I've been doing a lot of reading...

...on the Hario Skerton grinder. My girlfriend gave me a gift card for William Sonoma for Christmas, so I figure I'll retire my faithful old Zassenhaus and try one of these new-fangled gadgets. I know I'll have to mod it (not for grinding coarse, but to prolong its life by keeping the shaft centered), but I like fiddlin' with stuff. I need to get my hands on it first to best figure out what needs to be done (delivery date is Jan 5).

I run across lots of...opinions...about what is needed to make a good cup of coffee. One fella says "You need a scale. Period." I've been using the scoop that came with my Bodum French press for the past 6 or 7 years, and I've done just fine. I thought about getting a scale, but not for what they're selling for. I've measured the temperature of my water, but more out of curiosity than need. When it comes to a boil, I turn off the heat, simple as that. Sometimes I let the grinds bloom, sometimes I don't (it does look kinda cool). The only real facts I've discovered when brewing is:

Use the right amount of hot water (11 ounces).
Use the right amount of good beans (two scoops).
Use clean stuff.
Combine all three for sufficient time (depending upon the method used).

After nine years, I've developed what works best for me. Your mileage may vary.

(Four days later...)

Let the modding begin.

Vintage Durobor...is it...

...a press pot or a pour-over?

Stainless steel Durobor flanked by the lower & upper aluminum model

  From what I've found online, this is supposed to be the correct method to brew using one of these things. I did experiment, after doing this video, with actually *pressing* after letting the grinds bloom. Nope, not the way to do it. Much better results by placing the press piece on top of the grounds, *then* pouring the water in. Acts the same as a spreader in a dripolator. Anyway, if you get one of these, play around with it and see what you can do.

In my personal collection...

...I've tried to acquire as many different types of brewing devices as there are. So far, I have:

(1) 1930s-era Silex 8-cup vacuum pot
(9) 2- to 8-cup dripolators, ranging from pre-WWI to 1960s
(5) percolators, from a late-'40s Pyrex Flameware 4-cup to a modern 3-cup Rapid Brew
(3) 6-cup moka pots: 2 aluminum Bialettis and a stainless steel Vev Vigano
(2) "stove top espresso makers", a 9-cup Via Veneto CX-25 (older model) and a 12-cup Vesuviano (1950s-60s?)
(2) Napoletanas ("flip pots")
Various other devices, such as Durobor press pots, pour-overs, a French press, an Aeropress, the "Ideal" immersion pot, and (3) auto-drip machines. I'm up to 34 so far, and have a few coffee-related items such as this demitasse cup & saucer...

Ter Steege BV Delft Blauw

A '50s Inland carafe and warmer stand...

A William Rogers & Son sugar bowl (with non-matching spoon), $2 at a flea market...

 

Not really coffee-related, but for 50 cents, I couldn't pass it up...

 

1930's "Kellogg's Correct Cereal Creamer"

I used to have a ton of coffee cups, old restaurant china from like the '50s & '60s. That heavy stuff that would break a toe if you dropped it. Homer Laughlin and Fire King were my favorites; but I also had Shenago, Jackson, and Buffalo. Cups, mugs, saucers, plates, gravy boats, platters, and creamers. I might have a dozen mugs left, if that many. One Homer Laughlin mug I use for shaving (yes, I still use a brush and a '70s Gillette double-edge adjustable). I also have a huge Faberware 36-cup urn (no guts, though) and a Bunn single warmer.

I think the oddest piece I have is a little (tea?) kettle I found in an antique shop outside of Wimberley a couple of years ago...

 The only markings are "18-8 Stainless Steel Made in Japan" on the bottom. A cylindrical wire mesh filter snaps onto the lid, and fits to within like 3/16" from the bottom. I'm thinking this is more for brewing loose-leaf tea than for coffee, but could be used with a fairly coarse grind. I couldn't find another like it anywhere on the interwebz, though. One-of-a-kind? It would be cool if it was.
   

"The 'Perfect' Cup of Coffee"...

...doesn't exist. Sorry, all you YouTube coffeshops/roasters/"baristas". That's just a proven statement, because everyone else's tastes don't necessarily jibe with yours.

I don't worry about showing *you* how to brew the "best" or "perfect" cup. I concentrate on showing you how to use these obsolete dinosaurs (and throw in some tips that work for me). It takes time and practice, experimenting with different beans, grinds, and brew times to suit *your* tastes. Frankly, I use the same grind for my Braun as I do with the Wilbur, or my Melitta 101, or my Aeropress, and get the results that suit me just fine. I do make exception when using my French press, of course, and adjust my brewing time accordingly. Just like any other recipe, you tweak it to suit you.

