Best Coffee Percolators – Percs from the Past

Quiz time: what percentage of the US population drinks coffee? We’ll give you a hint: it’s 20% more than those who admit to drinking soda. Another factoid for you: it’s 10% more than people who claim to drink tap-water. Ok, final hint: it’s the same as the population over 21 that drinks alcohol. Give up? 83% of Americans over 18 claim to drink coffee, which constitutes the highest percentage of any country in the world. How we produce that cup of joe ranges widely. Still, one of the most common devices in the last century is now increasingly finding a hipster resurgence, enter the coffee percolator.

In 1889 Hanson Goodrich’s patent application for the new-to-the-market percolator described a machine that would create “a liquid which will be free of all grounds and impurities.” This humble device aimed to dethrone the popular coffee decoction, which effectively just soaked hot water in grounds for a bit and then lifted the grounds away. Over the last 130 years, the percolator has maintained a stronghold on the home-brew market until drip coffee makers and Italian espresso blew up in America. What is old often becomes new again, and the percolator is back, fighting for some space on your countertop. Let’s take a look at the best modern percolators and figure out which is best for you!

The Best Coffee Percolator

Farberware 12-Cup Yosemite Coffee Percolator (BEST CHOICE)

The Faberware 12-Cup Yosemite Coffee Percolator is a quaint blast from the past. This timeless design is reminiscent of an earlier era when there were but a few ways to prepare a java. With 8 and 12-cup options, this kettle is the perfect size for a small group or family. Finished in stainless steel, Faberware has seen to it that this percolator is easy to clean up. All you need to do is throw it straight in the dishwasher.

The glass view not at the top allows you to watch your coffee percolate and indicates when to pull it off the heat. An easy pour handle and spout combo ensure that service is a snap, even if you haven’t had that first cup yet.

For a cool morning brew, check out our guide to the best cold brew coffee makers.

Purchase

West Bend Electric Coffee Percolator

Our first electric option comes from West Bend. This Classic Stainless Steel Electric Coffee Percolator can produce from 2 to 12 cups in just a few minutes; all you need to do is grind the beans, sit back and watch. Once the red indicator light in the middle of the base turns on, you know you’re ready to go.

This West Bend model’s design is slender and tall, which is great because it won’t take up a ton of real estate on your countertop. With an easy pour spout and a heat resistant handle, this model should last you a lifetime.

Coffee enthusiasts will also love these best-rated pour-over coffee makers from our list. Take a moment to check them out.

Purchase

Farberware 12-Cup Coffe Percolator

Founded at the turn of the 19th century, Faberware is a company that has been producing reliable kitchen items for well over a decade. Their 12-Cup Coffee Percolator is a slender but stout electric unit capable of producing a cup per minute of delicious coffee. Once your brew is ready, there’s a “Keep Warm” function, which will keep the remainder of your coffee piping hot until you’re ready for another cup.

With a detachable power cord, the Faberware 12-Cup Percolator is mobile. Once you’ve completed your brewing session, as indicated by the light at the base, unplug the carafe and take it anywhere in the house for quick refills.

Here are some of the top coffee grinders on the market. Check them out and pick your favorite.

Purchase

Presto 12-Cup Coffee Percolator

Presto is another brand that has been in the coffee game for almost 100 years. Introduced at the 1939 World’s Fair, Presto made a big splash with their new invention, the pressure cooker. Having produced several category-breaking appliances over their time in business, you can feel confident that their 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator is built with the right technology and know-how to make a great cup.

This tall and narrow unit features an indicator light at the base to indicate when you can pour and a removable cord so you can travel with the pot. Reviewers appreciate the easy-pour handle and spout combination.

Check out our selection of the best coffee mugs on the market and find the perfect one for yourself.

Purchase

GSI Outdoors 8-Cup Coffee Percolator

Camping has become the quintessential American pastime, so much so that we even create household items that remind us of camping. Even better are those products that actually work in the wilderness that we also want to use at home. GSI started building camping products in the mid-80s and is on a mission to get you outdoors. GSI’s Outdoors 8-Cup Enamelware Coffee Percolator is a nod to the great outdoors with the functionality any home cook can love.

This percolator features a rugged enamelware finish, popularized by its durability in the great outdoors. GSI offers five color options to choose from, and with a kiln-finishing process at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, you know this thing is tough. Adventure awaits . . . after a cup of coffee!

To be able to sip on a hot beverage wherever you are, purchase your favorite travel coffee mug from our list.

