Party Percolator Question

[dalangdon]

We had a neighborhoond meeting yesterday to talk about a grant we got from the city to improve our neighborhood staircases (our neighborhood is built on a series of bluffs, and we have four cul-de-sacs that have staircases down to the next avenue)

Anyway, I got tapped to provide coffee, so I pulled out my party percolators (Cory "Buffet Queens". The irony is not lost on me) and got to work. That got me to wondering what the little control wheels where you can change from light to dark actually do. (In my case, they are stuck, so they don't do anything, but in an ideal world, how do they control the darkness of the coffee?)

Here's my buffet queens, modeling with some other beauties.

 

[maytagbear]

Wow

What a nice display of host(ess) helpers, Dan!

I'm just guessing that the wheel would lengthen or shorten perking time.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[scott55405]

That would be my guess too, although I don't really know for sure, and I always wondered why some percolators had them and some not, but they all gave good results. Methinks it's more a gimmick to add coolness factor and give you the feeling of being in control.

I've seen the Buffet Queens on Ebay, and have declared that I must at some point have one as well! Very nice collection!

 

[oxydolfan]

Does your warming tray have the old smoked plastic cover with the hole in the top?

(I wish I hadn't given mine away!)

 

[dalangdon]

nope, no cover tray - that would be fun.

What I would really like to get ahold of is one of the Salton serving carts. I used to have the very basic one, but the Salton "After you cookbook" shows one with all kinds of pull-out drawers and condiment holders and removable trays and the like. Very glam.

 

[veg-o-matic]

The strength control just opens up the thermostat a little so the perc will run longer. I guess it would make the coffee a little hotter as well (though with my P/S, setting it any higher than medium would turn the coffee to lava!) Consumer Reports always said to put the control on dark and leave it there.

Love those appliances, Dan!

veg

 

[dalangdon]

My dirty little secret...

It's always funny to me that whenever I make coffee in the party perks (with their permanent settings, whatever they are), I always get compliments.

Granted, I would never do it for a dinner party (French press always impresses people) but for any kind of gathering for more than 12 people, it's party perks, loaded with Folgers, all the way. After all, we're NOT made of money. If they want designer coffee, they can take it downtown.

And everyone in Seattle is supposed to be a coffee snob.... ;-)

 

[maytagbear]

Dirty little coffee secrets

1) Freshly drawn, good tasting, cool water. Since a cup of coffee is 90% (or so) water, this would seem to be a "no-brainer," but...... If your tap water tastes nasty, get a Brita or a big bottle of water. (I'm in favour of Brita, PuR, and the like more than bottled water, but that's just me.) Plus, Kent's city water is very decent tasting.

2) Truly Fresh coffee. Freshness matters as much as lineage of the beans, maybe more so. I'd rather have freshly opened shelf coffee (Folger's, Maxwell....) than tired, air-exposed "gourmet" coffee.

For medical reasons, I have to drink decaf, and not a lot of it. Makes me sad. At my peak, I was drinking about 32-48 ounces of coffee delight daily.

I don't drink a lot of coffee anymore, so I make sure it's good. Brewing method does make a difference, but water and freshness are not to be dismissed lightly.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Where you set the knob depends on the percolator. Some of them get too hot when set all the way to 'stronger'. If the coffee approaches boiling temperature it will taste burnt. Contrary to the belief of the gormet crowd, a proper percolator does NOT boil the coffee.

Having a knob also allows you to adjust for the thermostat aging. My new (old) Sunbeam works well when set right in the middle(see link).

Ken

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