Electric Percolators

[beemer]

Lately I have picked up several old electric percolators very cheap, some are 50's vintage. Today it was a Westbend Flavo-Matic, also from the 50's for $2.22. It is in incredible shape with the fabric cord looking like new.

What amazes me it that these 65-70 year old electric pots still work like new and most new stuff last a couple years at best. I expect that they cost almost as much then as a new one today.

Anyone else use one ? I also have a some of the old the restaurant cups and dishes that are heavy enough to brain a bull. Sometimes I heat one of the plates up to use when I do a big breakfast.

[Kestrel4k]

Fabric cord ? maybe asbestos --> cancer; I predict an early demise for you, my apologies.

[Bmi48219]

We use a electric percolator daily. Our current one is ten years old, doesn’t require filters or a drawer full of K-cups. Nothing like the smell of fresh coffee perking away to take you back to your childhood.

[Rockingkj]

Fabric cord ? maybe asbestos --> cancer; I predict an early demise for you, my apologies.

Well fed and full of good coffee = happy. Who wants to live long and miserable. Just don’t eat the paint chips and should be good to go for years.

[Kestrel4k]

Heck, it's the paint chips that kept me healthy.

[Mk42gunner]

Perked coffee from either an electric one or stove top tastes best, in my opinion.

Robert

[Gray Fox]

I need to find one for myself. I sure wish I had the white and blue Corning Ware one my mother had. Heck, it'd be too valuable to use these days, but I'd use it anyway. GF

[d4xycrq]

I use one. It’s old. A Farberware Superfast. It is well and truly super fast, too. Found it in the free pile following a yard sale.

[fiberoptik]

I use one. It’s old. A Farberware Superfast. It is well and truly super fast, too. Found it in the free pile following a yard sale.

Same here. Faster and better than dripmaker.


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[slim1836]

I remember my dad having an old 40 cup percolator that i believe he got from the mess hall many years ago. I used the grounds to feed the worms in my worm bed. Coffee was excellent.

Slim

[DougGuy]

I use one. It’s old. A Farberware Superfast. It is well and truly super fast, too. Found it in the free pile following a yard sale.

+1 more for the Farberware Superfast. I sorta collect those with the gold badge, I give them to friends as wedding gifts, housewarming gifts, etc. I have used one every day for years and years. Every bit as bold as a brew from the French Press, but 75% less sediment in your cup.


The originals, made in Brooklyn, the best ones are the early ones, look for

Gold Badge, 2 line address on bottom that reads:

S.W. FARBER, INC.
NEW YORK, N.Y.

These tend to have the longer brew times, and my favorites are the "knockers" some knock harder than others when they brew.

Farberware was sold numerous times, other gold badge units have 3 line addresses on the bottom, stating they are a division of LCA made in Bronx NY or Kidde corp. made in Yonkers, NY. These were later units, the components had started their decline in quality, made cheaper, and the pots aren't as consistent as the early models.

I don't even bother with the black/red badge units, or any of the gold badge units with 3 line address. You can still find pristine examples of the gold badge, 2 line address percolators on auction for less than $50 most times.

EDIT: Here is a link to one exactly as I describe, cheap and Gold badge, 2 line address, they don't get any better than this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/14523854140...Bk9SR5youoe9Yg

In the years I have used them, I have probably gone through 15 or more of the small model 134 4 cup models, one quit working, and another time the power cord gave it up and these are the only two failures out of probably 30 or more vintage gold badge units that I have owned and used at some point. The rest of them are still brewing the best coffee after what 60+ years? This is the kind of quality that won WWII, that gave us the 1950s Chevrolet classics, made good back then.

Cleaning these is a piece of cake if you use a lye bath. Mix up 1/4 lb of Roebic (100% lye crystals) drain cleaner (Lowe's) with 1gal water, soak the internal parts in this lye solution, fill the body of the pot with the lye solution and let it sit for a couple of days. Your internals will come out looking like BRAND NEW! The lye will clean all the nooks and crannies where coffee oils hide and turn dark. The lye will clean places conventional soaking and scrubbing can't reach. Just DO NOT immerse the bottom of the pot in water or any cleaning solution.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm another one who thinks perched coffee is the best - especially when served in a heavy ironstone mug. When my wife and I camped in our earlier years, I always had a percussion pot to make coffee over the campfire in the morning. We got a percussion pot for a wedding present and I'm guessing we used it for a decade or so. Then "progress" came along and the one of the filter style makers showed up on the counter - we're still using them. Nowadays, my only "sin" is coffee and I seem to have a cup of it next to me from the time I get up till I go to bed.

