Community Forums

Sorzante · 05-09-2016, 01:21 PM

We use a auto drip when we're hooked up at a site and a perc for boondocking. The posters above have great tips for making the pot, it's mostly just practicing to get it right. For cleanup, since we only use the percolator sans hookups, I just toss the grounds in a bush and rinse the basket with my outside faucet. Coffee grounds aren't litter

hammer55 · 05-09-2016, 02:00 PM

we use a tablespoon per cup, just like mother use to make

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFNM

Hi mojoracing, I don't put a lot of thought into mine and it seems to work fine. I put a typical drip coffee maker paper element into the basket (with a slit in the bottom for the tube) to make cleanup easier. I typically put about 3-4 small scoops (maybe 1 tablespoon each??) of coffee in (for an 8 cup pot). Then I put on the stove with heat on about medium until it boils then reducing to a lower heat (but still boiling/percolating) for maybe 5 more minutes (??? not sure, haven't timed it).

I'm not a coffee snob so my coffee may actually be very bad and I'm just not smart enough to know!

Phil R · 05-09-2016, 02:37 PM

This is what my boondocking freinds use. I'm going to give it a try.

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee.../dp/B0080J2N8A

phays · 05-09-2016, 04:41 PM

Another vote for the Melita cone.. I use a single size serving cone most of the time with a #2 cone filter. I do have the larger 6 cup cone that uses a #4 cone filter but with either one you can't pour in all the water at once or it will overflow the top of the cone. It does make a consistently good, IMHO, cup of coffee every time.

OLYLEN · 05-09-2016, 05:59 PM

Coleman makes a basket type coffeemaker that works on the gas stove just like the electric type. When we don't have power or can't run the Gen it works very close to the electric type. Mmmmm 6:00 coffee before gen hours.

LEN

Don and Dale · 05-09-2016, 06:13 PM

I use the same "perkie" as PdbBlue listed and do exactly what Old-Biscuit does to make it. I use 5 heaping spoons of medium ground coffee with a paper filter and add water to just below the pour spout. Heat it on med-hi until it begins to percolate then turn down the heat just low enough to continue to perc for about 12-15 minutes. Works great.

Then I hook up to the pot intravenously so I don't waste energy lifting my arm with a heavy cup of Jo!!

mojoracing · 05-09-2016, 10:24 PM

Thanks folks! I just want to use it when we dont want to start the gen early in the morning plus there is a little nostalgia there. I guess i'll just have to practice.

Bill1374 · 05-10-2016, 06:08 AM

I use a glass percolator that I got from my mother which makes the thing over 60 years old, probably more than that. Makes great coffee but you must accept the fact that there will be grounds in the bottom of the cup. Just don't drink to the bottom of the cup. Seems to work best for me at 3 table spoons of coffee for 4 cups of water and like was said above, bring to a boil till it perks, then turn the heat down but still perking for 8 to 10 minutes.

Bizcrate · 05-10-2016, 07:48 AM

First off, let me say that I struggled with making perc coffee, too. Why was this so hard?! I remember "helping" my dad set up the coffee pot every morning as a kid and loved watching it perc - but I seem inept at the task 50+ years later.
I found a lot of good suggestions in technique on UTube. How much and what kind of grounds, etc. UTube was a godsend.
Then I realized that I didn't want to work that hard. I just wanted a cup of coffee. Similar to an earlier post, I also didn't want to drink the second or third cup after it had been sitting on the stove for a while.
Then I found AeroPress. Perfect! Kind of like a French press, very simple in design, simple to clean and easy to store. Now I heat the water on the stove in my percolator pot (w/o the perc insides) and make a cup of perfect coffee, hot and fresh, as I want it.
You can find AeroPress at Amazon and plenty of tips and instructions on UTube (ps: I use the "inverted" method)

UTTransplant · 05-10-2016, 07:49 AM

I use the same percolator you have, but I generally use it just to heat the water to pour through a Melitta filter or an Aeropress. If you want to perc though, follow the directions Old-Biscuit gave. The key is to turn the heat down as soon as the first burp of water goes through the grounds (we camp with friends who use a percolator).

I am generally making my first cup of coffee by 6:00 am, and we camp in many places that don't allow generators until 8:00. I would probably wither up and die if I had to wait for electricity to make coffee LOL!

Gordon Dewald · 05-10-2016, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill1374

I use a glass percolator that I got from my mother which makes the thing over 60 years old, probably more than that. Makes great coffee but you must accept the fact that there will be grounds in the bottom of the cup. Just don't drink to the bottom of the cup. Seems to work best for me at 3 table spoons of coffee for 4 cups of water and like was said above, bring to a boil till it perks, then turn the heat down but still perking for 8 to 10 minutes.

Sounds like the Corning ware percolator. Makes the best coffee ever. Use as you describe. Unfortunately broke the lid a few years ago. Keeping the pot and perc hoping to find a replacement lid. No luck so far.

IMO Corning could make a fortune if they reintroduced the pot but I guess in todays Keurig mentality it is not practical.

twogypsies · 05-10-2016, 11:42 AM

We absolutely love a stove-top perculator. Have used it for over 20 years. It gives a wonderful full-bodied cup of coffee.

In some stores we've found specific filters that has a hole in the middle and a hole on all four corners. Put the filter on, add 4 spoons of coffee for a 8-cup pot then take each corner hole on to the basket stem to make a little package. If you can't find these filters a regular filter will work. There should be no grounds left in the coffee pot to clean out if you use a filter and don't overfill it with coffee and don't leave it on high to boil over.

Heat to just boil (we have a glass insert so we can see when it boils) and turn down lower so it perks slowly for about 10 minutes. Take out the whole stem & basket and lift out the filter for the garbage and no clean up.

We then pour it in a thermos and it stays hot and doesn't overcook.

We tried a French press and to us it was mud and hard to clean. We never put coffee grounds down the drain.

When boondocking we don't turn on our generator for such a simple process. We also make toast in a fry pan...butter the bread first. Yumm... It works for us. Everyone is different.

Mario N Fran · 05-10-2016, 06:33 PM

For a cheap filter, I use a paper towel...fold it in 4, remove a very small piece of the corner and you have a perfectly centered hole that fits over the "vent pipe". 1 generous teaspoon for every cup, bring to a boil then let it percolate for 10 minutes. Now I want a coffee....

CWJK55 · 05-10-2016, 06:49 PM

It's been a while but I used to use a percolator. These directions sound about right.

Making coffee with a stove top percolator

The main things I remember were using 1tbs for every two cups and to heat the water slowly, never boil.