1970's Proctor Silex, "Lady Proctor" Glass Decanter Percolator with "LIGHTS"

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A few weeks back I was out thrifting, and found this little gem in one of my haunts. I have a fleeting memory of one of my grandmothers ladyfreinds having one of these and thinking they were so cool back then. I have brewed coffee every morning here at work with this little "Lady", and have enjoyed every cup. It just seems to make better coffee than the plastic garbage I had in here brewin my Joe!

After talking to a few vac collectors, who also have percolators, nearly every one of them said that they make better coffee. I tend to agree. Coffee snobs would NOT. LOL

Here is a few bad shots of the machine made with my cameraphone. Please be understanding...

 

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Another Shot

Another shot of the P.S. Lady with it's lights on. IT's lit with two standard Christmas type white bulbs thru the entire brewing process. After the brewing is over, the back one of the two stays on letting you know it's keeping the coffee piping hot....

 

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P.S. Lady Proctor Controls....

This is VERY COOL lighted brew strength selector. You plug it in it's on, you unplug it it's off. Very simple, very cool!

 

[petek]

Good catch chad.. those are the coolest of the entire PS line imho and the hardest to find. Plenty of the models without the lights are out there to be had in various colors. I think but not positive that only the lighted model had that starburst carafe.

 

[yogitunes]

I have about 5 of them...different versions, some with the light some with out....perked coffee in glass is always the best, I'll have to dig mine out and snap a few pics...I even have one in PANK.....

 

[programcomputer]

Pete,

Yea I found both this, and the Universal on the same day at two different stores. This one made me coffee the following morning, the Universal did not. The "Mary Proctor", also won out on COOLNESS factor by a mile; and seems to be fairly well made for a coffeemaker.

Of course after gifting it to Dave (the Universal), who just gleamed when he saw it was a Coffematic, fixed it in like thirteen seconds, making me look like a dumbski for not trying to even fix it (lets be honest I did not have a clue BTW). It's cool. Mr Dave needs some percalicious brew too.

I would love to see some variations of a theme here Cool Percolators. I know I saw another one of these on the flea-bay for like 50.00 once, that was either a bad coffestaine creme-fresh, or white. I thought to myself...nah don't need it....

I squarely blame you Pete... If it wasn't for me seeing all your wonderful appliances you have I wouldn't have went from just straight vacuums, and a few washers long ago, to collecting coffeemakers now... LOLL...Just kidding...

And yes I'll get over soon. I have a few days off coming up and will get the passport thing taken care of...

 

[bobbyderegis]

Chad:
I have one just like yours. I am a huge coffee snob, and I think it makes a fab cup of coffee. Maybe the lights do something to the brew!
Bobby in Boston

 

[kenmore58]

You're going to love it. I have several of them. Be very careful, however, with the glass carafe. It breaks easily. Also, if you need to change the bulb inside, it is simply the standard night light bulb available everywhere.

Have fun with it. Enjoy!

Ron

 

[petek]

Here's mine

in white with lights but a PS Lifelong not a Mary P

 

[petek]

in green no lights and daisy glass

 

[petek]

and brown with daisy glass.. note the green one is a PS Citation,, this one just a PS.
The glass carafes are different on these ones to the lighted ones,, different shape and top. I've never tried to see if they interchange..don't think so.

 

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Pretty Percolators.....

Wow, so many are still out there. Wonder If Proctor Silex ever had a clue as to how cool these were and are still today!

Bobby, after many years using a "plastique" Hamilton Beach, potless cup-by-cup dispenser thing, I really can agree with you on their being a great coffeemaker. Im not sure as to how todays new stlye percolators do, but there was just something about the way the coffee tastes, ya know? Maybe the lights do have an effect on the taste, maybe it's the glass decanter? Who knows. But I'm just loving this little Lady and will be on the lookout for a replacement machine as a backup.

Ron, Thanks for the heads up on the decanters fragility. I kinda suspected this, and always wash it in the sink with a towel beneath it lining the sink, and am VERY careful. I will be out looking for a replacement as I noted above.

Pete, I KNEW IT WAS YOU that had one that I'd seen more recently than my grandma's friend's machine. I think that kinda set me off on a quest to find one. Yours has round light "portholes". Mine has square ones. TAHmato, TOEmato, they are the same beast, with a different name. I do like the white better however...

I'm assuming that the Wizard model was made for Western Auto Stores. Did you have them up there? I know we used to have a boatload of the here until sometime in the late 1980's. And the last one I do know was featured in one of my many catlaogs. Probably Best or Century House for sure...

Thanks for the pics....

Chad

 

[tlee618]

Be Very Careful Chad!!!!!!!!!!!

That's how it all starts out, you find one really neat coffeemaker and the next thing you know you have--------. You are right to blame Pete, it's all his fault finding all those wonderful appliances and then tempting us.

Kidding aside Chad what a wonderful find. I have been on the lookout for one of these with the lights for years now. My mom have the white one and why I never kept it I will never know. Enjoy the wonderful coffee that it makes!!! And of course we all know that it is the lights that make the big difference.

Terry

 

[alr2903]

PeteK you "citation" green pot, is western auto brand, i just can't help myself. When it was avocado time i was young and playing house but not enough $ to have "all" avocado. I still long for it... alr2903

 

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A few more

After finishing the pot for the day, and cleaning out the unit for tomorrow, I decided to take a few more pics so people can see the workings of this very interesting pot.

The lights are suprisingly bright.

 

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Next

 

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next

Lights off....

 

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Next

The basket and percolator stem, all in Stainless Steel. I use the Melitta Paper disc filters for beneath the coffee. Prevents most if any grounds from getting in the coffee.

 

[petek]

It's not a Wizard aka Western Auto, Proctor may have rebadged some green ones for them as well or Western just carried this PS Citation model you remember, this one is definitely a Proctor Silex Citation (they used Citation on quite a few of their appliances) and it was made in Canada with the SCM logo used after SCM bought out PS. I don't think Western Auto had any stores in Canada that I recall ever seeing.
iirc, the Citation model name came into being after SCM bought them, there was also a Smith Corona SCM Citation Typewriter.
There's little doubt in my mind they also sold a lot of these under different department store brand names both in the US and Canada.