From the exterior, a percolator looks like a tall kettle. If you lift the lid, you’ll find an internal spout system that channels hot water from the bottom of the pot and dispenses it over a basket of ground coffee. Gravity then percolates the water through the coffee pack in the filter basket.
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Always start with whole-bean coffee. Only prepare the grind shortly before you brew the coffee. Use a coarse setting on your burr grinder, similar to what you might select for a French Press.
Add cold water to the kettle reservoir. Filtered water is always best because chemical additives, as you’ll find in most water systems, will leave a chemical taste in the coffee.
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Place the Percolator on a stove top over medium heat. We start with cold water and a low temperature because we want to remain below a boiling point to avoid burning or bitterness in the end product.
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Set a timer and start watching. Most modern home-use percolators are equipped with a small plastic or glass viewing globe on the kettle cap. Look for a few bubbles to form there, not more than one every few seconds.
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