Any one brew method is no better than the other. "Derrrr, Chemex make the best...". For you, maybe. Some folks on Ebay sure are proud of 'em (btw...William Sonoma has the 6-cup for under $40, just sayin'). Even *my* favorite method changes. When I first started using the little Silex 2-cupper, I thought I wouldn't ever use anything else...until I got the Wilbur. So so happens I just finished a cup made with it. When I'm in a hurry, I use the Braun. It's been making a great cup for the past nine years. I may go back in the kitchen in a few minutes and use the Aeropress. Point being, I don't stick with one method. I like to play with my stuff and see what I can concoct. 

Even the roast of the bean. I personally prefer a dark roast, Italian being one of my favorites. But I've found a good Sumatran medium roast that's equally pleasing. Lighter roasts don't grind (by hand) as smooth as darker roasts; I reckon that's due to the oily surfaces on the beans. I'm not a scientist, so I'm just guessing. But I know what *I* like.

So when you watch these videos and some Poindexter pulls out the scale and thermometer, take it with a grain of salt. Just keep your pot clean, use good beans (with a good scoop) and fresh water (just under a boil), and pay attention to what you're doing. Find what works for *you*...then keep working on it.

(Well, I didn't use the Aeropress...but I think I found Wilbur's sweet spot. Yeah. That's the stuff...)

So, you wanna buy...

...an old coffee pot? Cool. But...why? What are you gonna do with it?

Some folks buy old coffee pots to set on a shelf, for decoration. Maybe their kitchen is a rustic design and it fits with the theme. If that's the case, they aren't going to worry that the insides (like the pump & filter assembly in a percolator) are missing. As long as it looks cool and funky, they're good.

(From: Organized Clutter)

Others use old coffee pots as a "canvas", painting and displaying them as works of art...

(From: Follow Pics)

Me? I buy 'em to use. Well, the smaller ones, anyway, seeing how I'm the only coffee drinker in the house, but still. My primary concern is completeness. After all, if I can't brew with it, it's of no use to me. I have made exceptions, of course. Like the 24 ounce/12-cup Vesuviana I found in a bin at Goodwill. It was dirty, the gaskets were shot, and the pot was missing...

...but it was cool and cost me all of $4.26. I cleaned it up, ordered a gasket set from Orphanespresso, and found a pot (albeit a 9-cup) on Ebay. And it works.

Most of the pots I've gotten off Ebay; you learn real quick to research what's available to make sure what you're getting has all the parts. The first (aluminum) Durobor pour-over I bought didn't have the spreader/press plate. I later scored a stainless steel Durobor, but USPS found it necessary to drop-kick it into the back of their truck and broke the glass. Luckily, they were both the same size, so I took the glass from the first one to use with the second.

Condition is a close second; I don't mind a few small dents. They give the piece character. And I expect to have to give it a good cleaning; that's a given. But I'm leery about listings that show only one side, or don't show all the parts. If it's interesting, I'll fire off a question, but most of the time I pass those up. I've always found similar pots in better shape, and sometimes at a better price. The "Ideal" is a perfect example. Many I'd found had pretty rough filter tubes...dented, distorted...so I took the extra time and found one with good tubes and a pretty decent price (about $20). Which leads me to...

...how much is this thing gonna cost me? I don't think I've spent more than $35 on any one pot (and I'll have wanted it it awful bad to pay that much, like the Silex 2-cupper), and for that much, it better be in really good shape with all the parts. I spend quite a bit of time going through listings to see what's up for bid. If I run across one that catches my eye, I keep going to see if there's another, better buy. And there usually is.

I've run across an awful lot of crap on Ebay, too. Look...just because it's old doesn't mean it's valuable. I've seen junk go for more than one that's barely been used (and might even have the original box and instructions). I love the "Oh, I'm not an expert..." line, too. I don't claim to be one, either, but at least I'll find out enough to know if all the parts are there. And some are just so nasty that I'd be ashamed to even list it in the first place. It's an old coffee pot, not an 1882 Carson City Morgan silver dollar. At least rinse it out!   

OK...so I didn't make eight cups...

...I made six.

For being 100 years old, it works pretty good.

The "Ideal" way to brew coffee...

...back in the early 1900's, anyway, was with the "Ideal" Coffee Pot.

