People of a certain age (such as myself) will tell you that one of their oldest and fondest memories of their vacations at grandma’s is the bubbling sound that their percolators made and the divine aroma of fresh brewing coffee emanating from the kitchen (good times !).
The introduction of the drip-coffee making machine, however, caused percolating (as a coffee brewing method) to slowly seem irrelevant because a) the drip machine could make more cups of coffee and b) the brewing process required less effort.
I must admit that I too fell under the drip machine spell until my coffee-coated heart got jolted by a single sip of granny’s coffee. I knew right there and then that I had to get myself a 12 cup stovetop percolator! After all, the unit would brew me approximately as much coffee as I normally make using the drip machine but the result would be much better! Totally worth the extra effort!
Percolator Coffee: Why Every Kitchen Should Feature a 12 cup Stovetop Percolator
– The quality of Brew (Absolutely Divine!)
Almost every percolator coffee fan swears that their brew tends to be richer, more full-bodied and extremely flavourful (that lasts for longer as compared to the brew produced by common drip coffee makers). This is because the machines do not function in the same way when brewing (thus accounting for the more flavourful and aromatic coffee).
To brew, a percolator continuously passes hot water over the coffee grinds placed in the unit’s basket. Typically, a percolator is made up of a metal/ aluminium pot (in which you pour your water), a metal basket (which has holes at the bottom to also function as a filter), and a long tube which sits at the centre of the unit’s pot (pump stem) and supports the coffee basket.
As the water in the unit’s pot heats up and comes close to its boiling point, it moves up the pump stem and is directed onto the coffee grinds in the unit’s basket. The hot water then seeps through the coffee grinds and falls back to the bottom of the pot. Since each unit is typically equipped with a see-through top knob, a brewer can monitor the percolating process by the change in the color of water “bubbling” in the knob.
The process is repeated until the water reaches its boiling point to make the “bubbles” sound like loud “perk” sounds. This is an indicator that the brew in the unit it ready for serving. This slow, yet precise, brewing method ensures that the resulting cup is not only tasty but also rich enough to provide coffee lovers who need their caffeine fix with satisfying relief.
N.B: Because the unit does not use paper filters, the taste of the resulting brew is never compromised! Also, this very feature will save you some serious cash in the long run as you will not have to continuously buy single-use filters.
– Durability
Simply because most 12 cup stovetop percolators are typically made out of aluminum/ stainless steel parts, most units tend to be extremely durable. Moreover, most units are designed with more or less the same form and lack the many gadgets and gizmos that other types of coffeemakers have. As a result of this overall simplicity, most units are tough to break and when properly cared for, are investments that are bound to last for years.
– Easy to Clean and Safe to Use
Unlike drip coffee making machines which have parts that are really inaccessible when it comes to cleaning (and actually require one to brew a cleaning solution in order to clean the unit), stovetop percolators can be easily cleaned by simply rinsing the unit out with water. This is why the taste of the coffee brewed by drip machines may vary (the mineral deposits that accumulate in a drip machine’s inaccessible parts can make your coffee have an “off” taste).
With regard to health and safety, it is important to note that any 12 cup stovetop percolator that is available on the market today does not have any plastic parts (and if it does have plastic parts, they do not come into direct contact with one’s brew). This means that no harmful agents (such as BPA) can seep into the brewing coffee as a result of the plastic reacting to the hot water (which is also noted to give a brew an “off” taste).
Still not convinced that you need a 12 cup stovetop percolator in your kitchen?