On the hunt for an electric percolator

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delco1946

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I’ve been doing some research as to what kind of vintage perc I want and thought I’d check this group for either advice or in case you’re downsizing a collection (for example I saw an old post where Eddie did this very thing).

I’d like electric (to plug in to my new 56 GE Liberator!), a model with brew strength controls, and beautiful design ( I’m not too fond of the ubiquitous 50s -60s shape that narrows slightly at the top).

I’d also prefer not to have aluminum guts but could live with it I suppose.this has led me to the GE percolator models **p50 which are gorgeous, ribbed, have brew strength controls, are 10 cups ( nothing larger please!), and the baskets and guts seem shiny enough that they aren’t aluminum.

I’d be interested if anyone one has one for sale, in nice condition.there are some on eBay but they are outrageously priced for not being new in the box. I’d also be interested to hear if folks have other models or brands they recommend. Dormeyer made a snazzy Golden Godess which caught my eye as well. I’m sure there are others.

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Universal Permatel Coffeematic.

So this began life as a "Universal", "Regency" Permatel Coffeematic introduced between 1958-1960. Universal was the house brand name for the company "Landers, Frary & Clark" of New Britain Connecticut. It was sold to General Electric's Small home Appliance Division" in 1964. The unit you have shown here was built after the rebranding was completed in 1965.

These are a GREAT coffeemaker making a delicious cup of joe. Either would be perfectly at home in the setting you've explained. The permatel is a very durable material, and I'm not exactly 100% sure if the inner pumper and strainer basket are the same material. I've always assumed so. I have not used mine in some time, mainly because one of the little feet snapped off... So isn't it to live in a friend little museum...

The pic I have shown, is the earlier Universal badged unit. Identical to my former one.

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I did notice several brands of what appeared to be the same unit. They all look fabulous! Do you know if they have a warm setting? Some seem to have a switch while others seem to automatically hold at a warming temperature after brewing. I don't know how to tell that, though.
 
Christopher,

Almost all electric percolators automatically switch to a stay warm setting once the brewing part of the cycle is completed.

 

I would be wary of buying a Farberware Superfast percolator as a daily driver.  I’ve owned several over since 1980 and the thermostats are a weak point.  They almost always fail and then the coffee won’t brew properly because they cycle off before the water gets hot enough to brew the coffee properly and/or won’t keep the brewed coffee hot.  The older Farberware’s had better thermostats but they eventually fail after years of usage.  But the newer ones made in China are pure crap!  I’ve had a couple of them that had bad thermostats right outta the box.

 

Vintage Sunbeam Coffeemaster Percolators are usually very good and brew great coffee, plus they are beautiful.  Also vintage Mirro Matic Electric Percolators that are chrome plated brew great coffee and are really beautiful too.  Both the Sunbeam’s and Mirro Matic’s have aluminum stems and baskets, but they really don’t impart a bad taste to the coffee.  Just remove the stem and basket from the perc once the coffee has finished brewing and the coffee has finished draining through the basket.

 

Collecting vintage electric percolators became an absolute addiction for me!  I had lots of enjoyment with this hobby, but once my acid reflux required me to give up coffee I got rid of most of them.

 

You might also want to consider a nice stove top percolator.  The Farberware SS perc’s are really wonderful, ditto the Revereware perc’s too.  And a real plus with these is that the stems and baskets are also SS too.  And they are easy as hell to  clean and keep clean.  You can keep the brewed coffee piping hot bu just leaving the pot on the stove burner on the lowest setting.

 

Proctor Silex made some wonderful glass electric perc’s in the 60’s and 70’s and make great daily drivers too.

 

If you find an electric perc at a thrift shop for a good price but the insides are filthy and stained just clean in out by using dishwasher detergent.  Fill the pot to its max level with cold water, put 2 tbs of DW detergent in the basket or one DW detergent pod and run through a complete brewing cycle, then let the solution remain in the perc for 30 mins, then pour out the nasty water and run another complete cycle with plain water to thoroughly remove the detergent and you’ll be amazed and how bright and shiny the inside of that old perc will be.

 

Hope you have lots of fun using a percolator.

 

Eddie

 

 
 
Great feedback Eddie, thanks! I’m not really worried by aluminum causing flavor problems but I would like to avoid it since aluminum is soluble in acids and coffee is slightly acidic and I’d be a little leery of using it long term. I suppose immediately removing the basket and stem would help address this.

