Which coffee beans should I use for a percolator?

Making coffee with coffee beans and a percolator

The coffee made with a percolator is strong and has a firm body. The percolator, or moka pot, is named after the Ethiopian port city of Mocha and was invented in 1933 by the Italian Alfonso Bialetti. The heat source beneath the percolator heats the water at the bottom. The water begins to boil, creating bubbles that push the hot water upward through a vertical tube. At the top of this tube is a reservoir containing the ground coffee and a perforated lid. The water flows through this reservoir and is then forced upward through a metal tube until the ground coffee reaches the upper reservoir.

Although the percolator is sometimes called a "stovetop espresso maker," it doesn't actually make espresso. For espresso, water is forced through finely ground coffee at 9 bar of pressure. The moka pot creates about one bar of pressure, but it does produce a concentrated, strong drink, somewhat comparable in taste to espresso.

Which coffee beans are best for a percolator?

The type of coffee beans you use makes a big difference with a percolator. Because the water is almost boiling and the appliance gets very hot, the coffee you make can easily become too bitter. A dark roast can then be very overpowering. It's best to use a light roast and not grind it too finely. A coffee labeled "smooth" or "mild," such as Full Classic or Colombia or Brazilian Style Special Mild, is excellent for this preparation.

When you add coffee beans to your shopping cart, you can indicate that you want them ground especially for the percolator.

How do you make coffee with a percolator?

1. To make a great-tasting cup of coffee with this machine, it's important to use the right beans and not grind them too finely. If the beans are ground too finely, your coffee will become bitter even faster. Fill the reservoir of your percolator with the ground coffee, without tamping it down, and prepare it.
2. Fill the percolator with hot water, up to just below the air release valve. Freshly boiled water heats up faster and reduces the time the percolator needs to be on the stove. It also reduces the risk of burning the coffee grounds.
3. Place your filter with ground coffee on the water reservoir and screw the top of the percolator onto the reservoir.
4. Now place your percolator on the heat source, but leave the top cover open so you can see when the coffee comes out of the pipe.
5. When the black coffee stops flowing from the spout into the reservoir, immediately remove the percolator from the heat and hold the bottom of the pot under cold running water to stop the brewing process.

Wait a few minutes for the coffee to cool slightly before tasting it. The preparation method described above guarantees a delicious, full-bodied, strong cup of coffee.

How do you clean the percolator?

The easiest way to clean the percolator is immediately after brewing, once it has cooled down. Unscrew the bottom of the percolator, remove the filter with the used coffee grounds, and discard it. Pour out any remaining water and rinse the entire appliance with warm water. Dry the percolator and set it aside to dry completely. As long as you let the appliance dry thoroughly, you don't need to use soap to clean it.

Common mistakes

If the coffee is too bitter, it means it's over-extracted. Next time, try grinding the coffee beans a little coarser or heating your moka pot at a lower temperature.

If steam comes out of the pressure valve, the percolator has too much pressure. Remove the pot from the heat. You've probably overfilled the reservoir or tamped it down. If not, use a lower setting to heat the brewer.

The percolator is a fascinating way to enjoy a strong coffee. With your own moka pot, you can create a powerful, balanced espresso-like coffee.