# Percolator Coffee Machine Guide

How a stovetop percolator pumps hot water up a tube and back down through coffee grounds, from filling the pot to pouring the brew\.

By clever\-fox\-9828ac68

Topic: Machines

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/ivQwF1aPRrSJ)

## Transcript

### 1. A classic stovetop percolator

A percolator brews by sending hot water up a tube and down through coffee grounds, over and over\. Here is a stainless steel 8\-cup pot on a hot plate\. Drag empty space to look around it\.

The glass knob on the lid is a little window\. You will watch the coffee perk there\.

### 2. Take it apart

Lift off the lid\. Inside are three parts: the pump stem, the filter basket that slides onto it, and the spreader cover on top\. Lift them out and set them aside\. The pot is shown cut in half so you can see inside\.

Give everything a rinse if the pot has been stored\.

### 3. Fill with cold water

Pour fresh, cold water into the empty pot: one cup of water for each cup of coffee\. Stay below the bottom of the basket, because the grounds must sit above the water, not in it\.

A percolator cup is about 5 to 6 fluid ounces\. Many pots have fill marks inside\.

### 4. Stem, basket and grounds

Stand the stem in the middle of the pot, wide foot down, and slide the basket onto it\. Spoon coarse ground coffee into the basket, about one tablespoon per cup for a strong brew\. Do not pack it down\.

Fine grounds slip through the holes and make the coffee muddy\.

### 5. Spreader and lid

Set the spreader cover on the basket, then the lid with its glass knob\. The spreader breaks the falling water into drops, so it soaks the grounds evenly instead of digging a hole\.

### 6. Heat to the first perk

Turn the hot plate to medium\. As the water heats, steam bubbles form in the stem's foot and push hot water up the narrow tube\. Watch the glass knob for the first splash\.

You can also click the knob on the front of the hot plate\.

### 7. Turn it down to a gentle perk

Once it perks, lower the heat\. Each perk throws water over the grounds; it drips through the basket and back into the pot, a little stronger each time\. Pick a setting and watch the rhythm in the knob\.

Aim for a gentle perk every few seconds\. A hard, rolling boil makes the coffee bitter\. Clicking the hot plate knob also changes the setting\.

### 8. Perk for 5 to 7 minutes

Time it from the first perk\. The colour in the knob darkens as the brew goes round and round\. About 5 minutes gives a lighter cup and 7 a strong one\. Much longer only adds bitterness\.

For stronger coffee, use more grounds next time rather than perking longer\.

### 9. Rest, remove the grounds, pour

Turn off the heat and move the pot off the burner, holding the handle with an oven mitt\. Let it rest a minute so the basket drains\. Then lift out the basket and stem, tip out the grounds and pour\.

The body and knob stay hot\. Clean the pot once it cools; many glass\-knob pots are hand\-wash only\.