Sounds like the OP has a bice collection of older vintage percussion pots - my vote is for him to fire 'em all up and get the coffee piercing and we'll all come over and have have a nice hot cup of java and some fresh doughnuts!

[Bmi48219]

I personally favor the slower brewing pots. Our current pot is a little too fast for my liking but in terms of longevity, could well turn out to be my last. I’m one of the eccentrics that insist on Hot coffee, to the point that I will pre-warm my mug with hot water before pouring my first cup of joe.
We don’t go in for boutique beans. I usually purchase whole bean and grind them semi-coarse to facilitate flavor extraction with the repeated circulation in a percolator. To me the standard grind for drip-type brewers is meant for a one pass immersion. It will work in a percolator but, like salt, I think the finer you grind something the weaker the flavor.
Do anyone else pre-wet the grounds basket before adding the coffee grounds to it?

[John Guedry]

The older electric pots make coffee hotter than anything on the market now. The lawyers replaced the design guys.

[metricmonkeywrench]

Dad used one for many years bit when it went he moved to a "modern" newfangled filtered pot. Unfortunately we haver a regular brew pot on the counter and Mama banned Kcup cup a while ago. I am on the lookout for a camp stove percolator for the camper to move some mundane heat stuff outside. Most around here call them "antique" and want a fortune for them.

This does bring back a sad memory though, in my early crayon eating days. The Company Maintenance shop had a coffee mess centered around an old large 40 cup perk pot of dubious sanitary condition. The Maintenance chief (Viet Nam Vet) ruled the mess with and iron fist and it was the duty of the one who opened the office every morning and a second pot was brewed at lunchtime and don't be coming by with a thermos or 6 cup mug. It was brewed strong and severe punishment (and scorn) was given to the individual who made it too strong or too weak since the old chewed up Styrofoam cup was perfectly hacked off to the correct and exacting quantity and the number of scoops clearly written in sharpie on the side. Several years later we made the fun vacation trip to Kuwait for the first dust up and the pot and several cans of coffee accompanied us to the warm sands along with the other priority office supplies. Unfortunately after all those years of faithful service it expired one morning and kept tripping the breaker on the generator. Attempts were made to resuscitate it, since we were a maintenance shop but apparently the multiple moves were too much for it. Word quickly spread thought the Company and that evening the beloved pot was given a full and proper military funeral with the Entire Company in a box formation around the grave (well burn pit) and the Maintenance Officer provided the eulogy, the Bn Chaplain said a few kind words of condolence and taps and a 21 gun (blank) salute was performed as the sun set.

[KenH]

With a perkerator you get get coffee strong enough to taste

[redhawk0]

I don't use a percolator daily...but I do have my wife's grandmother's Revere Ware stovetop percolator. It's been relegated to my camping gear but it makes amazing coffee for those few weeks every summer. When we have a daily use maker break down I dig it out to get us by until the more "convenient" replacement arrives.

redhawk

[Electrod47]

Perked coffee from either an electric one or stove top tastes best, in my opinion.

Robert

I second that emotion......unfortunate for me, I have traded good honest flavor for convenience...my bad

[beemer]

Doug, thanks for the tip, I will at that to the things I look for. I found two Farberware pots at the Goodwill Pound Store, both worked, were nice and clean and from China. One had a bad cord but I found a heavy duty cord that fit at the Habitat Store. Only have a $1.49 per pound in them so I can't complain.

What got me started was a Miro-Matic I found at an estate sale. It chrome plated aluminum and looks like an Aladdin lamp, probably from the 50's as well.

I also have a small one cup drip maker, it is aluminum and sets on the cup. It has a wood knob on the lid. It was given to me by my cousin, belonged to my Dad's oldest sister. She would take it to her sister's and they would set around and drink coffee and talk. All of them are gone but it leaves good memories.

I don't use the peculators every day but do give them a workout. I do enjoy using things from the past.

[Handloader109]

My great aunt would percolate a pot, drink ine cup and then reheat the remainder daily u tilt was all gone. By day 4 or 5, it was tar. But she lived as adult through the depression. What her husband shot she cooked and ate,.. Blue Jay or squirrel...

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