I definitely have some more research to do!
 
I second Eddie's suggestion of a Proctor Silex glass electric percolator (these came in various colors for the non-glass parts), or a Corningware Electromatic, which has a timeless look that didn't change much from its inception, is super reliable, has a "pyroceram" carafe instead of metal, is immersible and easy to clean, and available in a few different patterns in addition to the classic blue cornflower emblem to suit your taste/decor.  One thing the Electromatic doesn't have is a brew strength control.  I think a Corning pot is more collectible and would likely cost more than a Proctor, particularly in a pattern other than cornflower, though.  If you're looking for a shiny percolator, these two won't qualify, but I feel they'd make a better tasting brew than one made entirely of metal.

 

I'm an auto-drip/Chemex aficionado and am averse to any type of metal brewing components other than the heating element, but that's just me and I'm very particular about my coffee.
 
Ralph,

You can’t buy Corningware Electric Percolators on eBay anymore.  They were recalled by Corning several years ago due to the handles separating from the pot because of the cement that was used to attach the handles failing and eBay finally got wind of the hazard and pulled them off of  eBay.  

 

Several serious injuries apparently happened due to this defect.  I had purchased three of these perc’s before eBay stopped selling them and they did make pretty good coffee and were easy as hell to keep clean.  But the risk of having a full pot of scalding hot coffee spill due to the handle separating from the pot turned me off of these percs.  You may still be able to find one in a thrift store or at a  garage sale, but I personally wouldn’t suggest anyone buying one to use for brewing coffee because of the potential hazard.

 

Eddie
 
Christopher,

I have had a General Electric "pot-belly" percolator for years and years and I swear, it makes the best coffee!

The interior and stem is stainless steel but the basket is coated aluminium. Since its coated aluminium I'm guessing it may not react the same way as I've never had any issues with it. The basket is the perfect size to use the common/cheap 4 cup basket filters in it if you put a hole in the bottom to fit over the stem (use your meat probe or a meat thermometer for this). Makes clean-up much easier and you don't end up with hardly any coffee grounds in your finished cup. They are a 9 cup capacity and have adjustable brew strength and a reheat function.

They were sold for decades I believe and so it should be pretty easy to find one. The other nice thing about these is they aren't so tall so easy to store in a cupboard when necessary.

It also has the little red GE logo that lights up when the coffee is done so bonus it would match your stove!

I've also used a Sunbeam Coffeemaster AP10 and those are excellent as well

Good luck - let us know what you end up getting
 
Eddie, I had forgotten about the Electromatic recall and eBay restrictions, etc.  I think because I found an early model at a thrift store (still uses a standard percolator cord as opposed to the proprietary type on later models) and have occasionally seen them out there, the on line route hadn't occurred to me.  I'm not sure, but I think the earlier models like the one I have may not have had the glue issue, and I sort of recall seeing something about machine washing contributing to the glue failure, but don't quote me on that.  There's just no way to know what you're getting, but I would think there would be indications of pending failure rather than a sudden catastrophe.

 

To be safe, and since the early Electromatics have become nearly impossible to find, the glass Proctor Silex would be preferable.
 
I don't drink coffee, and don't think I even possess a coffee maker. May still have the Farberware SS pot my parents had, but no idea where it may be at this time if so.

Speaking of Proctor-Silex, when my friends Fred & Donna married in October, 1974, I gave them one of the Lifelong coffee makers in Avocado. Hard to believe it was 50 years ago! I'll have to ask them when I see them again if they still have it.
 
I have seen some really cute potbellies and they generally look like they’re smaller, which is a plus. I am almost always making coffee just for myself and the one stovetop percolator I have is for at least 12 cups and the few times I tried using it, It just doesn’t seem to brew small quantities as well, a.k.a. needs a certain volume of water to percolate.

Would a 10 cup percolator work with just 4 cups of fluid? Anything smaller?

Ralph - I currently use a chemex as my daily. I’m very much a coffee Aficionado as well! I’m very lucky to live in Oregon as you can get some incredibly high-quality coffee beans roasted locally.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what percolator coffee will taste like, but I certainly love the vintage allure and everything I read says it is delicious when brewed properly so I’m willing to dive in headfirst!
 
