I just emptied the basket and washed off my old stove-top percolator, and I thought about this thread,
which has been back in the archives for a while. If anyone is intrigued by the percolator idea, here are
suggestions. Be sure to grind the beans on the percolator setting so they are coarse. I think using finer
ground beans makes the coffee bitter, but a coarse grind will eliminate this almost entirely. Don't use
the standard pre-ground coffee; it is ground too fine, for drip brew coffee makers mostly. I don't like
custom upscale flavored coffee so much. I will just go with the grocery blend, French Roast, if it's offered.
This tends to have a more robust flavor and still be bright tasting. If you are having trouble finding a
stove-top percolator, you can get them through catalogs, something like Vermont Country Store. I find
the small "6-cup" model, that makes about two big trucker's mugs for me, is about right, unless you
are brewing for others too. I enjoy coffee brewed many different ways. I don't have to take my pot along
when I travel. I enjoy sampling espresso, drip brewed, French press, etc. But after all the different coffee,
and all the years, I am always drawn back to the stove-top perc. Even an electric percolator isn't quite the
same. I feel I can taste the difference. The little stove-top pot just makes the best-tasting brew.
