How to Use a Stovetop Percolator

Old-fashioned stovetop coffee percolators were what everyone used until electric percolators hit the post-WWII markets and became the norm during the 1950s. After drip type coffee makers took over the market in the 70s and 80s, even electric percolators fell out of vogue. An old-fashioned percolator will give you a great pot of coffee on any heat source. Stovetop burners give a nice controlled heat, but you can also use a coffeepot on a hot plate burner, a camping stove, or a campfire. If you have a flat-top wood stove heater, you can make coffee on that, too. The heat source needs to heat the water to boiling, and you need to be able to back off the pot so it simmers and percolates and doesn't boil over. If you make this on a campfire, be sure you can move the pot out of the hottest part of the fire once it begins to boil.

The idea behind percolated coffee is that when the heated water "percolates" through the coffee grounds, it will pick up the oils and flavors from the ground coffee beans. The working insides of the pot consist of the basket, lid and stem. Some baskets tend to allow loose grounds to spill over into the coffee. A few grounds don't bother me, but when company comes I usually use a paper filter.

Two types of paper filters are made for percolator baskets. One is a flat round disc that goes on the bottom of the basket, under the ground coffee. Some people put another disc over the top of the coffee, but I've never thought it made much difference. The other type of filter for percolator baskets is a square. The center of the square has a pre-punched hole that fits over the center of the basket. Then you push the paper down to line the basket and add ground coffee. Each corner of the square is also pre-punched with a hole, so by folding each corner down over the coffee, you create a little "pod" of coffee in the basket. Assemble it with the stem and lid, and it's ready to perk.

Fill the coffee pot with the correct amount of fresh cold water for the amount of coffee you want to make. Place the basket and lid on the stem and set it into the pot. Put the coffeepot lid over everything. Heat the coffeepot just until it begins to boil, which is also the point at which the perking begins. You'll hear the glurping noise and see the water through the little glass knob in the coffeepot lid. Immediately reduce the heat to medium. The reduced heat needs to be hot enough to keep the perking going, but not so hot that the coffee boils over.

As the water heats on the bottom of the pot, it moves up through the stem, out the top of the stem with a "glurp", and then percolates down through the holes in the basket lid and the basket. Too much heat, and it will be a roiling, boiling frenzy in there, and the coffee will taste scorched.

How strong your coffee will be is determined by the length of time you allow it to perk. For a full 14-cup pot, usually 10 or 15 minutes is plenty. I like about 12 minutes, but my husband goes for 15 or more. When you've found your personal perfect-cup timing, set a timer to help you remember when the coffee's done.

This slideshow illustrates how to use the square filter.

For another old-fashioned method of making coffee, see my article, Authentic Swedish Coffee. This is the coffee I learned to love, years before Mr. Coffee was invented.

This article describes a basic and reliable stovetop coffeepot you can still buy today.

Grinding your coffee beans fresh will change the way your coffee tastes. This is my favorite way to grind coffee beans.