How to Make Percolator Coffee (Without It Tasting Burnt)
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The percolator has been on job sites, hunting camps, and kitchen stoves for generations. It makes a strong, hot pot without needing power or paper filters. It also has a reputation for bitter, burnt-tasting coffee. Most of that comes from two mistakes: the wrong grind and too much heat.
What you need
- A stovetop or electric percolator
- Coarse ground coffee, the most important part
- Cold, fresh water
Use a coarse grind
A percolator keeps cycling hot water through the grounds. Fine grounds over-extract, which tastes bitter, and they slip through the basket into your cup. Coarse grounds stay in the basket and give you a cleaner, smoother pot.
Most of our coffees come in a Coarse grind, including every single origin and all the bold blends. Just pick it when you add a bag to your cart.
How much coffee to use
A good starting point is about 1 tablespoon of coarse coffee for every cup (8 ounces) of water. Like it stronger? Add more coffee rather than perking longer. Longer perking makes coffee more bitter, not more flavorful.
Stovetop percolator, step by step
- Fill the pot with cold water up to the fill line, or just below the bottom of the basket.
- Put the stem and basket in, add your coarse coffee, and put the basket lid on.
- Set it on medium heat. Watch the glass knob on top.
- When you see the first bubbles of coffee in the knob, turn the heat down to low. You want a gentle perk every few seconds, not a hard, rolling boil.
- Let it perk for about 7 to 10 minutes. Shorter is milder, longer is stronger.
- Take it off the heat and lift out the basket right away so the grounds stop brewing.
Over a campfire
Same steps, but keep the pot off the hottest part of the fire. Set it on a grate at the edge of the coals so it perks gently. A pot sitting in the flames will boil hard and scorch the coffee.
Electric percolator
Electric models control the heat for you. Use the water and coffee markings in the pot, add coarse grounds, and let it run. When the light comes on, take out the basket if your model allows it.
Best coffee for a percolator
Percolators bring out bold flavor, so darker roasts shine here. Cowboy Blend is made for it: dark and medium roasted beans with cocoa, caramel, and vanilla notes. For a deeper, earthy pot, try Sumatra. Need extra caffeine for a long day? Max Caf Blend.
Every coffee order ships free in the US, roasted to order.