Coffee is a way of life, a way to contemplate the meaning of life, and a way to enjoy life itself! And among the ways to make good coffee that is gaining more popularity among the coffee community is the perculator.

What is this thing?

It first came into the attention of the coffee community with its invention by Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) for use in the field by the Bavarian Army.

He is said to be especially abhorrent of tea, thus, his promotion of coffee for its health benefits, of which he can be said to be ahead of his time.

In the United States, however, Hanson Goodrich is generally credited with the invention of the modern perculator as we know it.

Steps in Using

• Fill it with water until the desired level with the markings as your guide.
• Place the coffeepot basket into the pump stem then insert onto the perculator.
• Mix in the coarsely ground coffee into the basket - one tablespoon per cup.
• Cover the basket and place the perculator top on.
• Either set the perculator on the stove or plug it into the outlet.
• Wait for the coffee to brew, either through looking at the clear glass knob (stovetop) or waiting for the coffee pot to stop on its own (electrical).

Types for the Choosing

You have to exercise more caution in brewing with the stovetop type since you can end up with bitter coffee due to over boiling.

You can have more consistent coffee with the electric type since it will automatically stop once the brewing cycle is completed.

You will save on electrical costs with the microwave type since it uses 42 percent less electrical than its electric counterpart.

You have many choices from various perculator manufacturers.

Second, you can choose either from a pressure type or a gravity type percolator. If you choose the pressure type, you have the benefit of pouring directly from the coffeepot into your cup.

If your choice is the gravity type, you will get coffee from which the boiling brew passes through the coffee grounds continually until the perking action stops.

Although some coffee aficionados criticize the final product for being less flavorful due to the removal of some of the volatile compounds, you will agree that with careful use, you can still get one of the best coffees in your life, thanks to a percolator.

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