My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
as Sears.

What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
tasting*.

Anyone here use one of these?

1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
"brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.

2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
that still necessary?

3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
decades. Am I wrong?

Thanks for any help and advice.


*When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

On Aug 15, 6:20*pm, phaeton > wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. *I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. *I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. *She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. *Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.
>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
Percolators destroy coffee. To call them primitive would be
generous. Buy a cheap Mr. Coffee, or any other decent drip maker.

--Bryan

phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.

A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. Even
inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent coffee
in a pretty decent coffee maker.

A Cuisinart Grind 'n' Brew will set you back about $120 - I saw a
refurbished one online for $90 - but you can put whole beans into it the
night before and have it make freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee
for you every morning. Freshly ground makes a difference.

Another reason to get the Grind 'n' Brew or similar is that it uses a
thermal carafe, not a heater - anything that heats your already brewed
coffee is just going to make it worse - the carafe keeps it hot for
hours. It's still a drip coffee maker, just one that grinds first and
then keeps the coffee hot in a thermal carafe.

We did the above for years using very inexpensive, supermarket bought,
whole bean coffee - we just made sure it was 100% Arabica beans, which
most are.

-S-

phaeton > wrote:

>My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
>amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
>I make a whole pot.

Making small amounts of coffee in a filter-type coffeemaker can be
touchy. I have found that one needs to add water in just the right
gradual profile. (I am using a Melitta cone.) I would not surprise
me if most automatic drip coffeemakers manage to do this suboptimally.

(By "small amounts" I mean two cups, about 14 ounces of liquid coffee
brewed from 1.2 ounces of ground coffee.)

Steve

Food Snob® > wrote:

>On Aug 15, 6:20*pm, phaeton > wrote:

>> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>> percolator. *She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. *Bold tasting,
>> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>> tasting*.

>Percolators destroy coffee. To call them primitive would be
>generous. Buy a cheap Mr. Coffee, or any other decent drip maker.

Hypothesis: the water at the OP's aunt's cabin is really good,
and this resulted in good coffee, not the percolator method.

Steve

On 8/15/2010 6:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.
>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
> completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
> I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
> that still necessary?
>
> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

The best coffee is made using an old fashioned drip pot, ie one of those
aluminum jobs with the built in filter, put the grounds in it, put the
upper section on, pour boiling water into the pot, put the lid on and
let it drip away. Get out of the shower, drink two or three cups, black
of course, to get your eyes wide open, then drink the rest. My folks had
two of the things and one was pouring coffee for whomever was there
while the other was ready to drip another ten-cup pot.

Here's a seven-cup version on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/369k4jt

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:20:12 -0700 (PDT), phaeton
> wrote:

>My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
>I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
>ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
>electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>as Sears.
>
>What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
>well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>tasting*.
>
>Anyone here use one of these?
>
>1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
>"brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
>light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
>keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
>completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
>brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
>fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
>amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
>I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
>half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
>cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
>2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
>that still necessary?
>
>3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
>about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
>blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
>However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
>decades. Am I wrong?
>
>Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
>*When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
>made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
>old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
>burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
>water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
>one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

I recently purchased a Farberware stovetop percolator for use in case
of power outages, works wonderfully well. A percolator requires a
little more cleaning effort but makes a great cuppa and with less
coffee. Just bring up to temp, lower to a light perc and set a timer
for seven minutes. A percolater requires a bit more fussing than an
ADC but I think it makes a better cuppa. And if you use fine ground
coffee it's simple to poke a paper basket filter over the post. The
Farberware stovetop perk is very well made and looks nice too.
http://www.target.com/Farberware-Cla.../dp/B001IAYIPO

In article
>,
phaeton > wrote:

> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
Not for decades. They worked OK, but they boil the coffee. The problem
with drip makers is that they need to keep the water in the filter long
enough to extract the flavor from the coffee, but not so long that they
overflow. A ten cup maker is not going to keep two or three cups of
water with the coffee long enough.

> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?

A nice four cup drip maker is US$20. If it lasts five years and then
dies, that's one penny a day. When you look at what coffee costs,
that's nothing. It's been a long time, but I don't remember the
electric percolators lasting all that long.

> Thanks for any help and advice.

