Do you remember electric coffee makers? Percolators were the primary method of brewing coffee for over 100 years and were gradually replaced by the automatic drip coffee maker in the 1970s. American James Mason is credited with being the first to patent an electric coffee maker on December 26, 1865, now known as National Coffee Pot Day. Although this day was originally designed to celebrate percolator coffeewe can extend that celebration to include various applications from the percolator.

Finding a percolator is quite simple. Gently used percolators can be found at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and possibly in your own (or your parent’s or grandparent’s) attic. The new percolators are available from sporting goods stores to high-end kitchen stores and everything in between. Percolators are electric or non-electric and come in clear glass, ceramic, enamel, or stainless steel. Percolators also come in all sizes, with some making up to 55 cups.

Experts disagree on the best method to clean this appliance. Some people use dish detergent, but most suggest avoiding soap, emphasizing a more natural method of cleaning. Soap often leaves a soapy residue. Coffee contains an oil that can build up over time and affect the taste of your coffee. Fortunately, a percolator is almost self-cleaning, like an oven.

To clean, fill the coffee pot with water and 2-3 tablespoons of baking powder or cream of tartar. El, let him cheer up! After the water has cooled, scrub it down with a non-abrasive tool, such as a plastic scouring pad.

Activity 1: Make percolator coffee

This ancient method of brewing coffee is making a comeback, and National Percolator Day provides us with an opportunity to learn more about and/or review this method of brewing coffee. Once again, coffee lovers seem to have split into two camps: those who extol the virtues of percolator coffee and those who avoid it altogether, claiming that coffee made this way is bitter. In this world of quick and easy pod coffee, the coffee maker almost seems out of place. Brewing a good cup of coffee in a coffee maker is an art, as it is with any coffee maker. Patience and time are necessary to prevent the coffee from “burning”. The steps to make traditional coffee are the following:

Step 1. Start with a clean appliance. Old coffee grounds left in an unwashed coffee pot result in bitter-tasting coffee. Disassemble and clean all parts with each use.

Step 2. Choose a coffee with a coarse grind, low acidity and very smooth. While it is ideal to grind the coffee beans themselves, it is not necessary. The coarse grind allows the flavor to be released slowly during the recovery period.

Step 3. Water does affair. Be aware of the mineral content of your water, as minerals can affect the flavor of the coffee. Fill the coffeemaker with cold, filtered water, noting the desired level on the markings on the side of the coffeemaker.

Step 4. Measure coffee accurately, adding 1 heaping scoop to the basket for each 8-ounce cup.

Step 5. This step is very important to avoid an extremely hot mess later: carefully place the basket lid on the basket, snapping it into place. Otherwise, hot water and coffee beans will get into the coffee maker. Then add the top of the percolator, also important.

Step 6. If you are using an electric coffee maker, plug it in and turn it on. If you are using a non-electric percolator, place it on low heat and watch! As soon as the first squirt of coffee hits the glass bubble in the lid, turn the heat down. Avoid letting the water boil.

Step 7. Perk time varies. When the heating stops, the coffee is finished, so remove it from the heat. For the stovetop percolator, this is a good place to experiment. Some coffee drinkers allow their coffee to perfect for 2 minutes, others up to 8 minutes. While you wait, add hot water to a thermal carafe to warm it up.

Step 8. Take care! Avoid getting burned while removing the lid and the entire basket system. A silicone glove or potholder is a great way to prevent burns.

Step 9. Pour into a coffee mug and enjoy! Pour the remaining coffee into a carafe to keep warm.

Another favorite percolator coffee recipe is Swedish coffee. As before, add the water and place the basket in the pot, then add the coarse ground coffee. Next, crack a raw egg right into the basket; yes, add it to ground coffee. Add the egg shell as well. Add a pinch of salt, mix and prepare as above. Swedish coffee lacks the sometimes bitter taste of scented coffee, resulting in a more subtle, less intense flavor.

Activity 2: Elaboration of percolator punches

Alright, this isn’t really coffee, but it uses a coffee pot and it’s a great way to celebrate this holiday.

Here’s a spicy punch:

1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

1/3 teaspoon red cinnamon candies

1-2 cinnamon sticks

6-8 whole teeth

3 tablespoons cranberry juice

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

3-4 tablespoons water

Thoroughly clean the coffee maker, making sure to remove all coffee residue. For juices and water in the percolator. Place the sugar, candy, cinnamon, and cloves in the basket. Operate the brewer as for coffee. Serve the punch hot.

Here’s another Percolator Percolator:

2 quarts apple cider

cup of brown sugar

teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon of whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

pinch of nutmeg

teaspoon of salt

1 orange, cut into wedges, with peel

Pour the apple cider into a 10 to 12 cup electric percolator and place the remaining ingredients in the basket. Cover up and cheer up!

Activity 3: Planter with percolator

Here’s another “no coffee” activity for the day: A stovetop (non-electric) percolator makes a whimsical pot that’s perfect for the kitchen, deck, or dining room. Why not paint the pot for a child’s room? The fastest way to convert a legacy percolator into a planter is to slide a small plant in a plastic pot inside. If not, buy an insert to support the soil and plant, allowing for drainage. Then fill the liner with equal parts potting soil, peat, and perlite, and add plants. A clear glass stovetop percolator could be made into a terrarium.

Activity 4: Percolator Vase

This activity is the perfect way to use up that old coffeepot that’s been sitting in the attic, the one that may seem too old to use for coffee: add dried flowers. Or, if the coffee pot is ceramic or enameled, add fresh flowers.

Activity 5: Percolator lamp

How about adding a little nostalgia to your kitchen, den, breakfast nook, or guest room? Turn that old coffee pot into a lamp! Here is a video explaining how to do it.

Celebrating National Percolator Day

National Percolator Day not only celebrates the day the percolator was first patented, it also celebrates a way of life that no longer exists. This celebration can range from admiring an antique, heirloom, or whimsical decoration or lamp in a coffee pot to relaxing with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Despite the difficulty of “perking up” that perfect cup of coffee with a coffee maker, many coffee lovers have refused to give up their coffee makers and enjoy strong coffee with a distinctive flavor. Others choose coffee makers for health reasons: Coffee makers have no plastic parts, so they avoid chemicals that leach out of the plastics when they come into contact with hot water.

This year, why not try the coffee maker? There may be one hidden in your or your grandparents’ attic. If you can’t find one in any of those places, there are still plenty of models available to buy. Fill it with cold water, add some coarse ground coffee, making sure to smell that delicious aroma, add your heat source, sit back and listen as your coffee makes that distinctive “reviving” sound.