When you hear the word “percolator,” your mind might immediately go to a classic, 1950’s-style coffee pot. And for good reason. The percolator was invented in 1819 and has been popular ever since. It does so many things well! For instance, it makes great coffee, is durable enough to last years of use without breaking down, and can be made at home with little fuss or expertise required.
But there are also some disadvantages that have led more modern people to abandon this old standby in favor of other methods of making their morning joe. Here are three reasons why you should reconsider whether or not you need the best percolator coffee maker for your household…
Best Overall
Farberware Classic Yosemite Coffee Percolator
Benefits:
- Easy to use design with simple on/off button and clear glass knob so you know when percolating begins.
- 12 cup capacity, making it great for large families or groups of friends.
- Comes with two different sizes so that you can choose what best suits your household or social group size.
- Durable stainless steel body
The Farberware Classic Yosemite Coffee Percolator is the perfect coffee maker for any kitchen. It features a durable stainless steel body and 12-cup capacity, making it great for large families or groups of friends. The percolator also has a keep-warm mode that makes sure your coffee stays hot until you’re ready to enjoy it. This model comes with two different sizes so that you can choose what best suits your household or social group size. And since this product is dishwasher safe, there’s no need to worry about cleaning up after brewing!
The Farberware Classic Yosemite Coffee Percolator has an easy-to-use design with simple on/off button and clear glass knob so you know when percolating begins. This product will have you enjoying delicious coffee in no time!
Best Electric
Presto Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator
Benefits:
- Durable stainless steel construction
- Makes 2 to 12 cups of coffee as fast as a cup a minute, then keeps it piping hot automatically
- Easy pour spout and traditional design provide elegant coffee service anytime
- Detachable power chord saves space by allowing easy storage
- Easy to use
Presto has been manufacturing coffee percolators for over 100 years and the new stainless steel model with many features is proof of their dedication to quality.
The Presto Stainless Steel Percolator will make 2-12 cups of coffee as fast as 1 minute, automatically keeping it piping hot until you’re ready to serve. The easy pour spout and traditional design provide an elegant service anytime which makes this unit perfect for home or commercial use. This unit also comes in a variety of sizes from 10 cup to 20 cup capacity so that no matter how big your family is there’s a size just right for you! It’s made out of durable stainless steel including the filter basket and perk tube, making this unit extremely durable.
Stainless steel construction makes it easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing for years of lasting beauty. The coffee ports percolator also comes with an indicator light that indicates when your coffee is ready to serve. The Presto Stainless Steel Coffee Percolater is perfect for any coffee lover!
The Presto Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator is a great choice for brewing up rich, flavorful coffee in a durable stainless steel housing that keeps your brew warm and delicious. This percolator comes with all the features you could possibly want from heat settings to an indicator light. With a reasonable price tag it makes it easy on the budget too.
Best Stovetop Stainless Steel
COLETTI Bozeman Coffee Pot Percolator
Benefits:
- Easy to use and clean
- Durable construction
- 9 cups of coffee
- The perfect gift for the outdoorsy friend in your life
The COLETTI Bozeman Coffee Pot is a classic reborn. The stainless steel and glass design makes it perfect for use in both indoor and outdoor settings, with no need for power cords or plastic parts. The light-weight pot ensures easy travel for vacations or camping. The included filters make sure you get reliably good coffee every time.
The size of this coffee maker may not be enough for those who prefer 12 cups, but its low price means that even if you only want to brew 9 cups at a time, this would still be an excellent purchase! It also features dishwasher-safe construction and easy measuring–making it perfect for anyone looking to start brewing great coffee.
Best for Camping
GSI Outdoors Enamelware Percolator Percolator
Benefits:
- Heavy duty steel construction
- Classic, handsome speckled enamel finish
- Kiln hardened twice at 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to stand up to scratches and chipping
- Three-ply construction for even cooking
GSI Outdoors Enamelware Percolator is a percolator made from heavy-gauge steel with a classic, handsome speckled enamel finish. The percolator comes in 8 cup or 12 cup options. GSI Outdoors guarantees all products for the original owner against manufacturing defects for the lifetime of purchase, so you’re set for life!
Best for camping, this modern coffee maker is built from heavy-gauge steel with a classic, handsome speckled enamel finish that stands up to scratches and chipping. It has been kiln hardened twice at 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to stand up to scratches and chipping as well as maximizing heat distribution for even cooking through its three-ply construction.
Also, GSI Outdoors spent over 30 years building quality performance products and stands behind them 100%. You can watch your coffee brew while enjoying the fragrant fragrance with the percolator’s unbreakable resin top.
The Enamelware Percolator makes your caffeine needs attainable for any campsite, cabin, RV, or even a retro farmhouse kitchen!
Why Use a Coffee Percolator?
Percolators are believed to have been invented in the US around 1880, but weren’t patented until 1889 by Illinois’ native farmer Hanson Goodrich. They were also used back in the days of the pioneers and cowboys. Since it’s hard to take a stove with you on camping trips, percolators make sure your coffee is hot even if you’re not!