HTH.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article
> >,
> phaeton > wrote:
>
>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>> as Sears.
>>
>> Anyone here use one of these?
>>
> Not for decades. They worked OK, but they boil the coffee. The problem
> with drip makers is that they need to keep the water in the filter long
> enough to extract the flavor from the coffee, but not so long that they
> overflow. A ten cup maker is not going to keep two or three cups of
> water with the coffee long enough.
>
>> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
>> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
>> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
>> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
>> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> A nice four cup drip maker is US$20. If it lasts five years and then
> dies, that's one penny a day. When you look at what coffee costs,
> that's nothing. It's been a long time, but I don't remember the
> electric percolators lasting all that long.
>
>> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
> HTH.
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Petaluma, California USA
>



Have you tried the French Press type? I have one that I use quite a bit of
the time, makes a lovely cuppa

Peaches

On 8/15/2010 6:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.
>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
> completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
> I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
> that still necessary?
>
> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".



I have a 30-cup aluminum electric percolator that I use every once in a
while because it makes great coffee that tastes different than automatic
drip coffee. I know it shouldn't be any good, it just is. It also
holds the coffee at a slightly lower temperature than the Mr. Coffee,
and I like that.

Bob


Bob

In article >,
"Steve Freides" > wrote:

> phaeton wrote:

> > I'm considering replacing it with an
> > electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> > as Sears.
>
> A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. Even
> inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent coffee
> in a pretty decent coffee maker.
>
> A Cuisinart Grind 'n' Brew will set you back about $120 - I saw a
> refurbished one online for $90 - but you can put whole beans into it the
> night before and have it make freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee
> for you every morning. Freshly ground makes a difference.

Freshly ground is much better. I'm not sure I'd pay the money or deal
with it, though.

> Another reason to get the Grind 'n' Brew or similar is that it uses a
> thermal carafe, not a heater - anything that heats your already brewed
> coffee is just going to make it worse - the carafe keeps it hot for
> hours. It's still a drip coffee maker, just one that grinds first and
> then keeps the coffee hot in a thermal carafe.

The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
news. With age, they get too hot. Even new, they burn the coffee in a
few hours. My present coffee maker turns off the warmer after two
hours. Sometimes I turn it off earlier. My microwave is just across
the kitchen, and that reheats the coffee just fine. Phaeton says he
just wants one cup to drink and enough to fill his travel mug.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Yeah, the press is my baby. I find them at Goodwillall the time.

It should be mentioned that percolated (boiled) coffee is crrelated to esophogeal cancer. The press is so basic and makes such good coffee, it's the choice for me.

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> "Steve Freides" > wrote:
>
>> phaeton wrote:
>
>>> I'm considering replacing it with an
>>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>>> as Sears.
>>
>> A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. Even
>> inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent
>> coffee in a pretty decent coffee maker.
>>
>> A Cuisinart Grind 'n' Brew will set you back about $120 - I saw a
>> refurbished one online for $90 - but you can put whole beans into it
>> the night before and have it make freshly ground and freshly brewed
>> coffee for you every morning. Freshly ground makes a difference.
>
> Freshly ground is much better. I'm not sure I'd pay the money or deal
> with it, though.

There's nothing to deal with - you put in whole beans instead of ground
the night before. Well, you do have to clean out the grinder.

>> Another reason to get the Grind 'n' Brew or similar is that it uses a
>> thermal carafe, not a heater - anything that heats your already
>> brewed coffee is just going to make it worse - the carafe keeps it
>> hot for hours. It's still a drip coffee maker, just one that grinds
>> first and then keeps the coffee hot in a thermal carafe.
>
> The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
> news. With age, they get too hot. Even new, they burn the coffee in
> a few hours. My present coffee maker turns off the warmer after two
> hours. Sometimes I turn it off earlier. My microwave is just across
> the kitchen, and that reheats the coffee just fine. Phaeton says he
> just wants one cup to drink and enough to fill his travel mug.

The keep warm feature on _any_ coffee makeer is bad news. The microwave
will reheat coffee from a thermal carafe, too. A good friend of ours
makes only his own AM cup of coffee in a Grind 'n' Brew and has been
doing it for years.

Percolators make awful coffee.

-S-

On Aug 15, 8:45*pm, Dan Abel > wrote:
> In article >,
> *"Steve Freides" > wrote:
>
> > phaeton wrote:
> > > * I'm considering replacing it with an
> > > electric percolator. *I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> > > as Sears.
>
> > A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. *Even
> > inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent coffee
> > in a pretty decent coffee maker.

Cheap coffee makes crappy coffee, if you're meaning cheap like
Folger's or 8 O'Clock. The Java Delight at SuperValu stores * is
pretty good, and it's usually $4.97/12oz.
>
> > A Cuisinart Grind 'n' Brew will set you back about $120 - I saw a
> > refurbished one online for $90 - but you can put whole beans into it the
> > night before and have it make freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee
> > for you every morning. *Freshly ground makes a difference.
>
> Freshly ground is much better. *I'm not sure I'd pay the money or deal
> with it, though.
>
> > Another reason to get the Grind 'n' Brew or similar is that it uses a
> > thermal carafe, not a heater - anything that heats your already brewed
> > coffee is just going to make it worse - the carafe keeps it hot for
> > hours. *It's still a drip coffee maker, just one that grinds first and
> > then keeps the coffee hot in a thermal carafe.

