Percolator/coffee maker collection

[vintage1963]

Those Sunbeams are beautiful

John,
Thank you for sharing your collection. I really enjoyed looking at what you have. I like the Sunbeam percolators but so far I don't have one of my own.

 

[justjunque]

Okay. I now have the trifecta in the works.
Two percolators arrived today.
The GE, which I thought would be an only child for a little while.
But, I found another one on the list, bought it, and it arrived quicker than expected.
Yes...it's a Sunbeam AP10. And I can't believe the condition it's in! I paid up for it, but man...it's beautiful!
And then, Saturday afternoon, I'll be picking up the Universal.
After a cleaning, I'll try making coffee in all of them.
The GE needs more cleaning than the Sunbeam, as it's sort of dark inside. It may be aluminum, as Eddie predicted. Is there a way I can tell for sure? Magnet test? Would a magnet stick to stainless steel?
I'll break out the cream of tartar this weekend, and see how they turn out.
Speaking of Eddie:
You mentioned making sure the well where the perk stem sits is clean.
Is there something specific I should do to clean it, or would the cream of tartar process be sufficient?

Barry

 

[lordkenmore]

>Those Sunbeams are beautiful

Thanks!

And you're most welcome for the photos--glad you enjoyed them!

 

[ea56]

Barry,

congratulations on your new acquisitions! Hope you will enjoy them all.

A magnet won’t stick on aluminum, but it should stick to SS.

To keep the stem well clean just be sure to clean it with your dishrag or sponge every time you wash the inside of the pot. The Proctor Silex Lifetime Glass perks used to include a “cleaning key”, that was a plastic tool with a groove that you placed a piece of a material like Scotch Brite, and you were instructed to use this to scrub out the stem well. Keeping the well free of build up allows the thermostat to work more effectively, and brew a hotter pot of coffee.

Eddie

 

[lordkenmore]

>My grandmother always used a percolator
>My mom on the other hand has only once had a percolator

I'm old enough that percolators were still probably the common default choice when I was young. I know my mother had at least one percolator. I can't remember it, but I can vaguely recall when it got replaced by a Mr. Coffee when the glass bulb broke, and there was apparently no replacement readily available that fit it. I guess my parents decided just buy the Mr. Coffee and have something again, rather than find a bulb. (Ironically, this was when percolators wer common in the 70s. As of a few years ago, when they weren't so common, I knew of a local hardware store that had universal fit bulbs.)

One of my grandmothers moved to drip coffee pots. Yet I got the feeling towards the end of her life that at the least she still had a soft spot for percolators. Between that, and some other factors, I've wondered if she didn't embrace drip because it was trendy/fashionable/accepted in her circle/whatever.

I had a percolator when I was a teenager, which was never used...until my grandmother came out, saw it, liked it, and wanted it used--and so suddenly the Melitta was collecting dust...

 

[lordkenmore]

Would a magnet stick to stainless steel?

Not necessarily. Which is why one hears suggestions about taking a magnet along when shopping for stainless steel cookware to be used on induction stoves.

I just checked a few of my percolators. (Hmmm...excuse for too many percolators: a large sample size to answer questions like this. LOL) Only a metal band on a CorningWare seemed to be magnetic, and it was what I'd consider fairly weakly magnetic.

 

[justjunque]

At the risk of getting banished, I have to ask.
Does anyone have any experience with current electric percolators?
Specifically, there is a twelve cup Presto on Amazon, that has a ton of positive reviews.
And, the nice thing about it is that it's all stainless steel; including the stem and basket.
I don't think it has any mild/strong adjustment. Just plug it in and it perks.
It does have the nifty indicator light for when the coffee is ready. I'm weird that way. I like when they have lights.

Barry

 

[ea56]

Do Not, I repeat DO NOT buy a new electric percolator! They are all CRAP, made in China, with thermostats that fail after very little use. Over the last 20 years I have purchased at least 5 or 6 new electric perks, hoping for a positive outcome, with no luck. Each of them were returned. This happened with a couple of Farberware’s, a Hamilton Beach, a Presto and a Melitta.

You’ll have better luck buying a vintage electric perk, and if possible get one NIB. Stainless Steel is the better choice, but an aluminum electric perk can be OK too. One of the best I’ve ever owned and used was a Mirro-Matic., and it was aluminum. Coffee was always good and hot, and stayed hot as long as plugged in, and the basket had fine holes so very few grounds made it into the coffee, even without a paper filter disk. And the coffee is richer flavored without a paper filter disk.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 11/8/2019-16:09]

 

[lordkenmore]

I'd be leery of a modern percolator. I've heard enough horror stories about ones that don't last. I'd be more comfortable with gambling on vintage, and they aren't that hard to come by. I saw a stainless steel percolators this week at Goodwill for $7. Plus this percolator, unlike current many percolators, has a glass bulb. Call me simple minded, but I like seeing the percolation in action. It's at least more entertaining than network TV. LOL

You can also call me cynical: but I wonder how good some modern percolators would be at the basic job of making coffee. I can see a company rushing a product out to sell on "nostalgia", and forgetting to bother with practical coffee pot engineering.

