Electric percolator that keeps the coffee hot

October 24, 2020 9:42 AM

Looking for recommendations for an electric percolator that has a sufficiently long perc cycle, and then keeps the coffee hot afterwards.

I used to have a pretty old General Electric percolator that worked great for many years -- that is, until the cats knocked it off the counter and broke it. Since then, I've purchased a Presto percolator and a Hamilton Beach one. They were both rated very well on Amazon, but I wasn't happy with either one. The problem was the same: the perc cycle was too short, and the coffee wasn't hot enough. On top of that, they both failed after a couple of years (can't blame the cats for this one).

I'm looking for something in the range of 12 cup-size. Cost isn't really an issue, within reason.

posted by alex1965 to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

I drank coffee from a Technivorm thermal carafe for many years and *loved* the product. https://technivorm.com/products/thermal/

Fresh ground, freshly roasted beans are important. I’ve set up two software labs and specified Technivorms for both and got great reviews.
posted by ccoryell at 10:07 AM on October 24, 2020

Point of order: you want an actual old-style percolator yes? And those are not at all like an auto-drip coffee maker like the (nice) technivorm linked above. I like percolators too but when I last looked 10-15 years ago, there weren't many options. So I'll be watching this thread with interest.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:17 AM on October 24, 2020

Response by poster: Yes, an old-style percolator. Also, the prices on those Technivorm machines are out of range of what I would consider reasonable (i.e., less than $100).
posted by alex1965 at 10:21 AM on October 24, 2020

Corning made a very interesting percolator where the immersible heating unit was completely encapsulated and you lowered it into the porcelain pot with a snorkel-like arrangement for the power connection.

I bought a couple some time ago for the heating unit, and they were very elegant and fulfill your requirements perfectly, though I think it switches from brew to warm when the coffee reaches the boiling point as measured by a sensor in the immersed heating unit.
posted by jamjam at 10:55 AM on October 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

Right now 48 GE percolators are listed on eBay. Maybe one is the same model as your late belated favorite? If not, you could set up an alarm for it. I think retired percolators in good shape are are sitting in many a kitchen cabinet and eventually make their way to eBay. It's worth a shot.
posted by carmicha at 3:25 AM on October 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Farberwear percolators reign supreme in my family. I’m not sure how long a cycle you’re looking for but I’ve never had a problem with the coffee quality in mine and it always seems hella hot to me!
posted by stefnet at 3:30 AM on October 25, 2020

I just bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-PK8000SS-Coffee-Percolator-Stainless/dp/B00AZSZX40/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3GVT8J9ARLM7P&dchild=1&keywords=coffee+perkerlator+electric&qid=1603640867&sprefix=coffee+perk%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-8

I'm very happy with it.
posted by james33 at 8:49 AM on October 25, 2020

Best answer: I ended up getting a Gastrorag 12-cup percolator from Amazon. It works better than the old Hamilton Beach one. The coffee stays hotter, though I still feel like the perk cycle could be longer. They're both allegedly the same size (12 cups), but the Gastrorag is actually significantly bigger.
posted by alex1965 at 2:22 PM on November 23, 2020