I used to have a Cuisinart that ground the coffee. It was a hassle to
clean each time, and quite a bit of coffee got wasted each time inside
the grinding part. The grinder broke after a few years. I used the
thing for several years after that, using a separate grinder.
>
> The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
> news. *With age, they get too hot. *Even new, they burn the coffee in a
> few hours. *

A few hours? I turn it off as soon as the coffee is finished.

> My present coffee maker turns off the warmer after two
> hours. *Sometimes I turn it off earlier. *My microwave is just across
> the kitchen, and that reheats the coffee just fine. *Phaeton says he
> just wants one cup to drink and enough to fill his travel mug.

I wish mine didn't even have that stupid heating pad.


* ACME®
ALBERTSONS®
BRISTOL FARMS®
CUB®
FARM FRESH®
HORNBACHER'S®
JEWEL-OSCO®
LUCKY®
SAVE-A-LOT®
SHAW'S / STAR MARKET®
SHOP 'N SAVE®
SHOPPERS®
>
> --
> Dan Abel

--Bryan

On Aug 15, 7:39*pm, brooklyn1 > wrote:
> On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:20:12 -0700 (PDT), phaeton
>
>
> >*When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> >made the worst coffee ever. *Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> >old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> >burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> >water. *Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> >one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

Those are the same type of folks who think Bud Light is the best
beer. They aren't basing it on taste, though they think they are.
The percolator is probably what their mothers used. I loved my mother
too, but she made shitty coffee.
>
> I recently purchased a Farberware stovetop percolator for use in case
> of power outages, works wonderfully well. *A percolator requires a
> little more cleaning effort but makes a great cuppa and with less
> coffee. *Just bring up to temp, lower to a light perc and set a timer
> for seven minutes. *A percolater requires a bit more fussing than an
> ADC but I think it makes a better cuppa. *

And you accuse others of having TIAD.

--Bryan

The drippers are okay until, as you say, they cool and reheat continually. I think it tastes like styrofoam at the end.

If I press a large batch, I can nuke that, too. Thermal carafes are much better than the heating element.

You may want to pursue the variety of coffeemakers they use in S. America, which really steams the coffee and yields this small amount of intense, condensed coffe. You can let it go cold and just add boiling water to it. It takes some time, though, to determine just how much you need. Most overdo it and end up staying awake for a week.

On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.
>

Maybe you were thinking happy thoughts being at the cabin or something
so somehow percolated coffee tasted better? There is a pretty good
reason why percolators are next to extinct.


> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
> completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
> I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
> that still necessary?
>
> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

On Aug 15, 4:54*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Food Snob® > wrote:
>
> >On Aug 15, 6:20*pm, phaeton > wrote:
> >> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> >> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> >> percolator. *She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> >> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. *Bold tasting,
> >> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> >> tasting*.
> >Percolators destroy coffee. *To call them primitive would be
> >generous. *Buy a cheap Mr. Coffee, or any other decent drip maker.
>
> Hypothesis: the water at the OP's aunt's cabin is really good,
> and this resulted in good coffee, not the percolator method.

That would have been my guess. I'm always surprised when the delicious
drip coffee one couple we visit brews is Maxwell House or Hills
Brothers -- "It's the Water."

We bought our MIL a two-cup dripper to solve the problem of brews that
don't scale down.

On Aug 15, 7:46*pm, Gorio > wrote:
> Peaches;1519145 Wrote:
>
>
>
> > "Dan Abel" wrote in message
> ...-
> > In article
> > ,
> > phaeton wrote:
> > -
> > electric percolator. *I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> > as Sears.
>
> > Anyone here use one of these?
> > -
> > Not for decades. *They worked OK, but they boil the coffee. *The
> > problem
> > with drip makers is that they need to keep the water in the filter
> > long
> > enough to extract the flavor from the coffee, but not so long that
> > they
> > overflow. *A ten cup maker is not going to keep two or three cups of
> > water with the coffee long enough.
> > -
> > 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> > about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> > blowing up. *The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> > However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> > decades. *Am I wrong?-
>
> > A nice four cup drip maker is US$20. *If it lasts five years and then
> > dies, that's one penny a day. *When you look at what coffee costs,
> > that's nothing. *It's been a long time, but I don't remember the
> > electric percolators lasting all that long.
> > -
> > Thanks for any help and advice.-
>
> > HTH.
>
> > --
> > Dan Abel
> > Petaluma, California USA
> > -
>
> > Have you tried the French Press type? I have one that I use quite a bit
> > of
> > the time, makes a lovely cuppa
>
> > Peaches
>
> Yeah, the press is my baby. I find them at Goodwillall the time.
>
> It should be mentioned that percolated (boiled) coffee is crrelated to
> esophogeal cancer. The press is so basic and makes such good coffee,
> it's the choice for me.
>

