If you are a newbie percolator user or are considering becoming one, here’s the scoop on everything percolator-brewed coffee related.
From which grinds and roasts produce the most excellent results, to which is the best coffee brand for percolator, it’s all right here so read on and discover.
How Fine Should You Grind?
First things first; knowing which grind is best to use with your percolator is a great place to start.
The metal filter baskets on percolators are not perforated nearly as finely as paper or other types of coffee filters.
Your best bet then for a percolator is to opt for a coarse grind of coffee.
When you get your coffee, take a look at the texture and make sure you can still see actual small pieces of the whole bean vs. all tiny indistinguishable bits.
The coarser grind won’t fall through the perforations and will keep you from getting that decidedly unlovely grit in the bottom of your cup.
How Dark Do You Dare?
As far as which roast level is the best to use for a percolator, turns out taking the middle ground seems to be the best choice.
The reason medium roast works better than either light or dark roasted preparations has to do with the brewing method employed by the percolator.
Using a medium roasted bean will allow the percolator to work its magic, bringing out the full flavors for a beautifully full-bodied cup of coffee.
If you opt for dark roasted beans you run the risk of the brew tasting either burnt or blowing you away with too much bitterness.
On the other hand, a light roasted bean’s subtle flavor profiles end up getting lost in translation being brewed in a percolator and your coffee might end up tasting bland and weak.
The Whole Vs. Pre-Ground Coffee Conundrum
Having whole, freshly roasted beans that are then coarsely ground shortly before brewing will generally produce a better flavor profile for your cup of coffee.
You can use pre-ground coffee in a percolator, but be prepared for the dreaded sludge at the bottom of your mug.
Most pre-ground coffee by default is prepped for automatic drip use so is far too finely ground to work well in a percolator.
Additionally, pre-ground coffee will not usually produce as clean a tasting drink as its freshly-ground counterpart.
Coffee beans start to oxidize as soon as they are ground and the air hits them. It is can be difficult to tell exactly how long the pre-ground coffee has been sitting around on the shelf.
If you have someone grind your beans for you at your favorite coffee shop, make sure to ask for percolator grind.
Asking for a French press grind will work as well; the proper grind rules are the same for both.
Most larger grocery stores have grinders right there in the coffee aisle, so you can grind your beans fresh yourself.
Be sure to set the machine for the coarsest grind available if you are doing it yourself in the store.
Which Grinder Works Best For That Not-So-Fine Grind?
There is a remarkable array of coffee grinders for the home kitchen that will fit nearly any budget.
Grinders run the gamut from simple hand-cranked types to the more elaborate electric counter-top models.
When you’re shopping around make sure there is a setting on your chosen machine for coarse grind; some may be marked as percolator grind or French press, either/or should work just fine.
A couple to try; the Mueller Ultra-Grind Conical Burr Mill is a manual crank grinder but is easy to operate and is my favorite choice of coffee grinders.
Its settings give you precise control over your final grind. It retails for budget.
If you’d rather have an electric grinder, the Chefman Electric Burr Coffee Grinder runs affordable price and is a solid quality option for making percolator-perfect grinds.
The Best Coffee Brand For Percolator Currently On The Market – 2020 Reviews
There is a whole world of coffee brands to choose from today.
When it comes to which are the hands-down favorites to use with percolators, remember medium roast is most likely your better choice.
1. Café Las Flores Grandes Cosechas
One of my good friends was born and raised in Nicaragua.
She and I are both coffee aficionados and she’s the one who let me in on the secret of the wonderfully smooth, distinctly different flavor of Nicaraguan grown coffee.
This variety is extraordinarily delicious when brewed in a percolator.
The medium roast combined with the brewing method of the percolator brings out the sumptuous flavor of these beans.
One of the best Nicaraguan-grown coffees available here in the States is Café Las Flores Grandes Cosechas Medium Roast. It is worth it for a little splurge.
2. Three Sisters Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee (Our Top Recommended)
The Three Sisters variety of coffee comes from the Kicking Horse Coffee Company and is roasted with expert precision up in Canada.
The beans are grown organically and with fair trade utmost in their minds in Central and South America and also Indonesia.
This whole bean, medium roast blend ticks all the boxes for producing a spot-on cuppa in your percolator. So a modest indulgence for most folks.
3. Costa Rica Tarrazu, Whole Bean
Just a stone’s throw away, literally, from Nicaragua is the pristine paradise that is Costa Rica.
This country produces beans that are at their flavor peak when roasted to a perfect medium doneness.
A great Costa Rican to try is Coffee, LLC’s Costa Rica Tarrazu. This variety brings full-bodied, smooth goodness to your cup, especially when brewed in a percolator.
It comes in whole bean, freshly roasted packs from two up to five pounds.
4. Koffee Kult Medium Roast Coffee
The Koffee Kult is a company of coffee importers and roasters.
Headquartered in the good old U.S.A., these guys have the art of picking the best beans and roasting them to a pitch of perfection down to a science.
The Koffee Kult Medium Roast Whole Bean variety employs non-GMO 100% Arabica beans from Columbia and Brazil to produce a super-fresh, full-bodied but still very smooth cup of coffee every time.
The blend and the roast combine to be a superior choice to use with percolators. The price point for this high of quality is a hard one to equal.
5. Volcanica Gourmet Coffees Guatemala Antigua
Volcanica Company is a specialty coffee importing and roasting outfit located in the deep south of Atlanta, Georgia.
These folks have a state-of-the-art coffee bean importing and roasting outfit. The coffees they produce start with exotic varieties of beans grown all over the world.
The company uses fair-trade, sustainable practices in their business.
Volcanica’s Guatemalan Antigua Medium Roast Whole Bean coffee is a single-origin bean grown on the Santa Barbara Coffee Estate in Antigua, Guatemala.
The finished brew is smooth & non-acidic and yet has full, gorgeous coffee flavors that you want to sip slowly to savor every drop.
Cuppa Percolated Coffee Anyone?
All of the brands of coffee presented here should give you a deep, mellow, full-flavored cup of coffee from your percolator.
My favorite is Three Sisters Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee.
There are very good reasons for its standout performance amongst coffee aficionados.
It is distinctive, versatile, and delicious, especially when brewed up in your favorite percolator.
Don’t be afraid to give percolating coffee a try, you will be glad you did.
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