun. (Do not step away from pot on stove at this time). Allow the spewing to continue until the glass dome is being steadily bombarded with blasts/washes of water, then reduce heat to simmer. That's it! Let pot simmer for a few minutes, then pour yourself a cup of stove-top brewed goodness!

[fidgiegirl]

We don't drink coffee but sometimes have guests who do . . . I always thought it would be cool to get one of these Pyrex percolators (http://www.etsy.com/search?includes[]=tags&q=pyrex+percolator).

But I never got around to it and we didn't have room, anyway . . . now we just buy some decent instant like Starbucks VIA and it's sufficient for them. My FiL would say if it weren't! :)

[daisy]

I don't have any experience with stovetop percolators, but if you want another electric percolator, they show up regularly at estate/garage sales and the older ones seem pretty tough. I picked up one (1960s vintage) for $3 and it still works great.

[Float On]

Percolator is on the list of things I'm looking for. I loved watching the glass percolator that my mom had when I was little. I'll have to ask her what happened to it because my parents NEVER get rid of anything unless there is absolutly no way to fix or duct tape it!
Currently I boil water on the stove and use a french press, I don't even have a drip coffee maker or a tea pot, I just use a pan that has a pour spout. I knitted a red wool cozy for my french press and it keeps the coffee very warm.

[Mrs-M]

Fidgiegirl. My mom has an old Pyrex model as well as a Corning model. The Corning models stain around the top, making the pot look dingy and dirty, but to this day whenever I see moms old Corning, I'm taken back to my childhood. That old Corning percolator pot sat atop our stove round the clock!

[Mrs-M]

Float On. You're going to love a percolator!

[Amaranth]

If you get one, check that it's stainlesss steel rather than aluminum, that the base is wide enough that it doesn't tilt into the burner gaps on an electric or gas stove, and that it has a no drip design.

If you want an electric one, see if you can find a General Electric one from the 60s or 70s. Lots of those are still going strong. They also have a no drip design. Later ones might have a Black and Decker label as they bought that portion of General Electric.

If you'd like a really wonderful modern solution, the Keurig works very well. With it you can make one cup at a time (fast) and vary whether it's coffee, latte, chocolate, or tea. You can recycle the little cups and compost the grounds/filter or you can pack your own reusuable cup if you'd rather reduce the recycle aspects.

[SiouzQ.]

I have been using my old camping perk pot on a gas stove ever since I broke my IKEA french press taking it camping one summer. It works great, but looks pretty battered and dingy. I still love it! It reminds me of when I was little and my dad would perk his coffee on those cold winter mornings. I would awake to that wonderful aroma, go downstairs in my nightgown and stand over the heat register while breakfast was being prepared and play with my cat :)
I think today though I'll give it a good scrubbing; it's been awhile.

[Jemima]

I recently bought one of these from Lehman's:

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen___Coffee___Glass_Stovetop_Percolator___109 4145#1094145

It perks just as quickly as my electric and doesn't make nearly as much noise. You can control how strong the brew gets. You can also put the entire thing in the dishwasher and it comes out sparkling. The only thing I don't like is not being able to hook it up to a timer so the morning coffee is ready when I get up. (Hmmm. Maybe an electric hotplate?)

If you'd still prefer an electric, my advice is to get the cheapest, most basic thing you can find. I bought a bottom-of-the-line Mr. Coffee about three years ago and it refuses to die. The previous one was an equally basic Sunbeam and I eventually just got exasperated with the bad lid design and threw it away while it was still working. I think it was at least four years old. Both percolators have been used four to five times a day because I drink a lot of tea and prefer not to brew it one cup at a time.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks for the input everyone; I knew I could count on you folks for some useful info! We're going to get a replacement of our current pot under warranty, but I'm definitely going to buy a stovetop model in the not too distant future (succession planning).
Jemima, I was also excited to see that the one you linked to is made in the USA. I try to buy local or domestic when it is an option.

[CathyA]

I just thought about this, since this thread was brought up. Seems like drip coffee makers waste alot of coffee. The water goes through the grounds just once. My family has gotten into the habit of, if we want more coffee the same day, we just run more water through the same grounds, and the coffee is fine.

[Jemima]

Jemima, I was also excited to see that the one you linked to is made in the USA. I try to buy local or domestic when it is an option.

Lehman's is the place to go for "Made in the USA". They do sometimes carry goods made in other countries, but I suspect it's because there are no suppliers here (SIGH). They also help local Amish craftspeople by selling their wares online. I have a handmade Amish rocker from Lehman's that's remarkably comfortable, sized just right for a small woman.

[Mrs-M]

Thinking of you this morning, Rosarugosa, as I finish up the last of the fresh percolated stove-top coffee!
http://sausandesigns.com/forum/images/smilies/coffeebath.gif

[rosarugosa]

Hey Mrs M, We got a stovetop percolator from the Salvation Army, but we haven't used it yet. What would you suggest as a starting point for how much coffee to use per cup of water? I realize we'll have to play around a bit to get just the right brew for our individual tastes, so I won't hold it against you if it comes out too strong or too weak! ;)

[Mrs-M]

LOL! We usually percolate 8-10 cups per serving, which equates to roughly 2-1/2 coffee scoops of coffee (level, not rounded). We don't like strong coffee, but 2-1/2 scoops (I think) would make for a great starting point for you. Our scoop is an oldie, so no measurement scale markings on it to tell how much each scoop equates to, but I'm guessing 3-4 teaspoons (level).