Both perked and French press coffee may contribute to heart disease:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6242467

"But a cholesterol check may be in order for people who use a French
press or percolator to make their coffee or who prefer espresso or
other varieties of unfiltered coffee, according to Dr. Michael J.
Klag, the vice dean for clinical investigation at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"In 2001, Klag and his colleagues reviewed more than a dozen studies
that looked at the relationship between coffee consumption and
cholesterol levels. They found that drinking an average of six cups of
coffee a day was associated with increased total cholesterol and LDL,
the harmful type of cholesterol. Nearly all of the rise in cholesterol
was linked to unfiltered coffee. "

On Aug 16, 5:01*am, Gorio > wrote:

>
> The drippers are okay until, as you say, they cool and reheat
> continually. I think it tastes like styrofoam at the end.

We solved that by pouring it right into an airpot when it finished
dripping.

>
> If I press a large batch, I can nuke that, too. Thermal carafes are much
> better than the heating element.
>
> You may want to pursue the variety of coffeemakers they use in S.
> America, which really steams the coffee and yields this small amount of
> intense, condensed coffe. You can let it go cold and just add boiling
> water to it. It takes some time, though, to determine just how much you
> need. Most overdo it and end up staying awake for a week.

I know several people who make their breakfast coffee in a stovetop
Bialetti.

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:03:30 -0400, George >
wrote:

>On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
>> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
>> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
>> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>> as Sears.
>>
>> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
>> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>> tasting*.
>
>
>There is a pretty good reason why percolators are next to extinct.

Whast an uninformed and angry statement.

Percolators are far from extinct, many households have and use them.
Anyone who goes camping uses percolators. Anyone who lives where
power outages are common and has gas cooking uses percolators. Many
use percolators exclusively because even though they require more time
and effort they are much more economical than the ADC. An ADC
requires at least 30% more coffee to extract the same strength brew as
a percolator, the percolator produces a more robust flavorful brew
too, with much less coffee and no filter. But I mostly use an ADC for
the same reason as millions of others, laziness. I much prefer the
coffee from my new stove top percolator but it takes a good fifteen
minutes to set up, come to a boil while watching it doesn't boil over,
and perc... and then another few minutes clean up... but it sure is
nice to have on those occasional mornings when the power is out. I
bought it with full intention of using the percolator exclusively but
just like everyone else who became spoiled by the ADC I soon tired of
having to fuss with it. I grew up with perced coffee, usually my
father would put up the pot. The aroma of perced coffee wafting
throughout the house was the best alarm clock, and became a ritual for
family togetherness while waiting till it was time to pour. Now
everyone is in a big hurry, no time to smell the coffee, and folks
live more isolated than ever before... it's no wonder yoose have no
sense of humor and zero social skills.

On Aug 16, 7:48*am, brooklyn1 > wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:03:30 -0400, George >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> >> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> >> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> >> ecosystem of my countertop. *I'm considering replacing it with an
> >> electric percolator. *I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> >> as Sears.
>
> >> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> >> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> >> percolator. *She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> >> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. *Bold tasting,
> >> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> >> tasting*.
>
> >There is a pretty good reason why percolators are next to extinct.
>
> Whast an uninformed and angry statement.
>
> Percolators are far from extinct, many households have and use them.
> Anyone who goes camping uses percolators.

We use a French press when we're camping, feeling the hiking we do
makes up for any blip in the LDL. When I go hunting we have cowboy
coffee.

>*Anyone who lives where
> power outages are common and has gas cooking uses percolators. *

French press, Bialetti, or we'd break out the Chemex.

Gorio wrote:

> You may want to pursue the variety of coffeemakers they use in S.
> America, which really steams the coffee and yields this small amount
> of intense, condensed coffe. You can let it go cold and just add
> boiling water to it. It takes some time, though, to determine just
> how much you need. Most overdo it and end up staying awake for a week.

You can also make espresso instead of regular coffee, which is the place
a lot of folks who really like coffee seem to end up - it's got less
caffeine and more flavor.

