gregorya
Torrance, CA, USA
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Joined: 10/10/2003
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Hi;
My wife and I grew up in the Mr Coffee era, but we couldn't find a plug on the last outing. So, we got a stove-top perculator, but we are more perplexed now.
We figured out to put a hole in a Mr. Coffee filter if we use a finer grind. We are experimenting with how much coffee to use, but to narrow down the variables, we were hoping some could offer some tips.
We don't like burnt coffee, and we ain't real good at experimenting when we need that first cup.
When we use the cone filter holder, we have to decide who gets the first cup. So, here's our four most pressing questions:
1) Do we boil vigorously on high heat, or just a moderate boil?
2) Is the glass knob in the perc lid a good indicator of boil (like one "bloop" per second versus "gee, thats a lot" per second?)
3) How long do we boil the coffee for?
4) For strong coffee, is adding more coffee better or longer perk better?
Thanks a bunch,
Greg
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Steve B.
Rochester, NY
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Great topic! I bought a Corning percolator 10 years ago and still haven't tried to use it 'cause I don't know how! Hope we get some good directions here. You may want to post this on the cooks thread too.
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kendall69
USA
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Joined: 05/02/2004
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Yield: 6 cups
Portion: 1 cup (approx. 8 ounces) more or less will vary strength of coffee.
INGREDIENTS WEIGHTS MEASURES
Water, freshly drawn, cold --- 6-1/2 cp.
Coffee --- 7-1/2 Tbsp. Again more or less here also will vary strength - experiment.
Method:
Measure water into pot. Insert basket of percolator into pot. Measure coffee into basket.
Place pot over heat. Heat water to boiling temperature NOT VIGOROUSLY. Allow water to percolate through coffee about 10 minutes.
Notes:
Clean and rinse percolator thoroughly after each use.
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ol'blue
Bremerton, Wa USA
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Joined: 06/27/2004
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Here's How:
1. Fill pot with water for the number of cups of coffee you want.
2. Place coffee grounds in the basket. 1 tbs per cup of water.
3. Fit basket into the and place on stovetop.
4. Heat the water to boiling.
5. The boiling water will be forced up through the coffee grounds and the brewed coffee will accumulate in the pot
6. Watch the coffee bubble up through the glass dome to measure how dark (strong) it's getting.
7. Brewing should take about 5 minutes.( moderate boil)
8. Remove the filter basket with the used grounds and pour.
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just_the_4_of_us
Madison AL
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Joined: 07/19/2004
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Quote:My wife and I grew up in the Mr Coffee era.
Okay...I will asume that you are younger than 30 or else I am just a really old woman in a 30 year old body...
Quote:When we use the cone filter holder, we have to decide who gets the first cup.
I never used a filter in all the years of using a percolator...didn't it come with a fine mesh basket that you put the coffee in directly? We always used a tea ball to strain as you put it in your cup...wait you probably don't know what that is either...
Quote:1) Do we boil vigorously on high heat, or just a moderate boil?
I always just put it on high and let it boil.
Quote:2) Is the glass knob in the perc lid a good indicator of boil (like one "bloop" per second versus "gee, thats a lot" per second?) this is how you can tell if your coffee is going to be strong or not...the darker the "bloop" the stronger the coffee...
Quote:3) How long do we boil the coffee for?
as long as you want until it gets to be the right color in the glass knob...
Quote:4) For strong coffee, is adding more coffee better or longer perk better?
I always went by the longer the better...I never put more than 3 teaspoons of coffee into a 10 cup percolator.
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USMC55
Beautiful downtown (you know the rest)
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Here's my method:
1. Place amount of coffee in basket to taste (for me 6-8 heaping tbsp for 12 cups is good).
2. Place on high heat till boil, then reduce to low for about 5-10 mins (longer if desired).
3. Glass bulb is good indicator.
4. Stronger coffee requires more coffee.
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Gene&Ginny
North Kingstown, RI
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Just my opinion, others will vary. 
1) Do we boil vigorously on high heat, or just a moderate boil?
** Moderate once it starts to boil
2) Is the glass knob in the perc lid a good indicator of boil (like one "bloop" per second versus "gee, thats a lot" per second?)
** Yes, about 2 or 3 per second
3) How long do we boil the coffee for?
** 5 to 7 minutes
4) For strong coffee, is adding more coffee better or longer perk better?
** add more coffee rather than boil longer than 10 minutes gives a richer flavor IMO.
Instant coffee works for me too.
Gene and DW Ginny
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Donny H
Utah/SoCal
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I can't help with the perculator questions, I never could make decent coffee in mine, and I have a high tolerence for bad coffee.
If you haven't seen these before, I've had a lot of luck with french press style coffee makers:
http://www.espressozone.com/french-press-coffee-makers.html
Easy to use, easy to clean, excellent coffee, but you do need a course grind, those diy grinders at supermarkets work fine.
When I REALLY can't make coffee, I break out the chocolate covered espresso beans.
Edit: 7 replies in 8 minutes, wow, do we like our coffee, or what?
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woodcarver
DeTour Village,Mi. U.S.A.
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Fill your pot with water put the grounds in the basket(no filter). Place on stove and perk until the color in the glass is just short of the color you want, remove from heat, let it steep while you get your cups ready. Pour and enjoy! It takes about 3 tbls. of grounds per eight cups, use course grind. Nothing like the smell of fresh perk in the morning.
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JS91Dutchmen
Hayden, Idaho
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Joined: 03/21/2004
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My wife and I use a perk pot by choice. The coffee, to us tastes much better. In answer to your questions,
1) Start with the heat all the way up, till you hear the water starting to "hiss" in the pot. Its the noise the water makes from contact with the hot bottom. When you here this, turn the heat to about medium or a little lower.
2) The glass knob gives you a good indication of how strong your coffee is, perk it till the color looks like what you are used to, and use it as a reference for the next pot. You are not boiling the coffee. The coffee will perk way before it boils. The heated coffee, pushes up the thin tube because of convection, if you heat water it will rise up a thin tube way before it boils.
3) Again, use the glass knob to perk the coffee till the color is what you like, time will vary due to heat, altitude, water temp starting out, most of all it takes practice, but not to much.
4) If you like your coffee stronger, it is best to use more coffee than to perk it longer. Longer perk will tend to boil, and I think, kill the flavor. We make ours kinda strong and use a tablespoon epr cup, not a heaping tablespoon but a nice full one. Dont get the basket to full, it will expand when hot water hits it and push the lid of the basket up, spilling into your coffee. After a few years now of practice I can make you one of the best cups you have ever had...
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