Anyone gone back to using a coffee percolator?

Setting aside politics, the weather, general mayhem and the economy etc, I'm really the only one who yearns for a real cup of coffee in my household. Did not want yet another THING to 'plug-in' or more plastics, so I purchased a small-format stainless steel coffee percolator. Interesting... I like that it goes on the stove. Experimenting with various grounds.

I'm tending to making it too weak. I'd like take a step above Folgers [[LOL) but can't afford artisan stuff. Want to mix a decaf with a standard ground. Any ideas? Favorite grounds/ mixes? Where in the city? I like Hazelnut but it's always artificially flavored so I shouldn't. Anyone else using a percolator?

i'm interested too. i go thru one or two "plug-in" pots a year. i looked at percolators before my last purchase but chickened out.

I've used a percolator in the past while camping, but at home I have been using a stainless steel french press for the last few years.

My favorite affordable coffee is the whole bean 8 O'clock French Vanilla or Jose's Vanilla Bean. I do have to admit, I'm a bit odd as I drink all my coffee over ice, so my opinion might not be good for much. :cool:

Only way to go - real coffee preparation - every morning.
FAST, fresh, great aroma, great taste, in the home.

http://www.capresso.com/coffee-grind...s-steel-1.html

Then , a true coffee maker, no frills, no fancy stuff

https://bonavitaworld.com/products/c...coffee-brewers

I'm a very happy man, every morning, and at work

There are many review sites out there and varied sizes if you don't want to brew much. I don't. I didn't want the extra steps of the french press though they are VERY popular. Perked coffee is the hottest temp to your cup. I like that as I sip and mostly only want it on the weekend when I have time.... Adding creams to a luke warm cup ain't fun either.....

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Originally Posted by Maof

i'm interested too. i go thru one or two "plug-in" pots a year. i looked at percolators before my last purchase but chickened out.

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I'm not camping but love just popping it on the gas stove eye and wait for the bubbles up thru the glass [[well now they make them plastic) top.

I like iced coffee too!

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

I've used a percolator in the past while camping, but at home I have been using a stainless steel french press for the last few years.

My favorite affordable coffee is the whole bean 8 O'clock French Vanilla or Jose's Vanilla Bean. I do have to admit, I'm a bit odd as I drink all my coffee over ice, so my opinion might not be good for much. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

Setting aside politics, the weather, general mayhem and the economy etc, I'm really the only one who yearns for a real cup of coffee in my household. Did not want yet another THING to 'plug-in' or more plastics, so I purchased a small-format stainless steel coffee percolator. Interesting... I like that it goes on the stove. Experimenting with various grounds.

I'm tending to making it too weak. I'd like take a step above Folgers [[LOL) but can't afford artisan stuff. Want to mix a decaf with a standard ground. Any ideas? Favorite grounds/ mixes? Where in the city? I like Hazelnut but it's always artificially flavored so I shouldn't. Anyone else using a percolator?

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Using an ancient, simple, Braun, cone style, but, as far as coffees go, try Kirkland Columbian. $10 for a 3 pound can. I'll put it up against any boutique brand.

I forgot about Kirkland... that brand surprises often!

During the week I use a grind n brew with 8 o'clock beans,mostly because it is ready with a timer.

I really liked the French press and the pour overs but it kicks up my acid reflux bad.

On the weekends it is the vintage Salvation Army $3 perk,I start it out on high and when it starts to perk turn it down to like 7 for 8 to 9 minutes.

They are not really plug n play it takes awhile to figure it out,and what grinds work best,really in the older days it was foldgers or maxwell house,they show little pictures on the canisters for drip and perk etc.

Once you figure it out then switch to buying raw beans and roast your own,totally different experience at half the price.

Best flavor wise coffee I have had came from holland,but one cup would amp you up.European coffees make our coffee taste like water.

