What is a Percolator Coffee Maker?

A percolator coffee maker is a type of special pot that is used to make coffee in the early days. But what is the percolator coffee maker? Check out the below paragraphs to understand the machine.

Nowadays, different types of electric coffee makers have come into the market and changed the whole scenario of coffee making. With the help of these high-quality coffee machines, coffee can be made in a very short time and with less difficulty. That’s why the former or percolator coffee makers are not that popular now.

In this article, we will explain what is a percolator coffee maker, how does it work, and how to use it. Although the use and circulation of these coffee makers have decreased a lot, still many people use them in making coffee. Keep reading the article to know the steps that need to be making coffee in the percolator coffee maker.

What is a Percolator Coffee Maker?

The percolator coffee maker is an old-school method of making coffee that was most popular before the invention of the drip coffee maker. It was invented in 1865 by an American soldier. You won’t believe that it has a lot of crazy fans who keep using it. Typically, a percolator coffee maker looks like a kettle. It has two chambers inside it.

One of the most interesting features of the percolator coffee maker is that it doesn’t require any electricity to operate. Coffee can be made very easily through a heat source. It is very easy to carry and comes in handy during camping trips.

How Does a Percolator Coffee maker Work?

Basically, percolator coffee makers have two chambers. A lower chamber and an upper chamber. The lower chamber is allocated for water and the upper chamber is come with a basket to holding the coffee grounds.

As the water slowly heats up, the force is received by a vertical tube that passes through the coffee grounds before going under the pot. Inside, near its boiling point is constantly cycled through the coffee grounds and the cycling continues to produce a strong brew. It stays close to the heat source. Where other coffee makers brew once, the percolator has multiple times. Every time the current flavored water goes down, it goes through that field again to make an incredible fragment cup of coffee.

Percolator coffee makers are more likely to be over-brewed. As a result, it is a bit difficult to maintain flavor unless you have strong guess power. Because it doesn’t provide indicators like drip coffee maker. So we recommend using the timer to regulate the strength of coffee.

How to Use a Percolator Coffee Maker

As we said earlier that making coffee is a bit tough in this machine. Detailed instructions on how to make coffee in a percolator coffee maker are mentioned below.

Step 1

Clean the percolator before you start. Any remaining coffee grounds can affect the taste of the new batch. Open the lid of your coffee maker and add the right amount of water. Follow the manufacturer’s guide to find out how much water to add. However, it takes 2 cups of water to make one mug of coffee. Make sure that the water doesn’t exceed the max indication.

Step 2

Normally fine ground coffee will not be perfect for a percolator coffee maker. That is because the finely ground coffee can fall to the water reservoir through the filter. And this will ruin the taste of your coffee which is not acceptable. So you have to choose coarsely ground coffee. This will ensure the best coffee with the best flavor as well.

If you want to grind coffee at home, make sure to set the correct setting so that it provides coarsely ground coffee. Always try to refrain from using dark roasted coffee beans as this will make your coffee a bit bitter. Now pour the coffee grounds into the upper chamber of the percolator.

Step 3

All you have to do is place the percolator coffee maker on a stovetop and continue to cook over medium heat. In this case, coffee should not be cooked in flame.  The temperature of the stovetop shouldn’t exceed the boiling point i.e. 90 degrees Celsius.

Keep hitting the device until it does start peaking. Plus need constant monitoring. Although you can’t see if any steam is coming, you can still monitor according to the timer’s calculations. You can percolate the coffee for around 7 to 8 minutes depending on your preferred strength.

Step 4

When you think your coffee is ready, take off the percolator coffee maker from the heat. Note that it will not let you know with any beep sound that coffee is ready, like a drip coffee maker. Because it is not electric. So strong guess is the main key to making coffee by adjusting the temperature of the coffee.

Since the appliance is very hot, use an oven mitt while removing it from the stove. Now remove the lid of the along with the coffee grounds. Additionally, you can modify your coffee by adding milk and sugar. Of course, it’s totally up to you. That’s it; your coffee is ready to drink.

What is the difference between a Percolator and Drip Coffee Maker?

The main difference between the percolator and drip coffee makers is, percolators run the cycle water through the grounds multiple times which is known as ‘Over-extraction’. On the other hand, drip coffee makers run water only once to prevent over brewing. Besides, drip coffee machines have an automatic brew timer which is not available in the in percolator coffee maker.

Conclusion

Coffee is an essential part of our lives. Many of us can’t even imagine starting the day without a cup of coffee. The percolator coffee maker is a traditional way of making coffee. However, its value has plummeted since the advent of the electric coffee maker.

If you are a first-time user of a percolator coffee maker, you may not get perfect coffee strength. But if you try a few times, you can able to make a cup of satisfying coffee through this particular coffee maker.