Quite a difference a hundred years makes. And as we found out from Jitterbuzz, the "TACUCo" stamp was used from 1901-1925. This pot's stamp...

...adds its patent date as June 10, 1902. It's 10" tall and 6" at the base, about 8 cups. It has an odd filtering system, consisting of two perforated cylinders that fit one inside the other.

The larger (and shorter) cylinder has a lip that rests on a corresponding ridge inside the pot that keeps it about 1/2" off the bottom of the pot. It's also closed at the base, whereas the smaller (and longer) cylinder is open-bottomed.

I was fortunate enough to find instructions to this thing. Ground coffee is place between the two cylinders, and boiling water is poured into the smaller one. Once filled, the pot is placed "where it will keep hot (but not boil) from three to ten minutes (not more than ten minutes)". I reckon that means you could keep it over very low heat until the brewing time is complete.

The only reason I haven't used it yet is I don't want to make a full 8-cup pot.

Another interesting design...

...is the Napoletana, or Neapolitan flip pot. Basically, one pot sitting on top of another, with what looks like a salt shaker between them.

Marked "Made in Italy" and "T.6" ("6 cup"?) on the bottom

Although it has an Italian-sounding name, this gadget was actually invented by a Frenchman by the name of Morize, back in 1819.

The Napoletana consists of a server (the pot with the spout), a boiler (where the water is heated), and a filter (that contains the ground coffee). Simply filler the boiler with water (up to a small weep hole near the top) and place it in the stove. Unscrew the perforated cap of the filter and fill the canister with medium-fine ground coffee, and replace the cap. Place the filter into the boiler, and press the server on top of the boiler. Once water begins to boil, it will start coming out the weep hole; shut off the heat, and flip the whole thing. Gravity does the rest...water slowly flows through the grounds, and the resulting brew drips into the server. Once brewing is finished, remove the boiler/filter, place the lid on the server, and enjoy! Strength of the brew can be adjusted by using a fine grind for a stronger brew, and a coarser grind for a mild brew.

Napoletanas can be made from aluminum, stainless steel, or copper, and range in size from single-serving (or rather, 2-cup, depending on the size of cup used) to (at least) 9-cup (largest I've seen so far). Some have Bakelite handles, while other have simple horizontal wood or metal handles that stick straight out...or a combination of the two. Some even have their own stands and burners...

(Image courtesy http://www.espressomadeinitaly.com )

A modern twist...

...on the pour-over...the Z|E|V|R|O "Incred-A-Brew".

Got this from Bed Bath & Beyond for $20. Simple to use, easy to clean, and makes a good cup of coffee. I'll probably take this along on my next camping trip.

There are some who say...

...the Aeropress is the easiest, bestest way to make coffee.

 
 

Aerobie Aeropress (stock photo)

Granted, it makes a good cup of coffee; what you won't get (regardless of what's printed on the box) is espresso.

Using the Aeropress as per the instructions will produce a coffee concentrate. You then dilute it with hot water, basically making an Americano. That's all fine and dandy, but my Fire King Jadeite D-handle mug is just the right size for this thing to make a good cup using just under one (Aeropress) scoop (which is about 15-17 grams, depending on whose article you're reading), as opposed to the 7 gram Bodum scoop I use for everything else (I've swapped scoops since this video was made). I fill my mug nearly to the top with cold water, dump it in my vintage Sona Ware J901 kettle, and light it up. While the water's heating, I place a filter into the filter holder and wet it. Using the inverted method will give you the best results, and is easier, that the "traditional" method. Stick the plunger section into the brewing chamber just to where the rubber part is completely inside, and turn the whole thing upside-down. Dump in your coffee (I use a medium-fine grind), and pour in just enough hot water to cover the grounds, letting it bloom for 10-15 seconds or so. Or, you can slowly pour in the whole pot, stirring as you go. Twist on the filter cap, and let it steep for as long as what meets your taste. I've been doing 30 seconds, with a 50 second plunge. Make sure you keep a good grip on this thing so it doesn't slip. Plunge away until you hear a soft *hisssss*; this means you've run out of water, and your brew is ready to enjoy. To clean, just twist the filter cap off (the paper filter and coffee grounds, or "puck", will remain in the chamber. Plunge the puck out into the trash and rinse it off. Don't leave the plunger's rubber part in the brewing chamber to ensure it will always fit tightly.

 As with any other method, it takes some trial and error and a bit of tweaking to get your brew to suit your taste. But I must admit...as old-fashioned, hard-headed, and resistant to change that I am, I'm beginning to like what this crazy thing is capable of.