I export stuff to Columbia [[commercial grinders and roasters) and they send me back different beans but I really have not had anything different flavor wise then locally available,we have lots of coffee roasters around here also but nothing really impressive.

For espresso I use the old school sock,for those that know what that is ,lol

Best coffee ever.....

http://www.germandeli.com/Jacobs-Kro...-Coffee-17-6oz

^^^Cool! like maybe the half-caf version for me:

http://www.germandeli.com/Jacobs-Krn...-Caffeine-17oz

Roasting ones on beans? Sounds adventuresome. Must read up on that.

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Originally Posted by Richard

...Once you figure it out then switch to buying raw beans and roast your own,totally different experience at half the price.

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I used to drink a lot of Bustelo, which is sold at Honeybee and most Meijer's for about $5 for a 10oz tin. It's sold as an espresso grind, which probably will help lead you away from the "my coffee is too weak" dept.

I found a lot of variation in the flavor / strength from how tightly packed the grounds were.

8 o'clock Colombian Peaks dark roast whole bean is really good. I grind it in a 3 dollar grinder I bought at ABC warehouse. That grinder is real easy to clean because I don't clean it, I just use it, tap it out over the trash can and put it back in the box it came in.

Thats not the only brand I drink, there's of good coffee out there. West born Market over on Woodward had some great fresh roasted stuff.

That German stuff looks good but the green packaging scares me, I equate green with decaf! That would be blastomey!

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Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Using an ancient, simple, Braun, cone style, but, as far as coffees go, try Kirkland Columbian. $10 for a 3 pound can. I'll put it up against any boutique brand.

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Can't beat it with a stick, love the flavor, love the size of the can, and I love the coffee.

I think I'm learning. Now I'm making it too strong [[whew). Loving the heat you get off a percolated coffee compared to drip machines [[ala luke warm)!

And percing is a bit faster than the two stage process of using a press. Just a bit longer than a drip maker but so much better coffee!

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Originally Posted by gvidas

I used to drink a lot of Bustelo, which is sold at Honeybee and most Meijer's for about $5 for a 10oz tin. It's sold as an espresso grind, which probably will help lead you away from the "my coffee is too weak" dept.

I found a lot of variation in the flavor / strength from how tightly packed the grounds were.

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Thank you everyone...:o... I am getting it. I think I am trending towards grinding my own [[at coarse perc level) at the store where I can add a percentage of defac grounds creating a cool mix ala my own boutique 'blend' lest I blast off to space for too much caffeine!

Trail and error will net the best option. Seems like 8 oclock is a trusted brand when all else fails.

I was thinking of 'storing' my grounds in a glass jar in the fridge as I don't drink coffee every day. Is that a good idea to retain freshness or will stored in grinding bag in a ziplock in a cabinet suffice??

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

Thank you everyone...:o... I am getting the hang of it general. I think I am trending towards grinding my own [[at perc course level) at the store where I can add a percentage of defac grounds creating a cool mix ala my own boutique blend lest I blast off to space for too much caffeine!

Trail and error will net the best option. Seems like 8 oclock is trusted brand when all else fails.

I was thinking of 'storing' my grounds in a glass jar in the fridge as I don't drink coffee every day. Is that a good idea to retain freshness or will stored in grinding bag in a ziplock in a cabinet suffice??

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They say that it extends the life span of freshness but I really have never noticed a difference.

Coffee is best brewed at 195,water boils at 212,if one uses a French press then you have to adjust the water temp to compensate for the cold grind.

Burr grinders work best or are preferred.

How coffee kinda works is how much of the grain surface is in contact with the water.IE espresso blends are fine powder so the water contacts the surface easily and that is why they make a strong coffee,but horrible in a French press or perk.

To much sludge,so it is a different grind for the French press or pour over.

In your case of the perk and you are looking for the flavor aspect over the caffeine aspect,instead of creating a sin by useing decaf,you can go with a coarser grind and less perk time
There is a waste factor but nothing to really speak of.

