xequar said:the percolator is the worst possible way to make coffee because it burns the oils and makes a bitter tasting coffee.
lol
xequar said:the percolator is the worst possible way to make coffee because it burns the oils and makes a bitter tasting coffee.
Yes, it's true, coffee is best brewed between roughly 195 and 205 degrees fahrenheit. That temperature range works best for extracting the oils that give coffee its flavour without burning those same oils and making them bitter-tasting. From the standpoint of the coffee-connoisseur, the percolator is the worst possible way to make coffee because it burns the oils and makes a bitter tasting coffee. For the vintage enthusiast and those who like cool things, the percolator is a lot of fun, especially if you have one with a glass dome on top through which you can watch the coffee perk (my percolator sadly does not).
The reason that people in that era were able to "get away" with using percolators was because the coffee they were drinking was pure rubbish. Maxwell house coffee at about 1/8 the amount of coffee one should use to make a full-flavoured pot of coffee does not make for something I'd ever want to drink. When you have that little amount of coffee, it doesn't terribly matter how you prepare it. Seriously, for the younger members in the crowd (I'm 28), ask your grandparents to make coffee. Trust me, you'll only do that once.
Also of note, lighter roast coffees actually have more caffeine because, as noted, darker roasts destroy the caffeine and give you less oil.
After being inspired by this thread, and after much searching I thought I would share with you the percolator that I recently found, complete with the original hang tag! I believe it to be a late 40's Keystoneware Silver Percolator, hang tag shows the original price of 36.50! By the looks of it I don't think it was ever used!
You are absolutely correct, you are not supposed to boil coffee for the best brew. But that shouldn't discourage anyone from having "fun" with a percolator. As for myself I'll stick with my professional diner style Bunn coffee maker. No frills but makes the best coffee guaranteed. We have used them for 12 years and they also have the best customer support you could ask for. I even bought one for my office.
Can a percolator be used to make tea? P.S. 200th post
When using a percolator type coffee maker such as in the original post, how do you know the coffee is ready? Is it timed or does an indicator lamp turn on?
YES! I tried it for the first time recently and the tea came out beautifully! I put in two tea bags for a full percolator.
Yes and no, tea is best made when the water is boiling hot and the tea is immersed and allowed to sit (steeping) but not on the heat so it is boiling. However if it should be boiled it won't make it bad unless it gets boiled a bunch.