-S-

Food Snob® wrote:
> On Aug 15, 8:45 pm, Dan Abel > wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "Steve Freides" > wrote:
>>
>>> phaeton wrote:
>>>> I'm considering replacing it with an
>>>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>>>> as Sears.
>>
>>> A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. Even
>>> inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent
>>> coffee in a pretty decent coffee maker.
>
> Cheap coffee makes crappy coffee, if you're meaning cheap like
> Folger's or 8 O'Clock.

I did not mean that.

> The Java Delight at SuperValu stores * is
> pretty good, and it's usually $4.97/12oz.

We bought whole bean coffee for about that much money at the local
grocery store - seemed good, don't recall the brand or if it was a store
brand. I think just buying coffee they know people will take home and
grind themselves eliminates a lot of the really awful stuff.

>>> A Cuisinart Grind 'n' Brew will set you back about $120 - I saw a
>>> refurbished one online for $90 - but you can put whole beans into
>>> it the night before and have it make freshly ground and freshly
>>> brewed coffee for you every morning. Freshly ground makes a
>>> difference.
>>
>> Freshly ground is much better. I'm not sure I'd pay the money or deal
>> with it, though.
>>
>>> Another reason to get the Grind 'n' Brew or similar is that it uses
>>> a thermal carafe, not a heater - anything that heats your already
>>> brewed coffee is just going to make it worse - the carafe keeps it
>>> hot for hours. It's still a drip coffee maker, just one that grinds
>>> first and then keeps the coffee hot in a thermal carafe.
>
> I used to have a Cuisinart that ground the coffee. It was a hassle to
> clean each time, and quite a bit of coffee got wasted each time inside
> the grinding part. The grinder broke after a few years. I used the
> thing for several years after that, using a separate grinder.

The conpany was great to deal with - ours broke after about 3 years, but
it had a 5 year warranty. After replacing a few parts for us, they sent
us an entirely new machine, and we never paid a nickel for any of it.

>> The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
>> news. With age, they get too hot. Even new, they burn the coffee in a
>> few hours.
>
> A few hours? I turn it off as soon as the coffee is finished.
>
>> My present coffee maker turns off the warmer after two
>> hours. Sometimes I turn it off earlier. My microwave is just across
>> the kitchen, and that reheats the coffee just fine. Phaeton says he
>> just wants one cup to drink and enough to fill his travel mug.

Right, but if you get a coffee maker with a thermal carafe, you can
drink the coffee right after you make it, and drink it again in a few
hours without having to remember to turn it off, and without having to
reheat it.

> I wish mine didn't even have that stupid heating pad.

Uh, yeah.

-S-

On 8/16/2010 10:48 AM, brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:03:30 -0400, >
> wrote:
>
>> On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
>>> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
>>> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
>>> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
>>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>>> as Sears.
>>>
>>> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>>> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>>> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>>> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
>>> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>>> tasting*.
>>
>>
>> There is a pretty good reason why percolators are next to extinct.
>
> Whast an uninformed and angry statement.
>
> Percolators are far from extinct, many households have and use them.
> Anyone who goes camping uses percolators.


I remember people dragging percolators along on camping trips when I was
a kid but times have changed. There are numerous little drip basket
gizmos that are designed for a smaller filter that you can use to make
coffee when camping or on the road or even devices such as this if you
aren't backpacking:

http://www.rei.com/product/736980

I personally can't remember the last time I saw a percolator in use in
someones home.

Anyone who lives where
> power outages are common and has gas cooking uses percolators. Many


Really? they couldn't or wouldn't already be using these commonly used
coffee makers?

http://shop.melitta.com/search.asp?SKW=MACM

or maybe this

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-1548-01U...1974105&sr=8-1


> use percolators exclusively because even though they require more time
> and effort they are much more economical than the ADC. An ADC
> requires at least 30% more coffee to extract the same strength brew as
> a percolator, the percolator produces a more robust flavorful brew
> too, with much less coffee and no filter. But I mostly use an ADC for
> the same reason as millions of others, laziness. I much prefer the
> coffee from my new stove top percolator but it takes a good fifteen
> minutes to set up, come to a boil while watching it doesn't boil over,
> and perc... and then another few minutes clean up... but it sure is
> nice to have on those occasional mornings when the power is out. I
> bought it with full intention of using the percolator exclusively but
> just like everyone else who became spoiled by the ADC I soon tired of
> having to fuss with it. I grew up with perced coffee, usually my
> father would put up the pot. The aroma of perced coffee wafting
> throughout the house was the best alarm clock, and became a ritual for
> family togetherness while waiting till it was time to pour. Now
> everyone is in a big hurry, no time to smell the coffee, and folks
> live more isolated than ever before... it's no wonder yoose have no
> sense of humor and zero social skills.

