If you are a lover of the outdoors and are looking for a way to have a steaming cup of good coffee without the use of modern coffee makers, or are just looking for an inexpensive way to prepare your invigorating morning cup, then the percolation technique could be the answer to your needs. Filter coffee makers are very simple to assemble and use; although the more modern ones are powered by electricity, the traditional ones only need a heat source such as a stove or a fire, which makes them excellent for coffee lovers with especially practical needs. Read on to learn how to brew coffee by percolation.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Filter Coffee Maker on a Stove
Step 1. Add the water to the tank
As in all other techniques for preparing coffee, the first thing you need to decide is how much drink to prepare and then fill the appropriate compartment of the machine with the appropriate amount of water. Depending on how your coffee maker is assembled, it will be necessary to open a lid or remove the upper "basket" that holds the ground coffee to reach the water tank.
Most drip coffee makers are capable of producing 4-8 cups of coffee, although there are models with different capacities. Those of the "American" type produce about 2 mugs of the mug type
Step 2. Add the ground basket and tube
At this point, if you had to remove the basket or the central tube to add water, you must put them back in their place. Although each model is different, the basic construction logic is more or less identical and the ground coffee must be above the water in a small perforated basket (or filter). A thin tube extends from the filter and "fishes" in the water below.
When the water heats up, it naturally moves towards the tube and filters through the ground coffee, wetting it completely and extracting the aroma and flavor that drips back into the water below where the cycle is repeated
Step 3. Pour the ground coffee into the basket
Once the coffee maker is re-assembled, add the coffee powder to the perforated basket. You can use pre-ground coffee or coffee beans and grind them yourself, according to your tastes. For each cup of coffee you want to make, use about a tablespoon of powder if you like a strong brew. As you use your coffee maker, you will understand what changes to make to the water / coffee ratio to suit your tastes.
For most percolating coffeemakers, it is best to use a light, low-acid, not too ground, coarser-grained, roasted blend than you would use for a drip coffee maker
Step 4. Place the coffee pot on a medium heat surface
Now you are ready and all you have to do is heat the water located at the bottom of the coffee pot, physics will do the rest. Your goal is to heat the water sufficiently without boiling it. The hotter it is, the faster it will absorb the aroma of the coffee beans, which means that boiling water will produce a very strong coffee. Use the stove over medium heat and reduce it to keep the water hot but do not let it boil or simmer. If you see steam at any point in the process, the heat is excessive and you should turn the heat down (or carefully move the pot to a colder area.
- From this point of view, a normal stove offers more heat control, but you can still use a campfire and control the process very carefully.
- Always put your percolating coffee maker on a medium heat that comes from below, never heat it in the oven or with a heat source that comes from all directions, you risk damaging it.
Step 5. Check the process through the inspection window
Many models are equipped with it so that you can check the coffee during extraction. When the water begins to circulate through the basket, you will notice bubbles or splashes inside the porthole. The faster these water movements are, the hotter the water and the faster the coffee will be ready. In theory, once you reach a medium heat level, you should see bubbles every few seconds. These indicate a correct percolation rate.
Do not use coffee makers that have a plastic inspection window, coffee lovers ensure that contact with the plastic material ruins the taste of the drink which will taste like plastic
Step 6. Let the coffee percolate for about 10 minutes
Depending on how strong you want it and the temperature reached by the water, the preparation time may vary. Note that 10 minutes are recommended if the percolation speed of the water maintains an average rate and allows you to produce a slightly stronger drink compared to that of drip coffee makers. Obviously, if you want a lighter drink, allow less time to brew or wait longer if you want a very strong coffee.
Using a kitchen timer to monitor coffee preparation could be a smart idea, but don't just set it and then walk away until the alarm sounds, otherwise you risk overheating the blend making it more bitter and dense
Step 7. Remove the coffee pot from the heat
When the percolation process is finished, remove it from the heat (with a tea towel or pot holder to avoid burning yourself) and immediately open the lid. Remove the basket containing the grounds and discard them (or recycle them in the composter). Do not leave the grounds in the coffee pot while you pour the coffee as they could fall into the cup and release their aroma, increasing the strength of the extract.
After removing the basket with the grounds, your percolation coffee is ready to be served. Enjoy your strong drink, prepared the old way
Part 2 of 3: Electric Drip Coffee Maker
Step 1. Add the coffee and water as usual
Electric coffee makers work on the same physical principle as traditional ones, but usually require less work and supervision from you. To start, add water and coffee as you normally would. Evaluate the quantities based on how much drink you want to make. Pour the water into the tank and the ground coffee in the basket with the holes.
The water / coffee proportions you use for an electric coffee maker are the same as for a traditional coffee maker: a spoonful of ground coffee for each cup of strong coffee (American mug) or a teaspoon for a cup of light coffee
Step 2. Close the lid and plug the coffee maker into the electrical outlet
Once assembled and loaded, the job is practically done. Connect the appliance to a nearby outlet, most models turn on automatically, but if there is a power button, press it. The heating element should be activated by heating the water tank and forcing it to circulate in the tube towards the perforated basket. In this way it wets the coffee grounds and begins the normal percolation process.