The simplest way to make (good) coffee...

...is with a pour-over. Among my various coffee makers is a vintage (c.1950s?) Melitta 101 3-hole cup-top "Kaffeefilter" in white ceramic.

Since size 101 filters are next to impossible to find here in the States, I use Melitta's #2 brown cone filters, and fold the side seam twice instead of just once. This gives the filter the correct diameter (or close enough, anyway). I wet the filter down with hot water to wash away any loose fibers, and to pre-heat it. Add two (7 gram) scoops medium-fine ground coffee, and slowly pour 10 ounces of water (just under boil), slightly stirring to keep the grounds good and saturated. Brews in about 3 1/2 minutes.

Although it's the same principle...

...all dripolators are not created equal...

"Genuine Drip-o-lator" 2-cup, Dunbar glass, possibly 1940's vintage

... but all are capable of making a great cup of coffee.

Wear-ever 3042 2-cup, early 20th Century ("TACU" stamped)

Like any other method (short of one using those silly little plastic cups or "pods"), it takes a little trial and error to get the right grind and coffee to water ratio to suit your own personal taste, but they're simple to use and the result is worth it.

"Best Made Extra Hard Aluminum" 6-cup

Great for camping, too, since no electricity is required. But, like I said before, there's little information on this particular style of brewer. But, fortunately, there are still some sites that strive to keep the memory alive...

"Guardian Consistently Good Coffee"

1. Heat the beverage urn by rinsing with hot water.
2. Place dripper in top of urn and put filter disc with seam side down in bottom of dripper.
3. Measure into dripper, 2 teaspoons (1 level tablespoon, if a richer flavor is desired) of standard or drip grind coffee per cup. Do not use pulverized coffee*.
4. Place water distributor over coffee, pressing down firmly but not tight.
5. Pour in actively boiling water to desired measure. Use fresh cold water brought to a rolling boil. (Dripper is marked 2–4–6–8 cups.) For ten cups, measure proper amount of coffee in dripper, add eight cups of boiling water and when filtered thru, add 2 cups clear boiling water and mix.
6. Cover and place over very low heat or on warm part of stove. Allow about 1 minute per cup for coffee to drip.
7. When coffee has dripped thru, remove dripper, place cover on urn, adjusting cover with long flange in front of spout to retain heat.

 *Some espresso grinds may work, but pulverized varieties like Turkish or Greek coffee may leave a gritty finish

 Guardian 8-cup (aluminum lid, pre-war; glass lid, war era)

(Text & images courtesy The Guardian Service Ware Blog)

All of these particular styles require a separate kettle for heating and dispensing water. As far as I know (so far, anyway), only the Corning, with its ingenious control valve, does not. So, being the only coffee drinker in my household, I needed an equally-vintage kettle...

"Sona (Stratford On Avon) Ware" J901, 4-cup, made by NCJ, Ltd, possibly '50s vintage

My favorite method of brewing...

...is with a dripolator. Specifically, Drip-o-lator is a "patented coffee pot for making drip coffee". In this sense, it's most commonly seen stamped on the bottom of, well, dripolators made by the Enterprise Aluminum Company of Massillon, OH, or Macon, GA. A "dripolator" in general describes any coffee maker of that design; some use the term (as distasteful as it is) to include electric auto-drip machines and pour-overs, like the Chemex. Most dripolators are all aluminum, although many were aluminum uppers on top of a glass or ceramic kettle, or vice-versa...

I've haven't quite figured out what Corning pots are made of, but they work great.

A dripolator is nothing but two pots with the coffee in the middle. The upper pot has a perforated bottom and is filled with hot water, which drips into the "basket" containing ground coffee at a set pace. The basket has a more finely perforated bottom which again regulates the flow of coffee into the lower pot. And as with any other brewing method, the correct grind and coffee to water ratio will determine the outcome of the brew.

The "Wilbur" (Wilbur Curtis Co. LA63 2-cup "Coffee Saver")

Dripolators were popular from early- to mid-20th Century, to when the dreaded percolator took over as America's favorite method. I found it takes an awful lot of digging to come up with any real information on these things; Jitterbuzz has a good website with information on a wide variety of archaic coffee makers (and a bunch of other stuff). Like Wear-Ever, for instance...I found that the "TACU" stamp on the bottom dated the piece between 1901 and 1925.