In article >,
Gorio > wrote:

> > ;1519207']Dan Abel wrote:-

> > The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
> > news. With age, they get too hot. Even new, they burn the coffee in
> > a few hours. My present coffee maker turns off the warmer after two
> > hours. Sometimes I turn it off earlier. My microwave is just across
> > the kitchen, and that reheats the coffee just fine. Phaeton says he
> > just wants one cup to drink and enough to fill his travel mug.-

> The drippers are okay until, as you say, they cool and reheat
> continually. I think it tastes like styrofoam at the end.

I've never noticed them cycling on and off. Most are just on or off. I
had one once with a knob to adjust the heat. I liked that. The other
thing I've noticed, and also read about several times, is that they get
hotter as they get older.

> need. Most overdo it and end up staying awake for a week.

And this is a bad thing?

:-)

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Food Snob® wrote:

>>> A $40 coffee maker is penny wise and pound foolish, IMHO. Even
>>> inexpensive coffee, purchased as whole beans, makes pretty decent coffee
>>> in a pretty decent coffee maker.
>
> Cheap coffee makes crappy coffee, if you're meaning cheap like
> Folger's or 8 O'Clock. The Java Delight at SuperValu stores * is
> pretty good, and it's usually $4.97/12oz.

I had to shake y head a few months ago. My brother and his wife have a
friend who seems to have an inordinate amount of influence over them. He
He had complained about all the coffee the waste by making large pots
and only having a cup or two, so suggested that he should get a French
press for brewing a cup or two at a time. It was not until their friend
suggested it that it was a good idea. Then he complained about the
coffee it made. I told him to use coarse ground coffee. On no, it
couldn't be the coffee because their son had got some Starbucks for it.






> I used to have a Cuisinart that ground the coffee. It was a hassle to
> clean each time, and quite a bit of coffee got wasted each time inside
> the grinding part. The grinder broke after a few years. I used the
> thing for several years after that, using a separate grinder.

I have an Oster burr grinder. It does a great job. I don't go for
combination machines. Sure, it takes up less counter or storage space
having a two in one appliance, but when one of them dies you lose two
appliance.


>> The "keep warm" feature on really cheap drip coffee makers can be bad
>> news. With age, they get too hot. Even new, they burn the coffee in a
>> few hours.
>
> A few hours? I turn it off as soon as the coffee is finished.

When I make drip coffee in the machine I usually turn it off after 15-20
minutes.

>

In article >,
George > wrote:

> On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:

> > What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> > aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> > percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> > it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> > well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> > tasting*.
> >
>
> Maybe you were thinking happy thoughts being at the cabin or something
> so somehow percolated coffee tasted better?

That was my first thought.

> There is a pretty good
> reason why percolators are next to extinct.

It's pretty clear that ADC have a theoretical advantage, since you
aren't boiling the coffee that's already gone through. Additionally,
prices don't seem all that much different. Still, percolators weren't
all that horrible, so I think they are extinct for fashion reasons as
much as anything else.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

In article
>,
spamtrap1888 > wrote:

> [sheldon] wrote:
> > On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:03:30 -0400, George >
> > wrote:

> > >> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> > >> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> > >> percolator. *She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> > >> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. *Bold tasting,
> > >> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> > >> tasting*.
> >
> > >There is a pretty good reason why percolators are next to extinct.
> >
> > Whast an uninformed and angry statement.

Silly man.

> > Percolators are far from extinct, many households have and use them.
> > Anyone who goes camping uses percolators.

Propane camp stove (or campfire), tea kettle and filter cone:

https://shop.melitta.com/search.asp?SKW=MACM

> We use a French press when we're camping, feeling the hiking we do
> makes up for any blip in the LDL. When I go hunting we have cowboy
> coffee.
>
> >*Anyone who lives where
> > power outages are common and has gas cooking uses percolators. *
>
> French press, Bialetti, or we'd break out the Chemex.

See above.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On 8/15/2010 1:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.

Not too strong or acidic sounds like a good cup of coffee. You should
probably get the Folgers and use it. The great thing about percolators
it that it shoots the coffee aroma throughout the entire house. It's the
one area that the other makers can't match. I use a cheap drip coffee
because it's fast and easier to prepare a pot of coffee. If you have the
time and don't mind handling the messy grounds, go for it. :-)

>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
> completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
> I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
> that still necessary?
>
> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

Braun.

N.

On Aug 16, 12:16*pm, Nancy2 > wrote:
> Braun.
>

They pulled out of the US market quite a few years ago, but you can
still get parts. Only shavers and toothbrushes here now.

On 8/16/2010 3:16 PM, Nancy2 wrote:
>
> Braun.

