Perking coffee -- how long?

The only way I've ever made coffee was in a saucepan on the stove burner. I added about one tablespoon of grounds for one cup of coffee. When done, I'd pour off the liquid into a cup, leaving most of the grounds behind. Made pretty good, strong coffee, which probably contributed to my getting A-Fib eventually. :B

Many years ago (at least 10, if not 15) I bought a 14 cup stainless steel percolator from SportsmansGuide. Surprisingly heavy duty. I guess it is a no-name brand, as the box it came in simply says "14 cup percolator". Has worked great ever since. It will boil over (perc over?) if you don't watch it.

So now I have to ask, what kind of stove top percolator do most of you use? I have always felt the top of the line percolator for camping is the old pre-1968 Revere Ware Stove Top model. When I am making percolator coffee, we turn in down to just perc-able when it starts to perc and let it go for 5 minutes or so and she's bueno!

I have a 20 cup percolator and a 6 cup. I mostly use the 6. What I found works for me is 1tbs coffee per cup. I perc about 6-7 minutes and that's it. From my experience over percing taste bad and also too hot will make it taste burnt.

If you don't use a filter you can get one of those little fine screen strainers that you hold over your mug and just pour through it. Also you can buy beans at most grocery stores and run it coarse through their grinder.

What I found with fine ground coffee is the only way to stop it from overflowing grounds from plugged up basket is to perc it slower. I hang the pot 1/2 way off the flame on lowest heat so it only percs once every 3-5 seconds. Of course a wrap filter fixes that issue entirely.

Also in a pinch you can use regular coffee filters too, the wavy kind. Just wet the middle and run it down over the stem into the basket. Then wet the rest of the filter and it will suck to the bottom of the basket. Fill with grounds then fold in just like a wrap minus the holes. It works okay. Usually I just perc no filter and then run the last cup through the mesh strainer to catch the grounds.

Edit: I almost forgot!!! If you don't use a filter wet the basket first before you put the grounds in. It really does help keep them from getting in the water.

I've made Camp Fire Coffee for years. Never timed it.
If I timed it it would be in the neighborhood of... Perk about 5 minutes...
Move it off the main flame to a (Low Heat) for 5 minutes)
Let settle 3-5 minutes.
Makes strong Coffee.

It's still so hot it will scorch your mouth.

I use the Melitta Coffee Filter Wraps. I buy a case(520 Wraps) which works out to 4 cents a filter and that case lasts about a year. The wrap contains most of the grounds and makes clean up quite a bit easier.

I also brew for about 9-10 minutes and coffee comes out perfect for me.

Tom Trostel wrote:
Kroger sells "Wrap Coffee Filters" like Johnson said. Much like standard filters but thinner. Today, most people use drip machines so coffee companies sell their product ground fine. It will stop up the holes in most perk baskets. I make coffee for 2 rv rallies per year and average 250 cups per morning. I always use filters in my four 30 cup electric perks.

I think this is related... one thing that happens often with my stovetop percolator is that it will overflow - I have to watch it when it first begins perking. I think this is related to coffee "plugging" up the basket. I think I need to try a paperfilter in the basket.

Pour the coffee in a mug. Stick a spoon in it. If it stands straight up on its own, its ready to drink. :)

Kroger sells "Wrap Coffee Filters" like Johnson said. Much like standard filters but thinner. Today, most people use drip machines so coffee companies sell their product ground fine. It will stop up the holes in most perk baskets. I make coffee for 2 rv rallies per year and average 250 cups per morning. I always use filters in my four 30 cup electric perks.

seaeagle2 wrote:
Anybody else use a filter in the basket ?

Yes, I use a Brew-Rite filter, called a wrap-around style. This is a square sheet of filter paper, with prepunched holes in the center and the corners. Place the center hole over the tube in the middle of the basket, push the filter down into the basket, add coffee, fold the corners of the filter inward and slide the corner holes down over the center tube. Add the water diffuser plate over the top of the basket as normal, and perk. 8 minutes later, coffee is done, and after it cools a bit, the grounds and filter can easily be dumped out of the basket. Love 'em.