Purchase

COLETTI Bozeman 9-Cup Coffee Percolator

Coletti is a purpose-driven brand from Montana who dedicates 100% of its profits to charity. Their products’ names are a nod to the state they love, and the Bozeman Coffee Percolator is no exception. This 9-cup percolator is rugged enough for the campsite but appropriate for the modern kitchen, as well.

With a wide glass view of a nob to monitor your brew, you’ll know when the coffee has hit that perfect consistency. And the wood handle adds a touch of class to an otherwise all-stainless exterior, a nice finishing touch.

Any coffee lover will appreciate these quality coffee makers from our list. Take a moment to check them out.

Purchase

Cuisinart 12-Cup Coffee Percolator

There’s a good chance you have something from Cuisinart in your kitchen right now; they are one of the largest countertop appliance manufacturers in the world. Their Classic 12-Cup Stainless-Steel Coffee Percolator is a classy and timeless design, perfect for posting up next to your knife block. You could put it anywhere, really — it ships with a 3-foot cord.

With a 12-cup capacity, quick brew times, and a stainless steel finish, this is a percolator you can trust from a brand you already know.

For more cool products like this, check out our selection of the most sought-after pod coffee makers.

Purchase

Mixpresso 10-Cup Electric Coffee Percolator

Mixpresso may be a lesser-known brand on this list, but when the price is right and the features are there, you don’t always have to go with the big brands. This Electric Coffee Percolator is made of stainless steel materials and can accommodate up to 10 cups of delicious, freshly-brewed coffee at a time.

Like many electric models, the Mixpresso Percolator offers a window into the coffee-making process through the glass nob up top, but don’t worry; it stops brewing when the coffee is ready. So you don’t need to monitor the progress continuously. A detachable 30-inch power cord and mobile base station make this percolator portable.

You may also like some of these reliable single serve coffee makers. Check them out.

Purchase

Coleman 12-Cup Coffee Percolator

When you think of Coleman, the first thing that is likely to come to mind is camping lamps. This century-old company has produced hard goods for the adventurer, ranging from backpacking bags to compact binoculars and everything in between, for years. This simple Coleman Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator is devoid of the fanciful frills of other more modern devices, but you want coffee, not decoration. And that’s simply what you’ll get with this utilitarian design.

Built to produce 12 cups of steaming hot coffee, this stovetop unit is as good on the front range as it is on your gas range. Once breakfast is over, throw it in the dishwasher for a quick clean up, and you’ll be ready to go the next day.

Purchase

Gastrorag 12-Cup Electric Coffee Percolator

The only Russian appliance on this list comes to us from Gastrorag. Their Electric Coffee Percolator offers up 12 cups of piping hot joe. Finished in stainless steel with a detachable base, you can be confident that this percolator is as mobile as it is easy to clean.

With a keep-warm function built-in and a cup a minute production, you can be confident that the Gastrorag Percolator will deliver the goods when you need them most.

For more excellent products for coffee enthusiasts, be sure to browse our list of these reliable home espresso machines.

Purchase

Coffee Percolator Buying Guide & FAQ

Features to Look for in Coffee Percolators

The first thing you’ll want to consider when shopping for your new percolator is if you want to go way old fashioned with a stovetop model or a more mid-century modern approach that plugs in. You’ll also have the opportunity to choose between gravity and pressure brewing solutions. Both have their potential upsides. We’ll dive more into that here shortly.

For many consumers these days, the counter appeal is important. Regardless of the build’s quality, the way an appliance looks on the stovetop or counter, especially when trying to resurrect a classic, really matters.

Quality – Coffee percolators, like most coffee makers, are fairly simple contraptions. However, like many items making a resurrection, many companies in the market make very high-end versions. So, depending on the kind of coin you want to drop, you could get your hands on a new machine for a song or a paycheck.

There are a few elements of a coffee percolator where quality is essential. The material construction of the pot matters, especially when it comes to how fast you go from an empty coffee cup to one full of that beautiful bean water. While you want a thick sidewall to keep the brewed coffee hot, the base contacts the stove (if buying conventional) should be thin to ensure the water heats quickly.

The handle is also quite important; a dense grip that keeps the heat from your hands is relevant if you prefer not to serve in an oven mitt. The device’s interior is all fairly the same, but the quality of materials matter, so look for percolators with BPA free plastics and high-quality alloy.

Size – The smallest percolator we were able to track down on the market is a 2-cup model. While this may seem like the right option for a two-person household, remember that a standard cup of coffee is 5 fluid ounces, which for some might not seem like a proper cup. So you’ll want to keep that in mind if buying a 2-cup model; you’ve only got 10 ounces of home-brewed goodness on your hands.

The largest available model we could track down is good enough for 12 cups or 60 ounces. However, this is a pretty big coffee maker. If you have two adults in the house and a few kids who also love a little coffee action in the AM, consider something in this size range.

