How to Brew Coffee with a Percolator

Percolators were once the most common brewing method in the United States, and they are still popular with many folks. While they are not considered as good a mechanism as a drip maker, a good percolator will make better coffee than a bad drip maker. Percolators that control the brewing temperature and timing properly can make a good cup of coffee in a fairly short time

Stovetop percolators are the most difficult to use since one must regulate the temperature to ensure the water never boils, and the timing will require some experimentation and will vary according to the coffee.

For the specifics of brewing with a coffee percolator, read your owner's manual. If the manual is lost, searching the internet for the manual or a video demo may be helpful.

The general requirements for percolator coffee are good clean filtered water and coarsely ground coffee, typically a rounded tablespoon of coffee per cup. The water is placed in the main receptacle first in the desired amount, but so that the filter basket remains above the waterline. The filter basket is placed in the pot and the coffee is then placed in the basket. Vary the amount of coffee to suit your own tastes.