Technivorm.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:20:12 -0700 (PDT), phaeton
> wrote:

>My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
>I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
>ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
>electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>as Sears.
>
>What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
>well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>tasting*.
>
>Anyone here use one of these?

Unlikely... I've not heard of anyone wanting to use a percolator for
years. They 'overcook' the coffee, producing a foul, bitter hot
liquid. But then, you say you *like* that flavour, so each to their
own!

>1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
>"brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
>light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
>keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
>completely until after i've come out of the shower.

Another great way to overcook the coffee...

>Also, I tend to
>brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
>fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
>amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
>I make a whole pot.

That has been my experience with drip machines as well.

> IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
>half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
>cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>
>2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
>that still necessary?

Not sure about that one.

>3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
>about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
>blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
>However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
>decades. Am I wrong?
>
>Thanks for any help and advice.

Perhaps get an espresso machine, or a combo espresso/drip machine. I
know Russell Hobbs used to make one some years ago, not sure about
nowadays though.

>*When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
>made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
>old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
>burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
>water.

That sounds like percolator coffee to me

> Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
>one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

Because they're ignorant

On 8/16/2010 9:51 PM, Jeßus wrote:
> On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:20:12 -0700 (PDT), phaeton
> > wrote:
>
>> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
>> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
>> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
>> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
>> as Sears.
>>
>> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
>> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
>> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
>> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
>> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
>> tasting*.
>>
>> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> Unlikely... I've not heard of anyone wanting to use a percolator for
> years. They 'overcook' the coffee, producing a foul, bitter hot
> liquid. But then, you say you *like* that flavour, so each to their
> own!

Percolators have fallen out of fashion but foul, bitter, coffee is all
the rage. Why worry about boiling the coffee when the beans are
typically getting all burnt to hell during roasting? The truth is that
if the brew you get out of your coffeemaker is bitter, not smooth, it's
because of the roast, not because of overcooking.

I have a Corning cornflour percolator that works just dandy. I use it
occasionally because it's a neat way to make a cup of Joe. The drip
maker that I use most mornings is fast but the process holds little
fascination.

I like to set the coffeemaker on the stove to percolate at a very gentle
rate. It takes a while to make coffee but the smell that permeates the
room is like foreplay. By the time the coffee is done, your juices are
flowing and you're ready to hit it hard.

Like anything, it's got it's drawbacks - it takes it's sweet time to
finish brewing, cleaning the thing is a more involved process, you'll
get grinds going down the sink. Of course, you always end up with some
grinds on the bottom of your cup - just like the old days before
filtered coffee. How quaint. "Overcooking" the coffee has never been a
problem.


>
>> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
>> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
>> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
>> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
>> completely until after i've come out of the shower.
>
> Another great way to overcook the coffee...
>
>> Also, I tend to
>> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
>> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
>> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
>> I make a whole pot.
>
> That has been my experience with drip machines as well.
>
>> IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
>> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
>> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.
>>
>> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
>> that still necessary?
>
> Not sure about that one.
>
>> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
>> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
>> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
>> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
>> decades. Am I wrong?
>>
>> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
> Perhaps get an espresso machine, or a combo espresso/drip machine. I
> know Russell Hobbs used to make one some years ago, not sure about
> nowadays though.
>
>> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
>> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
>> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
>> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
>> water.
>
> That sounds like percolator coffee to me
>
>> Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
>> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".
>
> Because they're ignorant

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:48:08 -0400, brooklyn1 wrote:

>
> Whast an uninformed and angry statement.
>
> it's no wonder yoose have no
> sense of humor and zero social skills.

is anyone else laughing their asses off?

blake

On Aug 15, 4:20*pm, phaeton > wrote:

nobody mentioned Toddy.....

with a coffee toddy maker you can use as much or as little coffee
'syrup' as you like for strength and NO bitterness.

On 8/15/2010 7:20 PM, phaeton wrote:
> My some-years-old Black N Decker drip coffeemaker sprang a leak while
> I was vinegaring it out yesterday, thus destroying the delicate
> ecosystem of my countertop. I'm considering replacing it with an
> electric percolator. I see them for around $40 at misc stores, such
> as Sears.
>
> What made me think of this was last weekend, when at my girlfriend's
> aunt's cabin, she made us all coffee in an oldish electric
> percolator. She used just regular unspecial Folgers ground coffee and
> it was the most lovely cup I'd had in quite some time. Bold tasting,
> well bodied, had some octane to it but wasn't too strong or acidic
> tasting*.
>
> Anyone here use one of these?
>
> 1) I assume that the new modern ones will automatically switch from
> "brew mode" to "keep warm mode" when it's done (hence the indicator
> light). This is important because I don't want something I have to
> keep an eye on. I want to be able to load it, flip it on and ignore it
> completely until after i've come out of the shower. Also, I tend to
> brew small amounts most mornings (just enough for a cup to drink and
> fill my travel mug). My B&D Drip model could begrudgingly brew small
> amounts but for some reason it never tasted as good as the times when
> I make a whole pot. IIRC most drip makers recommend making at least a
> half a pot. The box that percolators are in say they'll make 2-12
> cups and it's all the same. I don't want a "one cup" drip model.