Materials – The old school stovetop model consists of only three parts. Most are stainless steel or aluminum. However, while aluminum might seem appealing due to the price and weight, this metal can react to the acid in coffee. If quality and longevity are a concern, stick with stainless steel.

The electric models are slightly more complicated and feature a wider variety of materials. This option allows for a bit more versatility in construction, so if old school stainless isn’t your thing for the countertop, an electric model may allow for a variety of colors, finishes, and also the inclusion of wood or stone.

Ease of Use – If you’re able to run a drip coffee maker, a percolator is probably within the scope of your existing coffee capacities. Like many makers, the extent to which you’re involved is a quick grind of some beans (or use pre-ground) and pour in the appropriate amount of water. The next step depends on whether you have an electric or manual model.

The old school manual model requires that you mind the machine as the water begins to heat up. What you’ll want to do as the water starts to heat, you’ll have to modulate the heat on the burner slightly. Two hundred degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for coffee production, but a rolling boil is approximately 212 degrees. So, you just want to ensure that you don’t scorch the beans for the best cup of brew.

Stove Top vs. Electric – As mentioned previously, the percolator’s stovetop model is where this trendy little brewer got its start. This model works identical to the electric model, but the heat comes from your burner. The electric model produces heat through electric coils embedded in the base of the unit.

Many prefer the stovetop for its throwback aesthetic, but you should consider this format if you want a great camping coffee maker. Because any heat source could fuel a traditional percolator’s water heating, you could quickly put a grate over a fire pit or utilize a camp stove. Just keep a close eye on the device to ensure the temp doesn’t exceed the ideal temp of 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Types of Coffee Percolators

Gravity Percolator – Every coffee maker is essentially a device that flows hot water across coarsely ground coffee beans, slowly extracting the bean’s oils and essence. A gravity percolator utilizes the natural force of the earth’s orbital weight to press hot water down and across the ground beans. This percolator method requires that the water runs through the beans several times, which allows you to determine the strength of the cup you’re preparing. The longer the liquid filters through the grounds, the thicker it becomes.

Pressure Percolator – The pressure percolator creates a bit of a different kind of coffee experience. In this setup, liquid weaves its way through the grounds due to pressure created inside the boiling chamber. As the coffee passes through the grounds, it ultimately ends up in a separate container. Interestingly, the pressure percolator system is what gave way to the espresso machine.

Coffee Percolator FAQ

What is a coffee percolator?

A coffee percolator is a type of kettle that uses either gravity or pressure to force hot water through ground coffee. This device made its first appearance in the late 1800s and eventually became the most widely adopted method for making coffee in the entire world. A quick Google Image search will reveal two iconic eras for the percolator. The first is the early part of the 19th century, sitting out on the range, boiling a coffee cup over an open flame.

The second would be the electric model’s appearance, which looks a bit more futuristic even by mid-century standards. In the early 50s, you’d find these coffee makers gracing the countertop of nearly every kitchen in America, and hard-working families and individuals came to love this form of coffee making.

How do coffee percolators work?

Like all coffee makers, a percolator is a device to force water through roughly ground beans. Percolators, like drip coffee makers, have a water heating device built in that is either driven by a hot stovetop or built-in heating rings in the case of an electric model.

Can I reheat coffee in my percolator?

While these devices generally aren’t great for reheating coffee, you can produce enough for a few cups and leave the heat on to keep it handy for later. An electric percolator will be your best bet if you think that this feature will be a necessity for you since the built-in heating rings would keep the brew at the appropriate temperature. A stovetop model will likely overcook the liquid and lead to a bitter taste.

Can I use a percolator to heat other liquids?

Making a larger batch of tea is possible in a percolator. Whether you have an electric or stovetop model, you can dump multiple tea bags into the internal basket for water to baste over. This method will work the same way if you were making coffee, and you’d monitor the brew accordingly.

Do you grind the coffee for percolator?

Coffee percolators do require that you produce your own grinds. If you want to keep it easy, you can buy pre-ground coffee at the store, but that won’t taste nearly as good. Bur grinders are the best option to produce appropriately-sized, fresh coffee grounds, and are fairly cheap.

How can I clean my coffee percolator?

Traditional stovetop percolators are aluminum or stainless steel. These devices have three parts, and they are all reasonably easy to clean. One tip that we’ve found is to utilize a cleaning solution called Barkeepers Friend, a canned scouring substance that’s great for removing calcium deposits.

Electric percolators require a bit more attention to detail. Their internal workings are just slightly more complicated and easily cleaned with soap, water, and a bit of elbow grease.