 

[lordkenmore]

Melitta

It's odd thinking they even made a percolator! My mother got one of their drip pots in the 80s, and I seem to recall they were really, really committed to the cone drip system (which they apparently invented). Based on my perhaps flawed memory/perception, it's strange they'd be interested in any other coffee pot technology.

 

[ea56]

Everybody is interested in making money, and back about 10-12 years ago when there was a brief period of nostalgia for electric perks Melitta jumped on the bandwagon and offered one. Check out ebay, there are lots of them to be had.

I think they may have been manufactured by Salton, and were very much like the Farberware crap from China.

If you want a decent Farberware, always look at where it was made, if its China, keep looking. The genuine Farberware electric perks were made in Brooklyn and Yonkers, and perhaps another city in New York.

Eddie

 

[justjunque]

Oh, I'm definitely more drawn to the vintage percs.
Just, after seeing so many positive reviews for the Presto on Amazon, I wondered if anyone here had any personal experience.
Eddie, i guess you have!
I'm still looking forward to cleaning up my newly acquired vintage ones and seeing how they perform.
Even though the wife took some of the wind out of my sails by her reaction to my bringing more "stuff" into the house.
I'm going to try to let it roll off my back, and enjoy them anyway.
Unbeknownst to her, I have one more GE Immersible coming. It looks nice, but needs a cord. Can anyone advise me on how to get the right one for it?

Barry

 

[ea56]

The cord from any of your other electric perc’s should fit the GE Immersible that’s on its way. But you should also be able to get one at True Value Hardware or o ebay. These are very common cords. The only electric perc’s that use a different cord are the very old one’s from the 20’s thru the early 40’s, (they have a larger size end that plugs into the pot) or some of the Corning Ware Electric perc’s, which have a very small end that plugs into the pot heating element.

Eddie

 

[justjunque]

Thanks, Eddie.

I didn't know if I had to find one with any specific ratings for wattage, voltage, gauge, etc.
I may take an existing cord to the local hardware store today and see if I can pick up a couple, just to have on hand.

Barry

 

[gansky1]

Great pics, you have a very good selection of coffee makers.  In reply #23, the glass bowl looks like a Corning drip maker, it fits on the medium (?) or large pot to make drip coffee.  The coffee goes into the chamber below the glass bowl and hot water is poured in.  There was a black plastic plug/stopper with a long handle that closed the opening until you were ready to begin brewing.  My grandmother had one of these and used it for years, one of her favorite coffee makers.  

 

[lordkenmore]

>Great pics, you have a very good selection of coffee makers.

Thanks!

> In reply #23, the glass bowl looks like a Corning drip maker, it fits on the medium (?) or large pot to make drip coffee.

I've found no brand names. But, yes, there coffee filter assembly under the top bowl, and a plastic plug (which I forgot to include in the photo) for the top bowl.

The plug is a nice idea--one can carefully pour hot water to one of the markings to get a consistent amount from pot to pot. Then pull the plug to start the brewing process.

I seem to recall being aware of this kind of drip maker...and was happy when it turned up in a thrift store.

 

[justjunque]

Well, I met with the Craigslist seller and picked up the Universal today.
It looks better than I was expecting. Because I always stress over everything, and I expect things to be worse than described.
I'm trying to give them an exterior cleaning right now, then I'll try doing the cream of tartar cleaning on the insides.
Eddie; I think you're right. Just based on how much lighter weight the GE is, I believe it's all aluminum.
The chrome look of the outside made me think it was stainless.
Any idea if the handle and base are plastic or Bakelite?
If my phone will let me take a picture or two, I promise I'll post at least one group shot of them, once they're a little more presentable.

Barry

 

[ea56]

Barry,

Most of the Universal electric perks were chrome plated copper, thats why it’s so heavy. And the chrome lining on the inside of many of these pots has worn away over time, I believe primarily from the acidity of the coffee that was brewed inside them. You want to be very careful cleaning anything that is copper lined. My very first electric perk was a beautiful Universal Coffeematic that I bought at the Salvation Army for $3.00 in 1972. It made really good coffee and I used it for about 7 years then gave it to my sister and she gave it to her MIL who used it at least until 1982. There was some copper that showed thru the lining inside the pot, but as they say on Tobacco Road,”It didn’t hurt the run’in if it none”, and no one ever got sick from the coffee brewed in it.

Eddie

 

[justjunque]

Actually, it's the GE that I'm wondering if the handle and base are Bakelite or just plastic.
As far as the inside of the Universal, I don't see any trace of anything that looks like copper. It's just sort of a dull metal color.
For that one, do you think cream of tartar is still my best bet for cleaning the inside?

Barry

 

[ea56]

It’s good that you aren’t seeing any copper showing thru the inside of the pot. Use the Cream of Tartar and you should get it nice and clean. Don’t expect that it will be shiny when you’re thru, but any old coffee stains and rancid oils should come out with the cleaning. Have fun and good luck!

The handle on the GE is most likely not bakelite due to its age. It was probably made between the late 60’s to early 80’s and by that time I don’t believe that bakelite was being used much anymore for appliance handles, but I could be wrong.

Eddie