644512 Thu Aug 13 16:28:26 -0700 2009 4 41 Cookware 0 4944768 A coffee percolator is a type of pot used to brew coffee. Coffee percolators have been long used and since old times have enjoyed great popularity. Recently, percolated coffee has been largely replaced by the French press, the drip brewer and espresso machines. Coffee percolators work by boiling water going up through a central tube and filtering back down through a basket of ground coffee beans. It is preferably used when coffee is served at the table. Percolators are usually made of aluminum or stainless steel. There are three main types of coffee percolators electric, stovetop and microwave. Thu Aug 13 16:28:27 -0700 2009 1101533 rahulforp 1 4945390 the more you know.... (cue rainbow) Thu Aug 13 20:41:15 -0700 2009 4944768 116513 linguafood 2 4946061 This site tends to agree with her/him http://www.coffee-percolators.com/ Fri Aug 14 07:30:45 -0700 2009 4945390 154622 Paulustrious 1 4946422 rahulforp: "Recently, percolated coffee has been largely replaced by the French press, the drip brewer(,) and espresso machines." Yes, and for a reason: if the percolator is not the very worst method to brew coffee, then someone is going to have to come forward to suggest another method that could knock the percolator off its throne. (Pod brewing, are you ready for the challenge?) The link that Paulustrious supplies to the contrary notwithstanding, percolators recycle already brewed coffee repeatedly through the grounds until the desired strength is achieved. In order to do that, the not-yet-strong-enough coffee that has passed through the grounds at least once is boiled -- or brought to a temperature very near boiling -- at the bottom of the pot to impel it up the siphon tube. Do you want to kill just-brewed coffee? Here is the most efficient method: boil it; but that is just what a percolator does every time it is used to brew coffee. (At Paulustrious's link, http://www.coffee-percolators.com/what-is-coffee-percolator.html, the authors expand the definition of "percolator" to include a brewing device that "...forces boiling water under pressure through the grounds into a separate chamber." The category for the latter kind of device is "espresso machine." I think it is not useful to include espresso machines under the category of "percolator," but that's just me.) Fri Aug 14 09:36:49 -0700 2009 4944768 278068 Politeness 1 4947465 did I miss the question? Fri Aug 14 16:05:14 -0700 2009 4944768 11003 chipman