Percolator Coffee Makers

Percolator Coffee Makers

Once upon a time, everybody that loved coffee owned a percolator. Praised for its convenience and efficiency, this style of old fashioned coffee makers have fallen out of favor from today's coffee lovers. However, percolator coffee makers still have some fans and it never hurts to have a percolator as one of your coffee makers.

Sometimes described as a type of bubbling coffee makers, there are many different types of percolators. Percolators vary on their source of heat, as some percolators use fire as its heating source. This is most common when percolators are used over a campfire. Additionally, stovetop percolators used to be very popular. However, the most common type of percolator coffee maker used today is electrical percolator that uses electricity as its heating source. Electricity percolators have a built-in heating element and one is even able to obtain a cordless electric percolator if they so wanted.

Despite the different varieties of percolators, percolators share a common design that is similar to a carafe in which water is contained within to brew the coffee. At the top  of the percolator lies a perforated basket while a tube sits at the center of the percolator.

It is ideal to use regular or fine coffee grinds for the best type of coffee that one can brew using a percolator. The advantages of the percolator are that it results in a cup of coffee that has a full body and a nice aroma. The coffee will be clear and steaming hot.

The disadvantages of percolators is that by boiling the coffee grinds, the percolator is cooking away the delicate flavor essence of the coffee beans thus diminishing the intended flavor of the coffee beans. Additionally, percolator coffee machines have a tendency to pass brewed coffee back over the coffee grounds. This process has the effect of over extracting the coffee grounds, thus diminishing the flavor of the final cup of coffee. While many coffee lovers attempt to circumvent this effect of the percolator by using a very course grind, this doesn't prevent the fact that the coffee grounds will become abused. What results from a percolator coffee machine is cup of coffee that is over extracted and has a foul taste. Many feel that the percolator is an inconvenient type of coffee maker & its take far too long to brew a cup of coffee, about 13-18 minutes for a percolator to brew enough coffee for six cups.

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