Percolator Brewing - History and How To

The percolator is something I have always associated with camping. As a child, whenever my family would go camping my mother used to make coffee in a percolator every morning, and it was the only time she used it. When I went camping with my future husband for the first time he brought along a little percolator. I loved being able to watch the coffee bubble up through the top.

There are many people who have been credited with inventing and patenting the percolator. It has adapted over the years but its roots date back to the 1800s. Yet one man is consistently seen as the inventor of the modern percolator -- Hanson Goodrich.

Hanson Goodrich took out a patent in 1889 that described the inner workings of the percolator we know today. This design included a broad base, up-flow central tube, and a suspended basket for the grounds. 

His goal with this invention was to enjoy a coffee that was free of the grounds. Because of the way the steam and moisture move through the grounds, he was able to accomplish this idea.

How does it work?

As the water is heated from below it will begin to boil. Enough pressure will build up in the basin to push water through the up-flow tube.

Once it rises to the top of the percolator, it will disperse over the grounds. Extracting the flavor (similar to the bloom), the water will seep through the grounds and drop back into the larger basin.

Brewing with a Percolator

Fill the basin of your percolator with the amount of water that you want to turn into coffee. Be careful not to fill the water above where the suspended grounds will rest. Then prepare the grounds. 

Begin by filling a filter with the amount of grounds that you want. Gently tap the edges so that they are level. Put the lid on the grounds and place the inner tube back into the water. This lid has a special purpose. It disperses the water so that it will saturate the grounds evenly. This mimics the bloom and gives the coffee a better chance of releasing aromas and flavors. 

Place over your heat source. You will get to casually watch as the water begins to boil and seep through the grounds. Most percolators have a clear top that you can see the coffee through. Use this to determine how dark you want your coffee. When it is boiling inside that top you will want to remove it from heat and allow it to settle before drinking.

This method of brewing can often result in a bitter and/or smoky coffee flavor and aroma because of the high heat. Although we don’t do it very often, I love being able to pull out the percolator and set it over a fire for a nice hot cup of coffee.

Cheers,

Mrs. Brew