Christopher, I'm glad to know you're familiar with the Chemex method.  I use a 6-cup (32 oz.) Chemex carafe with my Bonavita automatic drip machine.  The carafe just fits under the emitter when used with the FC-100 "half circle" filters, and this system renders the smoothest brew I've ever gotten from an automatic drip machine.  Chemex automatic drip machines, both new and vintage, are prohibitively expensive.

 

I'll be curious to hear your opinion on pour-over vs. percolated once you find a pot you like.  I recommend finding some flat circular filters that fit the bottom of the percolator basket, or even punching holes in the bottom of pleated filters to greatly reduce or eliminate grounds in your cup. 

 

I've been getting my beans from the same local independent roaster for almost 40 years, and the quality of the beans, consistency of the roasting and blending, all done on the premises, hasn't changed.   The cost per pound has indeed changed -- more than tripled, but coffee beans are the one consumable item that I splurge on.  They have really spoiled me.

 

 
 
I've never tried making anything less than 4 cups in my pot-belly GE percolator but the instructions that you can read on this listing do state you can make as little as 2 cups. I find however when coffee makers in general refer to "cups", I believe they are referring to the actual measurement of cups vs what I would consider a cup of coffee (or my coffee cups are just bigger than normal). As such, when using the perc I usually brew what it considers 5 cups which gives me about 2 - 2 1/2 full coffee cups

www.ebay.com

Vintage General Electric Coffee Percolator Owners Guide Manual P30 Instructions | eBay

Vintage General Electric Deluxe Coffee Percolator replacement Owners Guide Model P30. Suitable for model 33p30, 13p30 and 18p40. This guide is a brand new reprint done using high quality paper and high res scans of an original booklet
www.ebay.com
 
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I think a cup as to the makers definition is something like 6 ounces which is more akin to a "tea cup" since that's what most people drank coffee from back in the day before coffee mugs took off in the 60s.
 
The GE potbellies had that well that created a deeper pool for the perking process. Vacuum pots like the Coffeemaster were able to successfully brew as few as two cups because all of the water went up to the brewing bowl.

Have you tried searching eBay for your perk? I use the term "vintage" and get great results.
 
Bought a GE potbelly!

Excited for when it arrives; I liked the look as well as the ability to control strength and warm vs brew settings.

Been playing with my 56 liberator timed oven and timed outlet and both seem to work great! Can’t wait to wake up to the smell of coffee already brewing!
 
Congrats Christopher! Share some pictures when you get it and would be good to hear how you find the coffee.

As I mentioned before, definitely recommend buying some of those 4 cup basket style coffee filters to use in the coffee basket. Just poke a hole in the bottom and they fit perfectly over the stem. You can fold over the excess filter at the top a bit to create a "pouch of coffee" in the basket if you like as well. Makes clean-up much easier and you barely get any grounds of coffee in your finished product.

My grandmother had one of these as well and I remember her putting a tiny pinch of salt to the coffee grounds before starting the perc so I've always done that as well. Its so little you don't taste it at all but apparently it makes a smoother cup in the percolators.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Perc basket flat filter disks are available with a hole for the stem to go thru. My folks had and I still have their GE pot belly perk. They got it when I was a tyke, so probably in the late 50s or early 60s
 
Christopher,

Having owned and used at least 25 different electric percolators and another 25 or more stove top percolators I found that on some that had very small holes in the basket it would sometimes be better to not use one of the disc paper filters because it could slow down the draining of the coffee back into  the pot causing the grounds to overflow up through the lid on the basket, thereby defeating the whole purpose of the filter in the first place.  In these percolators I’d simply wet the inside of the basket before adding the coffee grounds.  It’s a trial and error learning curve to get the very best brew out of each individual percolator.  If memory serves me correctly the holes in GE Potbelly percs are fairly small.

 

 If you can remember how perked coffee used to taste in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and liked that particular taste I found the Maxwell House Colombian coffee came closest to that nostalgic coffee experience. 

 

When brewing the minimum number of cups in an electric percolator its especially important to have the coffee draining freely so you can extract the maximum flavor from the coffee because the brew time will be shorter than it is for a full pot since the shut off time for high heat needed to perk the coffee is thermostatically limited.  The more rapidly max temp is reached the sooner the percolator will cycle off to the keep warm setting.

 

Hope you’ll enjoy your new toy!  If you do odds are that you’ll  want to get another, and maybe more.  It can be a very fun collecting and using hobby.

 

Eddie

 
 

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