Vintage Coffee Makers

[Salv]

Thanks for the clearing up! (I was writing my post when you posted this information the first time, so I missed it. )Well, Chandler called it a percolator too i think, so I'm in good company!

But then I guess a Bialetti coffee put is really not a percolator either, since it the water passes through the coffee on the way up, not raining down? Please forgive me if I am to much of a geek here, (or make a fool of myself misunderstanding,) I just really like to know things!

The Bialetti I use is a different type to the usual Bialetti stove-top espresso maker, and really is a percolator, where the water bubbles up a central tube then drips down over the grounds to give you coffee in the bottom of the pot. Bialetti just make it to look like their espresso makers which work, like you say, by forcing steam up through the grounds giving you coffee in the top half of the pot.

[Elaina]

Have no idea. My great grandmother didn't think it was coffee unless it was chickory and came when you whistled and ate the spoon. My dad likes it stronger then I do and I drink so much of it, anything that alters my caffeinestream-er I mean blood stream- isn't good in my book.

Anything anyone could add to make it softer, frankly, doesn't make your hair turn red or put hair on your chest (and yes, as a kid I got told both of those.)

[Helen Troy]

My understanding is what supposedly happens...the white latches onto the grounds about the time they're done brewing and stops the more bitter oils from getting into the coffee...but like you, I don't know. I've never had the guts to try it. Part of me says I'm going to end up with a big mess to clean up - both the coffee pot AND the wall or floor where I spit out the ungodly swill.

I do know my grandmother tossed shells from the eggs she was frying or scrambling into the pot. I was only a little kid at the time - I got some of the eggs and none of the coffee. I've heard some of the calcium leeches out of the shells or it does a little neutralizing of the acids in the coffee or softens the water some...I dunno...

That is some clever thinking! Now I am really tempted to try sometimes, just to see what happens!

[cookie]

Those Atomic original jobs bring big dough Down Under.

[dhermann1]

" The one place I draw the line is weak coffee. Unfortunately I run into that in some restaurants, and it's always a big disappointment. "

That's one of those "obnoxious New Yorker" things. You leave the friendly confines of the 5 boros, and suddenly the coffee becomes a sad imitation of real coffee. All the refills in the world can't make up for it.

[Twitch]

History Channel had a program about the history of coffee and concluded that old perculators make crappy coffee by over boiling it continuously.

[celtic]

i'll chime in as well that i've also seen/read/talked to coffee snobs about percolating being one of the abolute worst things you can do to coffee.

i'm planning on a french press or one of those 'over the cup' coffee filter gadgets. they're supposedly the best cuppa you can have short of a french press..only cheaper and easier.

[PrettySquareGal]

I haven't yet tried percolated, but I will say that, despite the fact that millions swear by Starbucks, I think it tastes like burnt toast. So maybe I'll like percolated better!

(Burnt toast is yummy if it's not in liquid form and is buttered.)

[celtic]

i'm with you - i have always thought that starbucks overcooked their beans.

[Story]

If anyone sees a brass, copper or glass 5" hemi-sphere that could be used as a lid for this, please PM me.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=17286