For what you want to do, consider a different approach. Most
authorities agree that for optimal coffee you want three things--freshly
ground beans, 195-205 degree water, and in a drip machine an extraction
time of about 5 minutes.

There's only one consumer-level machine currently on the market that
hits the temperature and time targets (Technivorm--tests of the others
that claim they do show that they don't) and it's around 300 bucks.

The Melitta pourover drip devices (there's a 1-cup, a 6-cup, and a
10-cup) are very highly regarded and dirt-cheap (under 20 bucks), but
you need to heat water for them. You can do this in a kettle on the
stove, or you can use a Japanese style automatic boiler for 90 bucks or
so (Zojirushi CD-WBC30 for example although there are many others). Add
a whirligig grinder (Krups fast touch for example) for 20 bucks and a
bag of Dunkin' Donuts whole bean coffee (don't laugh--Dunkin Donuts does
a good job both on selection and roasting) and you should see a
significant improvement in coffee quality over what you've been drinking.

> 2) I seem to remember seeing different grinds for percolators. Is
> that still necessary?
>
> 3) I know I can get another crappy drip model (like a 5-cup one) for
> about $10 and it'll make coffee for a few years just fine before
> blowing up. The percolators I'm looking at are 4 times as much.
> However, it looks like the way percolators are made that they'll last
> decades. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks for any help and advice.
>
>
> *When I first moved out on my own I had a stovetop percolator that
> made the worst coffee ever. Maybe the water was bad or at 17 years
> old I just didn't know how to make coffee, but it was always weak,
> burnt tasting and acidic like i brewed it with vinegar instead of
> water. Yet every time anyone saw it on my stove or heard that I had
> one they'd say "those make the BEST coffee you'll ever have".

On Aug 17, 11:17 am, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Aug 15, 4:20 pm, phaeton > wrote:
>
> nobody mentioned Toddy.....
>
> with a coffee toddy maker you can use as much or as little coffee
> 'syrup' as you like for strength and NO bitterness.

I take it that Toddy is cold brewed coffee....

" It seems to live up to its billing. Advocates generally claim lower
acid, lower caffeine, and a liquid concentrate that keeps well for
more
than a week.

"We had a friend who prepared cold brewed coffee exclusively and we
drank it often when we visited. Until they moved away.

" Pretty much for all the reasons listed as advantages, we didn't much
like it. It didn't have enough caffeeine for us, the taste lacked
something, probably acid, and the idea of adding water and zapping it
just didn't seem "fresh" to us."

....that's what we posted about it some five years ago. Another poster
in that thread pointed out that cold-brewed coffee had been around for
many years and never gained much popularity, which probably meant
something.

Just as here with percolators--their usage declined, drip makers
grew. The magical mystery of competition doesn't always point to
inherent value but it's something to take note of...... -aem

On 8/17/2010 8:49 AM, aem wrote:
> On Aug 17, 11:17 am, > wrote:
>> On Aug 15, 4:20 pm, > wrote:
>>
>> nobody mentioned Toddy.....
>>
>> with a coffee toddy maker you can use as much or as little coffee
>> 'syrup' as you like for strength and NO bitterness.
>
> I take it that Toddy is cold brewed coffee....
>
> " It seems to live up to its billing. Advocates generally claim lower
> acid, lower caffeine, and a liquid concentrate that keeps well for
> more
> than a week.
>
> "We had a friend who prepared cold brewed coffee exclusively and we
> drank it often when we visited. Until they moved away.
>
> " Pretty much for all the reasons listed as advantages, we didn't much
> like it. It didn't have enough caffeeine for us, the taste lacked
> something, probably acid, and the idea of adding water and zapping it
> just didn't seem "fresh" to us."
>
> ...that's what we posted about it some five years ago. Another poster
> in that thread pointed out that cold-brewed coffee had been around for
> many years and never gained much popularity, which probably meant
> something.
>
> Just as here with percolators--their usage declined, drip makers
> grew. The magical mystery of competition doesn't always point to
> inherent value but it's something to take note of...... -aem

Drip coffee makers are popular because they're fast, they make getting
rid of the grounds easy and you don't get grounds in your cup. Mostly
it's because they're fast - time is our most valuable resource. :-)