Electric Percolator
The percolator is nothing new or cutting edge in the world of coffee. If you’ve been to a bland looking diner somewhere in the northern hemisphere, chances are you’ve drunk percolated coffee.
Rumor have it that there are people out there who actually enjoy percolated coffee, but the person who told me also said pigs fly. The reason the percolator breed’s disgust among coffee lovers is for its lack of respect for the coffee bean.
The brew in a percolator is boiled multiple times over, leading to over-extraction and leaving you with a bitter brown mess as a result. Woo.
If you’re of the school of thought that bad coffee is better than no coffee, you may be able to work that brown mess into a drinkable brew. Anything’s possible.
What To Expect
Time: from Bean > Brew: You are supposed to let the percolator percolate for 10 minutes, however, this is a great way to ruin your coffee; try 3-4 minutes for better results.
Type of grind required: You’ll want to use a course grind. Using a fine grind will completely ruin an already damaged coffee.
Resulting brew: Nothing special. If you apply a little skill by using a course grind and letting it percolate for no longer than 4 minutes it will be drinkable, but you won’t waking up excited to drink it.
Skill level required: No skill required. Just put in the coffee and water and turn it on.
BEST SUITED FOR YOU: If you don’t care how your coffee tastes and you are just in it for the caffeine. Its quick and easy.
NOT SO GREAT FOR: Anyone who respects the coffee bean.
PROS
- Quick and easy
- Fills your home with that ‘lovely coffee smell’
CONS
- Poor way to brew coffee – bitter and hot
- Must be cleaned often for flavour and health reasons
Chemex Brewer
When you first see a Chemex brewer, you may want to use it as a vase rather than a brewer, but there is a reason it looks the way it does: it makes friggin excellent coffee, and it does it in style.
The primary benefit of using a Chemex over other drippers is capacity – you can easily make 3 or 4 cups in one go, rather than 1 of 2, meaning it’s a crowd pleaser when the possy is
around. In fact, you can buy a 10-cup Chemex that takes 50 ounces of water. It's an entertainer's best friend.
Like other drippers it's not as simple as throwing grounds in and then dousing with water; you’ll need to practice mastering the finer details regarding grind size, water temp, and coffee volume, but once you do, prepare to fall in love.
What To Expect
Time: from Bean > Brew: Coming in at 3 and a half minutes from after setting it up means it’s a fast way to get a great coffee into ya.
Type of grind required: Play around here to suit your preference, but ideally anywhere between medium to course, closer to the medium side of things.
Resulting brew: Chemex filters are roughly 30% thicker than the filters used by other drippers, meaning you’ll get a richer tasting cup of coffee. Think French press, without the sediments.
Skill level required: There are many ways to screw up a Chemex brew leaving you with an over or under extracted brew. You’ll need some practice.
BEST SUITED FOR YOU: If you like the pour-over coffee
movement, and if you want something that can also double a piece of art (it's displayed in Art Museums). You’ll love the fact that it can brew 3-4 cups at one time.
NOT SO GREAT FOR YOU: If you only need to brew for one or two coffees in the morning, or if you like to travel with your brewer.
PROS
- Make 3-4 cups in one go
- Very rich and aromatic brew
- The best looking way to brew coffee
CONS
- High chance of over and under extraction
- It’s overkill if you just need 1-2 coffees