Could do without the unprofessional tone & the misinformation?

by NewsView
(USA)

The way this page is written up does not come off like a balanced evaluation of the coffee brewing options but a dated rehash of "conventional wisdom", particularly with respect to the percolator.

I suspect it has been a LONG time since a large percentage of the coffee-drinking population contemplated the stovetop perc method ? except, perhaps, for camping. The piece needs to be written on the assumption that the choice is electric vs. electric and manual vs. manual. Contrasting a stovetop percolator to an automatic drip brewer in the next segment is akin to apples and oranges. One of the two doesn't even involve electricity!

Even if a stovetop perc were a safe assumption, the learning curve involved is no worse than other manual brew methods that involve the use of the stove. You can take a superior brewing method loved by coffee snobs and geeks the world over and ruin it with improper technique, stale coffee and inconsistent grinds. So with all due respect what is written on this page could benefit from proper context.

Nobody is going to argue that perc coffee is ideal. It's not. However, most automatic drip machines fail to properly extract the coffee flavors according to a 2008 COOKS ILLUSTRATED coffeemaker comparison ? and yet they are widely accepted for their convenience. So the REAL question is, what coffee brewing tradeoffs is the reader ? whom you are ostensibly trying to help ? willing to accept? Is the goal tamer and cooler coffee? The safety and convenience of programming options, automatic shutoff and the like? If either are true, choose an automatic drip coffeemaker. Do you want a punchier, noticeably hotter coffee? Are you frustrated by warming plates that shut off too soon? If so, opt for an electric percolator.

My point here is that however you opt to tackle this subject as the writer/website owner, there are better ways to phrase it. The "Coffee Percolators" segment could read something like this:

Percolators have a reputation for boiling coffee. It was not uncommon for early electric percolators to take 20 minutes to brew a full pot, during which time the coffee grinds became severely over extracted. The results were often bitter. This is how percolators earned the distain many coffee experts maintain to this day.

Modern percolators, on the other hand, are technologically improved over their decades-earlier predecessors. Many contain thermostats that maintain the proper 195°F-205°F extraction range. The use of such a percolator resolves the common issues of broken glass carafes, difficult to pour spouts and the emerging concern over the health and safety of plastics used in the construction of automatic drip coffeemakers.

Ultimately, taste is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer the bold taste and pleasant aroma of a perc. Others discourage the use of the perc because coffee brews over previously brewed coffee. Perc supporters and detractors each have their share of valid points.

Ask yourself:

? Are you concerned about the BPA, phthalates and other endocrine disrupters linked to plastic?

? Are you tempted to heat your coffee in the microwave because your drip brewer doesn't make it hot enough?

? Do you go through a lot of drip coffeemakers because your water is hard and/or you neglect to descale them regularly?

? Are you frustrated by small water tanks, plastic tubes and crevices in your drip coffeemaker that are difficult to clean? Do you suspect that if it were easier to keep your coffeemaker clean your coffee might taste better or brew faster?

? Do you frequently complain of a dribbling carafe on drip coffeemakers?

? Are you okay with the price and/or not-so-Green aspects of using pods or K-cups indefinitely?

? Are you sensitive to the taste of plastic in your coffee?

If any of the above ring true, a perc might be for you.