Even today, sometimes you need coffee to go. Coffee percolators are designed with portability in mind so you can have your coffee wherever life takes you! They are small and lightweight, meaning you can take your percolator on trips, picnics or even just to the office.
What’s more, you don’t need electricity to use certain coffee percolators. Whether at home or out in the wild, putting hot water over ground coffee will produce an amazing beverage
Nostalgia
Another reason why many people like to use coffee percolators. The sounds and smells of a classic percolator will remind you of your grandmother’s kitchen and the first time you tried real coffee!
Flavor
Traditional coffee percolators produce the best tasting coffee on the planet, because they filter it twice! The first filter ensures your grounds are completely saturated with water, and the second one separates the ground from the brewed coffee. So what you end up is a delicious brew that tastes better than any drip coffee you’ve ever had!
What’s more, many of today’s percolators come with extra features such as insulation to keep your brew hot and a built-in stirring mechanism so your grounds stay saturated. They even have heat resistant handles so there’s no need for mitts or hot pads!
Serving
Percolators are great for serving large groups. It can make from 4 to 12 cups at a time, perfect for a small dinner party or a holiday gathering. Plus, the coffee pot is kept constantly warm for your guests.
Counter Space
Today, most percolators are lightweight and compact. And because they fit better in your kitchen drawer than a bulky drip coffee machine, your counter space is suddenly freed up to make room for the juicer, blender or other appliances!
How Do Coffee Percolators Work?
The principle behind using a percolator is simple: water is boiled, it goes up through the small tube and mixes with the ground coffee in the top chamber and then falls down and is brewed. The filter stops any particles (grounds) from getting in your cup, ensuring a cleaner beverage!
What’s more, because the water flows through the coffee twice it becomes much stronger. So if you use the same quantity of coffee grounds in a drip coffee machine, it will come out much weaker.
Is It The Same as a Stovetop Espresso (Moka Pot)?
A Moka Pot is a bit different from a traditional coffee percolator. While the latter makes its brew using gravity, a moka pot uses steam pressure to push hot water through ground coffee. What’s more, because it has a much bigger tube and less insulation, you don’t need an open flame like with a stovetop espresso.
Where Does The Percolator Come From?
The name “Percolator” comes from both its action and the fact that it uses a percolating process to brew your coffee! What’s more, this type of brewer was originally invented by American coffee roaster Hanson Goodrich in the late 19th century, but it is believed that Italian inventor Alfonso Bialetti created the modern version of this brewer.
What Type of Coffee Grounds Can I Use With a Percolator?
You can make any type of ground coffee with a percolator: from light roast coffee to espresso roast coffee! You may need to adjust your grind size a bit, but you can still make your favorite drink in a percolator.
Is It Safe To Use?
Unlike a Moka Pot, there is not pressure involved with using a traditional percolator. As such, these are generally safer to use. However, you should always take care when handling hot water and never leave it alone unless you have an electric kettle version!
How Long Does It Take To Brew Coffee Using A Percolator?
It takes around 5 minutes to brew coffee in a percolator. As such, if you use an electric kettle version, it will automatically keep your coffee warm for you!
How to Choose a Percolator?
There are many different types of percolators available, from simple stovetop coffee makers to electric models that keep your coffee warm.
Size
As a general rule, the more you want to make at once, the bigger your perculator should be. A larger model will also keep your coffee warm for much longer. Most make anywhere form 4 cup to 12 cups in a single brewing.
Shape
Percolators come in all shapes and sizes. From traditional stovetop models to electric percolating kettles, there’s a brewer for everyone! However, you want to make sure that the one you choose is durable enough to last years of heavy daily use. That means it should have stay-cool handles, easy-to-clean parts and top quality insulation for maximum durability!
Material
Percolators are usually made from stainless steel or aluminum as these resist rust and corrosion very well. In addition, many newer models come with an insulating layer to help maintain the temperature of the water as long as possible.
Filter System
The best coffee percolators have a double filter system. This ensures that no sediment gets into your drink, just as with drip coffee makers! Electric coffee percolators and stovetop coffee percolators come with these filters.
Electric Percolator vs Stove-Top Percolator
If you’re looking at electric percolators, it makes sense to spend a bit extra on one that has a built-in LED indicator so you can set it up and forget about it until the coffee is ready! Stovetop percolator coffee pots are more versatile at the expense of ease of use. The brewing process is the same, but you can use any heatings source for brewing coffee.
Ease of Use
You may have heard horror stories about how difficult it can be to use a percolator coffee maker – but we’re here to tell you that isn’t true at all! Modern stovetop models are actually very simple to use: simply add water and coffee grounds into the upper chamber and place them on your stove. After about 5 minutes, you’ll have a perfect cup of coffee!
Materials
Aluminum and stainless steel are rust-resistant, durable materials that make for a great percolator. If you like the idea of your coffee machine lasting years and years, then this is definitely an important feature to look out for!
Price
Percolators range in price depending on their size, shape, and quality rating. As a general rule, cheaper models will cost anywhere between $10 to $30 while top of the line models can cost as much as $120 or more! Not always available in stores, so if you’re wondering “where can I buy a percolator coffee pot?”, the best bet is online or at a specialty coffee store.