Store bought coffee like folders has a grind in mind that you are useing a filter and the water gets one pass,so for the perk which uses multiple passes to draw the flavor from the beans,start the grind a few notches coarser then folders,then adjust perk time,more perk time stronger,finer grind more stronger but too fine and you have sludge in the bottom of the cup.

You mentioned cooking with gas so it should be easy to get the heat regulation aspect down quick,the grind and amount used,like one tablespoon per cup,you will figure out pretty quick.

The hard part of useing multiple forms of coffee brewing methods is every one is different and everybody's tastes in a good cup of coffee is different.

Once you get it down to your perfect cup then it is worth it.

^^^ Thank you for your detailed response. I like the strong taste but not the resultant jitters : / So decaf is allowing [[still perfecting it) me to get taste without the 'total' effect. Hah! I love the taste of espresso somewhat, but I'd be up half the night, so its a no-go zone.

I just know 'instant' wasn't cutting it and this saves money to make it @ home!

I thought perking would be a drawn-out process, but it's ok. Yes, I have gas flame stove. And the heat is the factor -- I cannot see how you get that out of a press. I wonder if boiling the water before putting the inserts into the pot would work. Nah, I'd just end dropping all that apparatus on the floor...:rolleyes:...

I'll just load, turn the thing on and let it come up to temp and darkness ala the clear top. Speaking of, they now make the clear viewer top plastic! You just can't get away from plastics.... SMH....

I like tea too [[herbals, green and the blacks), including sun tea and tea brewed in a steel pot. Ahhh.

Oh yeah -- for us 'decaf' folk, I'm digging Trader Joe's Decaf beans to take the edge off for my coffee drinking style. I add it to my other coffee blends. Nice!!

BTW, TJ's in-store grinder is 'true' coarse grind level too. Perfect for percolator coffee brewing. No need to add filter - no grounds in my cup. Some in-store grinders grind fine no matter what setting you use!

Have my concoctions of coffees [[a blend of reg and decaf grounds) in a recycled sauce jar sealed tight. Still experimenting with amount per cup.

Speaking of TJ's.....TJMaxx that is, they sell a variety of "Joe" coffee by Paramount Coffee out of Lansing. I've had the "tall dark and handsome" in dark roast and the flavor is really good but, i can't take the jitters. It also comes in medium and decaf at 1/2 the price in store as oppose to Paramount's website.

^^^ I hear you. I find that if I mix one-third decaf and the rest regular grounds I am ok. No jitters.

Yeah, TJMaxx has some interesting food stuffs sometimes.

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Originally Posted by Zacha341

Setting aside politics, the weather, general mayhem and the economy etc, I'm really the only one who yearns for a real cup of coffee in my household. Did not want yet another THING to 'plug-in' or more plastics, so I purchased a small-format stainless steel coffee percolator. Interesting... I like that it goes on the stove. Experimenting with various grounds.

I'm tending to making it too weak. I'd like take a step above Folgers [[LOL) but can't afford artisan stuff. Want to mix a decaf with a standard ground. Any ideas? Favorite grounds/ mixes? Where in the city? I like Hazelnut but it's always artificially flavored so I shouldn't. Anyone else using a percolator?

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I use one from around 1960. Don't like the new ones since all of them are made in China or other countries where quality does not matter. I like to see "Made in U.S.A" on things, been using it for 22 years and it was New Old Stock when I got it from an elderly woman who never used it.

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Originally Posted by gvidas

I used to drink a lot of Bustelo,... for about $5 for a 10oz tin. It's sold as an espresso grind, which probably will help lead you away from the "my coffee is too weak" dept.

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Big Lots has it for under $3 for the vacuum bag.


I found an old copper bottom percolator in this house when I moved in, left by the former owners. Not a Revere though. I use it sometimes on the wood stove I use for heat in the winter. Fire's going anyways, so why not use it instead of the electric drip machine?