Coffee percolator
Ian Callahan, from South Australia’s Bar 9, explores various brewing methods
Coffee percolators have certainly held their place through history, having been used to brew coffee for around 150 years now.
The first patent for a coffee percolator was filed back in 1865 by James Mason, however it was later in 1889 when the first patent for a coffee percolator, as we know them today, was approved for a Mr Hanson Goodrich, and not a whole lot has changed from the design since then.
The percolator is probably most well-noted from the 1960’s Maxwell House television commercial where the coffee percolator was used as the inspiration behind their hugely popular jingle. Subsequently, Maxwell House’s coffee percolator was the official coffee of the World Fair in 1964.
Easily confused with a moka pot or stove top espresso, as they both brew coffee while being placed on a stovetop, the key difference is that a moka pot relies on a fine grind and pressure generated by steam to create a sort of crema and resulting in a short and intense brew of coffee. The coffee percolator, however, allows the water to convert to steam and travel up above the coffee where it begins to condense slightly, trickling back through the coffee and back into the jug, only to be re-heated and converted back to steam. This process of heating, condensing, brewing, heating, condensing and continuing to brew persists until the resulting brew strength is achieved.
The innate problem with this device is the constant reheating of brewed coffee, which results in a somewhat acidic brew. The other problem is that the use of forcing brewed coffee back through the coffee grounds in order to achieve a stronger brew of coffee also kills a lot of the delicate flavours that could otherwise exist in the brew.
It’s not my favourite brewing method, but many folks still enjoy sitting down with some friends over a big pot of ‘perky’ brewed coffee, so this guide is here to teach you how to get the most out
of yours.
What you’ll need:
• A coffee percolator (not a moka pot)
• Some cold, filtered water
• Some fresh, coarsely ground coffee
• A heat source
 Step 1
Measure out water (here we’re brewing a six cup brew)
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 Step 2
Set atop of heat source and wait to boil
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 Step 3
Measure out 8 grams of coffee per cup being brewed (48 grams in this case).
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 Step 4
Grind on a very coarse setting and distribute evenly.
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 Step 5
When the water comes to the boil, turn the heat down a little.
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 Step 6
Place middle chamber into the water and close the lid
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 Step 7
Wait for the coffee to brew. We suggest around a 7 minute steep
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 Step 8
Remove the middle chamber, being careful not to burn yourself
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 Step 9
Pour out and enjoy
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There are a few things to note when brewing with this device. Firstly, make sure the percolator sits flat on the heat source. If it tilts, even a little, it will cause all sorts of issues to the extraction of your brew.
Secondly, it is super important to ensure that your ground coffee is evenly distributed. Hold your finger over the centre hole and shake back and forth after placing coffee into the middle chamber. This should make a uniform coffee bed.
I suggest 8 grams of ground coffee per cup (this unit brews a four or six cup ‘pot’) however you may want to increase or decrease this slightly depending on how strong you like our coffee.
I prefer a lighter style of brew so I tend to aim for a five or six minute brew but anything up to a seven minute steep time should work quite well. I find it tends to add astringency to the brew if you take longer than this.
Extra clarity to the pot can be added by constructing a small paper filter out of either a chemex filter paper or large melitta style pour over paper, just make sure you allow for the hole in the centre of the paper.
As I mentioned earlier, you tend to miss all the tiny little nuances of the brew, so don’t get frustrated if you can’t taste every little detail of the coffee. What you should be looking for is an easy and approachable coffee, with a full or rounded taste.
Happy brewing!
