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.