[rosarugosa]

Thanks - I will put this ony my list of things to do next weekend - no time to experiment with coffee during the week! I will report my results!

[Glo]

We went to a stove-top pot about a year ago. It makes the best coffee ever! After it starts perking, we
Let it perk for 11 minutes; perfect every time!

[Mrs-M]

We don't time-out percolation, we simply let the pot reach a boil, and when the water inside the pot is splashing (steadily) up against the inside glass-dome, we reduce the element temp to low (simmer), and enjoy!

[babr]

i was lucky to find an old faberware percolator at a garage sale 10 years ago; the top went out but i was able to replace the part; shows you to buy old as opposed to the brand spanking cheap crap they put out these days and thanks for the ideas on the camp percolator; i have one so when the faber goes out i can use the stove top one

unfortunatly even as i write this i am not supposed to have real coffee; too many natural perservatives which i am allergic to; can you believe it? i miss my coffee; but i can have nescafe decaf? not sure what the difference is but at least its something hot too drink

[Glo]

We went to a stove-top perculator about a year ago. The coffee is the best ever. Altho it does take a little time but its well worth it. We perk for 11 minutes.

[rosarugosa]

Okay folks, here's the report from Rosa's test kitchen:
Made the first stovetop pot of coffee today around noon. I tried 2 tbsp per cup of water, let it perk for about 5 minutes after reaching a boil, and that was definitely too strong for my taste. It did have a good flavor to it though, so the technology shows promise and I think the coffee/water ratio just needs to be tweaked. This pot is also too small to be our regular daily coffee maker, so I think I will just use this one for my mad scientist experiments until I get it down to a science, and then decide if I want to invest in an 8-cup stovetop pot. I do have a new electric percolator that Farberware sent as a replacement under the warranty, so I'll continue to use that for our daily coffee for now.
We have a gas stove, so it's also a bonus to know that we can make coffee even if the electricity goes out!

[Azure]

This question brought back memories of my grandparents. Grandma used to make coffee on a stovetop percolator. I remember Grandpa being very upset when she cleaned it. He claimed it ruined the coffee.

[rosarugosa]

Azure, Oh no, Grandpa would be pissed off at me! I spent a fair bit of time working it over with baking soda and vinegar. It's really kind of cute; it's Revere Ware.

[rosarugosa]

OK, I tried a second pot on the stovetop yesterday, only using 1/2 the amount of coffee (1 tbsp per cup). I let it perk for about 5 minutes. This came out plenty strong enough and we liked it better than last week's pot. Here's my question. If we were going to use the stovetop method on a regular basis, I would want a larger 8-cup pot. How do you keep it warm once you've reached your desired strength after you pour your first round?
With the electric percolator, I take out the innards after we pour the first round, and this keeps it from getting stronger while it sits. But it has a heating element (this of course seems to be what burns out after a year or so) that keeps it warm. I know that the stovetop method makes for a hotter pot and coffee. Can I remove the innards without making a mess and burning myself? Or do I just need to play around by trial and error (with the bottle of aloe handy)? So my question concerns the second and third cups - how to keep them warm without making them too strong?

[Mrs-M]

After our pot peculates, we turn the element down to simmer, Rosa. You may have to play around with it a little (with the two smaller elements on your stove) to see which element is best suited for the job.

As far as removing the innards of a stove-top coffee peculator, no need. If you keep the water level inside the pot below the coffee-basket, that will solve any further strengthening of the coffee.

Re: the strength of waiting coffee in your pot, unless you leave coffee in the pot for an extended period (between cups), you shouldn't notice any real flavour difference.

[rosarugosa]

Thnks, Mrs. M. That makes sense - I guess if the water isn't hitting the basket, then it won't be getting any stronger.

[Mrs-M]

That's right, Rosa. When I fill our pot with water, I fill to about, a 1/2" from the bottom of the basket, but if you don't make 10-12 cups at a time, you could go a lot less, because it's the percolating process that brings water up and into the coffee-basket.

Now that you have the coffee amount tailored to your needs, it's just a matter of fidgeting around a little with it to get it to where you want it, so you can enjoy perfect coffee.

[Mrs-M]

Hey, Rosa. Excited to hear from you Re:. :)

[tootall]

I recently switched from a Cusienart Burr Grind and Brew 12 cup unit. It is the Cadillac of coffee makers, but I drank the whole pot of coffee and used lots of beans everyday. Now I use a french press and that makes me two cups that is better tasting than the drip coffee. I also have used a camp style percolator in the past, I love the ability to brew as strong as I want with the percolator since I just watch it untill the color bubbeling at the Lexan knob on the lid is what I want for strength. The french press is not as hot as some drip brewers but if you heat surplus water in the kettle and then pre-heat your mug with kettle water while the french press is brewing, I have a stainless Starbucks mug that keeps my coffee quite hot in my back pack for over an hour, while I nurse my first cup in a plastic tumbler that draws no heat from the beverage.

If you want to save money on coffee drink better quality and lower quantity. I have found Oolong tea to be a suitable replacement for coffee after my french press is empty.

[Tussiemussies]

We have an electric percolator we bought from the Saladmaster company. The coffee is fantastic and the coffee maker has lasted us about twenty years so far, but was very expensive to buy. :)