Step 3. Wait about 7-10 minutes for the coffee to be completely extracted
All you have to do is be patient. Most electric coffee makers, to prepare the drink, need the same amount of time as traditional models, and are also equipped with a sensor that avoids heating the water and coffee beyond the optimal temperature. If your model does not have this sensor, remember to check it while extracting the coffee. Otherwise, assuming there are no small children or pets nearby that can get burned, simply set a timer and wait for the coffee maker to do its job.
Remember that if you see steam it means that the temperature is too high. In this case, immediately disconnect the unit from the electrical outlet and wait for it to cool down for a couple of minutes before reconnecting it
Step 4. Remove the plug from the electrical socket and remove the coffee grounds as soon as the percolation process is complete
When your timer rings (or, if it is integrated with the coffee maker, when the appliance is turned off), disconnect the coffee maker from electricity. Carefully open the lid and remove the basket with the funds. Throw them away or recycle them in the compost bin.
At this point, serve and enjoy your freshly brewed coffee
Part 3 of 3: Making a Great Percolating Coffee
Step 1. Choose a low acid coffee blend
As previously mentioned, the percolation technique tends to make the coffee stronger, bitter and "dense". This is because, unlike other methods, percolation involves the continuous recirculation of water through the ground instead of filtering it once. However, with a few simple tricks, it is possible to prepare a coffee that is not too strong. For example, it is advisable to use a roasted blend that has been classified as “light”, with a low caffeine content and minimal acidity; in this way you limit the slightly bitter taste of the final drink. Although percolation produces stronger coffee than other methods, starting with a "light" blend helps minimize this effect.
If you are looking for a light drink, buy the "delicate" or "light" version of your favorite coffee brand; instead choose an “intense” version if you prefer a drink with a stronger taste, with more caffeine and acidity. If you have the cash to spend, you might also want to try special selections of organic coffee. Also don't forget that you can always use decaf
Step 2. Use a rather coarse grain
When it comes to ground coffee, know that the finer the powder, the faster it releases the aromas into the water, producing a very intense drink. Since the percolation process already produces a coffee with these characteristics, it is advisable to limit its effect by using a not too fine ground coffee. The coarse beans interact with the water less quickly so as not to produce an excessively strong coffee.
If you own your own grinder, set it to a "coarse" grain. Otherwise, if you buy the mixture already ground, choose the one whose label explicitly states "medium ground"
Step 3. Keep the water temperature between 90, 6 ° C and 93 ° C
During the percolation process, the temperature plays the main role: if it is too cold the water does not circulate in the basket, if it is too hot you risk having a coffee that is too strong and bitter. For optimal extraction, you should keep the temperature within the limits indicated above for the duration of the process. This, in fact, is just below the boiling point of water (100 ° C) but is not too low to prevent good water circulation which would make the extraction prolonged.
Try using a kitchen thermometer to check the water temperature while the coffee percolates. To get an accurate reading, keep the meter from touching the metal of the coffee pot and keep it submerged in the liquid
Step 4. Wait for the liquid to settle to prevent it from becoming cloudy
Leachate coffee has a reputation for being cloudy and "dense". Fortunately, in most cases, this is an easy feature to fix. Wait for the coffee to rest for a couple of minutes after extraction, in this way the particles and sediments that are suspended in the liquid have time to settle to the bottom.
Remember that this process will create a dense "puddle" of sediment at the bottom of the cup, try not to drink it as it is very bitter and not very good
Step 5. Extract the coffee for a short period of time
If you can't get your drink to have a less bitter aftertaste with the other methods, simply reduce the percolation time. As repeated several times throughout the article, when compared to other coffee extraction techniques, percolation produces a stronger drink, so by reducing the time you can balance this trend. Although the instructions on many coffee makers indicate 7-10 minutes as the optimal time, you can safely reduce it to 4-5 minutes if the resulting coffee is closer to your taste.
If you are uncertain about the right percolation times, you are wrong by default. However, feel free to experiment until you find the correct timing for your taste
Advice
- Always close the package of ground coffee very tightly. Oxygen is a poison for the flavor of coffee.
- It is best to store coffee beans at room temperature, in a dark pantry and in an airtight container. Refrigerating or freezing coffee beans destroys their essential oils which are an important part of the aroma and flavor.
- If you want a low-calorie sweetener, you can try agave or stevia extract.
- Since coffee is mostly water, it is important that it is of excellent quality. Nothing kills the taste of good coffee like the chlorine aftertaste. Use filtered water (at least) with activated carbon to eliminate the taste and smell of chlorine.
- To adapt the flavor to your tastes, adjust the amount of ground coffee and the grain of the ground.
- If you want to enjoy the full taste of coffee, always use freshly ground coffee.
Warnings
- Do not prepare the coffee maker with boiling water.
- Be careful, as always, when handling hot liquids.
- A good coffee maker keeps the coffee temperature between 88 ° C and 93 ° C throughout the percolation process. Unfortunately, a percolating coffee maker tends to boil the coffee thus ruining its aroma and flavor.
- Filter coffee makers extract the color and aromas from the ground from the first percolation. This represents the end of the positive aspects of this technique: the water continues to boil through the coffee powder until the heat source is removed or the resistance goes out.