Although dripolators share the same basic operation, there are variations in design. Some have a separate basket, while others incorporate it into the upper pot and use a spreader that's placed over the ground coffee to both evenly distribute the water while keeping the grounds from floating about (thereby thoroughly saturating them). Most require the use of a separate vessel for heating the water. However, the Corning (shown in the first photo) has a clever control valve (essentially a long-stemmed plug) that prevents water flow from the upper bowl. While the water heats in the kettle, the basket can be filled with coffee and attached to the bottom of the upper bowl. The control valve is inserted, heated water poured in, and the upper bowl then placed on the lower. Remove the control valve to begin the brewing process. Pretty nifty!

(Note: Should be "ground coarser", not finer. I get dyslexic at times.)

Dripolators can still be found in abundance on online auction sites, and for very reasonable prices. I look for completeness first; what good is a coffee pot if it doesn't have all the parts? Then, condition...cracked Bakelite handles, major dents or cracks, or nasty insides. Price is the least concern, although I'll spend extra time to find the best pot for the best buy. I'm willing to pay a little extra for an interesting piece. But every piece I buy has to be useable.

Remember what I said...

...about old and obsolete? Sometimes, those are the best. Take this little gem, for example...

 ...the Silex "2-cupper". A nifty little pour-over produced during the early years of World War II. See, back then, stuff was rationed as part of the war effort. Gasoline, flour, sugar...and coffee. At first, everyone over 15 years of age was limited to one pound every five weeks, beginning November 29, 1942. This amount was reduced to one pound every six weeks early in 1943. So, in order to stretch out one's coffee ration, Silex came out with the 2-cupper. As the name implies, only 1 or 2 cups were brewed at a time, instead of making a full pot (the usual amount was probably 8 cups). Fortunately, coffee rationing lasted only eight months.

 
The 2-cupper consists of two Pyrex bowls; the upper bowl containing a filter and a spreader, which holds the filter in place. This is placed on the lower bowl, which has a wooden handle attached. The filter and spreader are placed into the upper bowl, followed by the appropriate amount of coffee and hot water. As with any older Pyrex dish, it can be placed directly onto a gas stove to keep warm; a wire trivet must be used on electric stoves.

Since the original cloth filters are next to impossible to find, I use paper filters for a 4-cup basket-type auto-drip coffee maker. They're a bit over-sized, but once wetted, they can be formed to fit okay. I use the same medium-fine grind as I would with my Braun.

Just the right size for my 10-ounce cobalt mug. 

As for myself...

...I'm both a collector and consumer. I try to collect the best usable examples I can find, without putting too big of a hole in my wallet. Actually, the first piece that got me started on my search for "the perfect cup" wasn't a collector's piece at all. It was a humble 4-cup auto-drip coffee maker, the Braun KF-12.  

I have a habit of buying stuff that soon becomes obsolete or discontinued (if it isn't already). Which is why I got this at half of what it retailed for (if I recollect, about $60; in the video below I think I said 2006, but my Coffee Geek review is dated June 2005). I think I bought the last one in existence, because they soon disappeared...and started showing up on eBay as "rare", "hard to find", and "vintage". In fact, there's one listed now going for $99.99, unused. I've been tempted to buy another, but since it's been going strong for over 9 years, why? It's not like I have nothing else to brew with. I reckon if it ever does go kaput, I'll take in for repair. It deserves a better fate than being stuck on a shelf.

 
The little Braun has, indeed, served me well. Water hits the grounds at 200 degrees, and I've used nothing but gold-mesh filters. I fill the tank up to the top of the "2" in the sight glass, which is the perfect amount for my trusty 10-ounce cobalt mug. Two 7 gram scoops of whole bean go into the Zassenhaus, medium-fine (I refused to use an electric grinder), flip the switch to "on" (the only control it has), and it brews in three minutes flat. I've been brewing this way, nearly every single day, for over nine years.

Welcome to the wonderful world...

...of coffee brewing. Here you'll find both the old and the new, the obsolete and high tech, the take-your-time and the quick-as-a-bunny methods of brewing the world's most-consumed commodity, coffee. That elixir that greets us each morning...that sweet addiction...the source of all that is, was, and ever shall be.

We'll be brewing with percolators and dripolators, French presses and AeroPresses, electricity and gas. We'll also be brewing with the latest and greatest toys, as well as 100-year-old pots. All for the sake of finding that perfect cup. We'll do a little historical background, too, and instructions on some of the old devices that have been long out of production. We'll discuss tips and tricks for getting the best cup of coffee with each method. Best of all, we'll enjoy a good cup of coffee.