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The Humble Percolator
The percolator has always been one of those methods of brewing coffee that I just love to use for nostalgic reasons. I believe it goes way back to when I was a youngster and my family and I would take a lot of camping trips. My father used to make coffee using the percolator on those trips and I remember waking up to the sweet smell of coffee brewing (even if I was too young to partake in that ritual at the time). I remember loving the smell of coffee and bacon....I miss those good ole' camping trips that's for sure! So, that got me thinking about how does the percolator...well percolate. Follow me down the rabbit hole as we learn more about this type of brewing method!
A Little History
A farmer by the name of Hanson Goodrich is the person who is mostly accredited with the creation and patent of the percolator that we know today. That patent was given in 1889 and was widely used until the release of the drip coffee maker in the 1970s. Mr. Hanson Goodrich's goal was brewing coffee free of the grinds and he achieved that with his creation. A creation that is still used and loved by many still to this day!
How A Percolator Percolates
A percolator has 4 parts that are needed for it to work which are a chamber where you hold the water, a stem where the water shoots up, the basket where the coffee grounds are held, and a percolator top that allows the boiling water to fall back into the basket.
Once you have the desired amount of water in the chamber you then put the basket on the stem and you have to fill the basket with a filter ( a filter keeps all the grit and a lot of the oils out of the coffee) and then add the amount of coffee that correlates with the amount of water that you added. Once you have that taken care of you put the percolating top on it and put it on a heat source if it's a stove top or plug it in if it's an electronic one. As the water heats up to a boil the pressure from the boil causes water to go up the stem and shoot into the percolator top then gravity pulls it back down and soaks the coffee in the basket. It then keeps repeating this cycle until you take it off the heat source.
What Kind Of Coffee Does It Brew
The percolator is known to have very strong and bold flavor, but you have to be careful not to over brew it because then it could become rather bitter. For those who love caffeine this brew method also has a higher level of caffeine compared to some of the other brewing methods! So, If your looking for a stronger cup of joe and a swift kick to your derriere in the morning then look no further then the humble percolator.
Two Choices
With the percolator, you have two choices the original stove top and the electric version there are pros and cons with both. The original stovetop is probably the most versatile, being able to use it at home on the stove or bring it camping with you and use it right on the fire. You also have much more control over the brewing process and can make your coffee as strong or as weak as you prefer. That being said you do have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't over-extract the coffee or it will become very bitter.
The electrical version is I feel simpler, all you gotta do is put your ingredients into it, plug it in, and wait for the light to come on, then you are off to the races! It'll even stay warm for you, well most of them will at least. Now with that ease of use, you do lose the ability to control your brewing process the only way you can make your coffee stronger or weaker is by controlling the amounts of coffee or water that you add to it. Now knowing the pro's and con's you just have to pick which type you can live with!
Is It Worth The Hassle?
I may be a little biased because of my history with the percolator but I believe that a percolator is definitely worth it and would be a great experience for those who love coffee. I prefer the electric percolator if I'm being honest because I love being able to set it and forget it until it's done and ready to enjoy, and on top of that it'll even stay hot for me to continue to indulge in. The percolator gives the coffee a different taste and I would recommend you try it out at least once. Who knows maybe you'll fall in love with it like I did. It's always great to try new things right?
If you would like to read my review on the West Bend Percolator then click here !
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