Prepare a great cup of coffee with the good old Percolator!

Quite a lot of coffee connoisseurs will tell you that the traditional stovetop percolator is not a good way of brewing coffee. They argue that the water temperature is too high, the resulting flavour of the coffee is too bitter and that the overall processes is too labour intensive.

In truth however, it is perfectly possible to brew a seriously good cup of coffee using a percolator. Particularly if you like your coffee to be rather on the robust and intensive side.

So if you fancy getting busy with the percolator method and would prefer to get the job done properly, here’s how to make it happen:

Step 1 – Grind Your Coffee

First up, you’re going to need approximately 250ml of water for every tablespoon of ground coffee.  And ensure that the grounds are relatively course, in order to keep them where they need to be.

Step 2 – Add Your Water

Place the quantity of water you require in the reservoir, being as precise as possible to prevent an unpalatable result.

Step 3 – Add the Chamber

Almost every percolator you will ever come across will have exactly the same parts. Which means the next step is to add the chamber with the basket for the coffee grounds.

Step 4 – Place the Grounds in the Basket

Once again, be sure to stick as closely as possible with the ratios outlined above, when the time comes to add the grounds to the basket. The coffee will be relatively rich and robust anyway, but try not to get too carried away.

Step 5 – Heat the Percolator

Always ensure that the hob you use isn’t turned up higher than medium. The reason being that you want to warm the water as slowly as possible, enabling the coffee to brew without it actually boiling. Take your time and never try to rush things along by turning the heat up too high.

Step 6 – Monitor the Process

If you have the luxury of being able to see inside the top of the percolator, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it. Just as soon as you begin to see the water spluttering through into the top, you have reached the right temperature. It should be bubbling and spluttering through every few seconds – things could be too hot if it happens any faster than this.

Step 7 – Give it About Ten Minutes

Get it right and it should take somewhere in the region of 10 minutes for your coffee to be brewed perfectly. That said, if you don’t want your coffee to be particularly strong and intensive, you can always take it off a few minutes earlier. Feel free to experiment with a variety of times, until you produce the perfect coffee to suit your personal preferences.

Step 8 – Remove the Grounds

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of leaving the grounds inside the percolator when the brewing process is complete. The reason being that you could end up with an unpleasant amount of coffee grounds in the final product if you do. Not to mention, a far stronger cup of coffee than you intended.

Step 9 – Enjoy!

Last but not least, taste your handiwork and learn first-hand that it is absolutely possible to produce an outstanding cup of coffee using a percolator… regardless of what many committed connoisseurs might tell you!

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