Meant to be?

Continuing the coffee talk from yesterday…

I started out by looking up percolators on Amazon to see what reviewers had to say. It was interesting that many of the reviewers noted that the newer percolators (usually made in China) don’t last very long, and that the old made-in-the-USA ones were much better.

Aha. Maybe I could pick up a vintage percolator at a local thrift store or antiques store? I decided to take a look at eBay to see what kind of prices they were selling for.

I typed in “vintage percolator”, and what to my wondering eyes should appear as the first item on the list – with the auction ending in a mere 90 minutes?

A vintage Sears percolator, in a bright yellow that looked surprisingly similar to the newly-painted walls in the kitchen and sunroom. How could I resist? I figured that even if the coffee doesn’t end up being much good, I can always use it to heat water for tea.

And yes, it really does match the walls.

As for the coffee, the jury’s still out. My first pot was made with some Columbian coffee I had on hand. I thought it came out pretty good, but a little strong (I did put in more coffee than I use for the drip machine).

For the second pot, I used the Folgers Decaf that is what Larry prefers. (Yes, I know… but actually, for decaf, it’s not that bad.) The results were not so great – I found it a little bitter. I thought the strength was good, but Mr. Weak Decaf Larry thought it was still a little too strong.

The third pot was decaf again, using the same amount of coffee I’d use in the drip machine. Larry was pretty happy with it, but I found it way too weak and still a bit bitter.

Since the first pot I made with the regular coffee was pretty good, I think I’ll stop trying the decaf in it, and just stick with the regular coffee and see if I can find a good balance of amount of grounds and brew strength (there’s a dial from “mild” to “strong”). I’ll probably also try some taste-offs between the drip coffee, the siphon-brewed coffee, and the perked coffee.