What Is Percolator Coffee?

• A percolator is a stove top or electric pot similar to a double-boiler. These special pots have a tall, cylindrical body and removable strainer designed to hold coffee grounds above boiling water. As the pot heats up, the water level rises and liquid is filtered through the coffee grounds in the strainer. This filtration process is called percolating. When brewing is complete the grounds are removed and discarded, leaving a pot of perked coffee.
  
  

What Is Drip Coffee?

• Drip coffee makers also act as percolators as they filter hot water through coffee grounds. There are three main components to a drip coffee maker: the reservoir, filter and pot. The coffee maker works by heating water from a storage reservoir and straining it into a pot through a filter of grounds. Manual drip coffee makers lack a reservoir and heating elements; they are essentially funnels that hold a coffee filter above a pot.
  
  

Considerations

• Stove top percolators and drip coffee makers are both easy to use. Stove top percolators can have more parts to clean; drip coffee makers usually have a fixed assembly, making it difficult to clean thoroughly. They both require 1 to 2 tbsp. of coffee grounds for every 6 oz. of water, so there is no difference in material cost. Differences in energy costs are negligible unless you are comparing automatic and manual methods -- e.g., an electric drip machine with a built-in timer uses much more energy than a manual drip coffee maker.
  
  

Is One Better?

• Brewing coffee is all about measurement: the age of the beans, the size of the grind, the temperature of the water, the extraction time. If all of these elements can be measured and controlled, a brewer can produce a superior cup of joe. In terms of controlling these factors, manual drip coffee machines are best because they enable you to heat the water yourself -- more control, meaning better coffee. The ideal temperature for extracting oils from coffee grounds is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, just below boiling. Stove top percolators are usually too hot, while automatic drip machines tend to run a little cold.