Electric Percolator Vs French Press: 9 Key Differences You Want to Know

1. What Are The Key Differences Between French Press And Electric Percolator?

Choosing the best coffee can be difficult because of all the recent developments and progress in coffee culture. An ideal machine for all coffee drinkers has characteristics that fit their various needs.

Therefore, the most delicate coffee machine is one that caters to the needs of coffee drinkers.

However, between an electric percolator vs. french press, which one would be better for you? If you want to know the differences between the two and which one would suit your taste, read more. What’s the difference between a Percolator and a French Press?

Essentially, a coffee percolator brews coffee beans by continuously running water through the grounds. Moreover, it is the most renowned coffee-making tool.

Coffee beans will continue to absorb volatile compounds, which may be present for some time after roasting, although this process will also eliminate the compounds. Nevertheless, the little compromise in flavor makes the scent of percolators especially strong.

Widespread public knowledge holds that electric percolators and coffee machines use a boiler that remains in the device and the motors, electronics, and heating components to generate unique cups of coffee.

Hence, it would be best to examine the percolators’ characteristics and functionality while coming up with your percolator list.

On the other hand, according to French Press fans, the French Press helps extract tastes, fragrances, and oils from the coffee beans.

It’s a quick and easy way to make great coffee at home. Also, this machine lets you use the best coffee beans, resulting in exceptional coffee. However, the strength of French Press coffee varies, as does the quality of the espresso.

While the French Press uses immersion and pour-overs uses drip, percolators employ steam and condensation to extract the most flavor from the coffee beans. Also, Percolator coffee has a rich, strong body compared to French Pressed coffee.

2. How do you choose?

Is a percolator the same as a french press? Keep in mind these recommendations while purchasing a coffee maker that matches your preferences.

French Press

French Press, or cafeteria, is formed of glass, stainless steel or ceramic beaker and plunger with a metal filter. It also makes great coffee, which you can adjust in strength. Here are some of its features:

It Offers Easy Brewing.
Put some coffee grinds in it, add hot water, and let the plunger extract the coffee for you in a few minutes.

You Can Choose The Coffee’s Strength.
You may make light or strong coffee by adjusting the brewing time. The ratio of hot water to coffee grinds also impacts the coffee’s strength. If you want to be your barista, you can play with both of these elements.

It Makes Better-Tasting Coffee.
More significantly, the coffee you prepare will be more flavorful than coffee made by paper filter machines like Keurig. Because paper filters collect oil, the coffee that passes through them is less delicious. The essential oils diffuse more freely through metal filters. It not only enhances the coffee’s flavor but also releases antioxidants and nutrients that make it healthier.

It Offers Single-Serve Brewing.
Remember that French presses are designed for single-serve use. Hence, it’s not for coffee lovers who can’t get enough of a cup and don’t have time to brew multiple times.

It Leaves Sediments In Your Drink.
Sediments will creep through the plunger and into your cup, discouraging puritan coffee drinkers.

Electric Percolator

Percolating is a 19th-century brewing technique. Although it has lost favor, it is still a fantastic way to make large quantities of strong coffee. Moreover, a percolator produces coffee by slowly filtering it through a porous material. The percolator has a water chamber at the bottom with a tube running the length of the pot. Below the tube’s brim is a coffee-ground grate.

In a boiling pot, steam rises the tube and into the upper chamber. As the water boils, pressure builds and the vapor condenses. Water “rains” over the coffee grounds, infusing them with coffee. Repeat until desired strength is achieved.

You can find two types of percolators in the market: stovetop (which you must heat manually) and electric (which heats automatically). Here are more of its features:

It Is Efficient.
The coffee percolator is ideal for big groups of people. It can brew a lot of coffee quickly.

It Has A Strong Coffee’s Special Technique.
While the French Press uses immersion and pour-overs uses drip, percolators employ steam and condensation to extract the most flavor from the coffee grinds. Hence, Percolator coffee has a powerful and robust body.

It is Easy And Cheap.
It’s been around since the early 1800s, so you can trust me when I say it’s a simple technology. A percolator’s effectiveness reflects its simplicity, and its pricing reflects that.

It Needs Your Undivided Attention.
Neither gas nor electric stovetops can be turned off once the temperature is reached. So, you need to keep an eye on it and decide when it’s ready. If you don’t pay attention, you’ll get over-brewed or burnt coffee.

It Leaves Sediments In Your Drink.
Like French presses, percolators can introduce sediments into the final product.

3. Which Is Best?

Light roast coffees often include chocolaty, nutty, or fruity overtones extracted by steeping the grounds. When considering between these two coffee press makers, which model makes better coffee? Which is better: a percolator or French press?

Water is submerged in a French press for around five minutes. During that time, sediments will be thoroughly soaked in hot water, making the drink thick and gritty yet rich in flavor. But actually, the French Press does more than that. A potent and complex brew is produced without using paper filters.

However, if you use an electric percolator, you should expect less flavor. Yes, it will make strong coffee, but it will not extract the taste as well as immersion. Nevertheless, you don’t have to worry about running out of filters because they never wear out!

To get a strong cup of coffee while doing less labor, an intelligent approach to use an electric percolator is to set it and forget it simply. Choosing the perfect coffee bean and brewing it in this machine takes the guesswork out of brewing coffee, allowing you to focus on the delicious results.

By having an electric pot in your house, you can experience the benefits of older ways of cooking while also benefiting from new technological advancements.

Some stovetop versions may taste better, but they will not be enough to relish a rich beverage. To experience the power of dark roast coffee in a percolator, stick with it.

4. Grind And Brewing Time

If you have already discussed which grind size is preferable for both of these machines, allow me to summarize what you have learned.

For each of these uses, use a coarse grind. Because coarser grounds have a greater surface area when compared to finer grounds, they are suitable for steeping in water, as you would do with a French press. It’s no different with percolators, except that the water runs over the grounds more than once instead of just one.

Using a fine grind size notwithstanding, the cautions can result in over-extraction and a bitter, if not useless, end product. As a result of the smaller size of the fine-sized grounds, they are more likely to leak into your cup and contaminate what could otherwise be a relaxing coffee break.

Moreover, percolator coffee tends to be harsh and under-extracted, while French Press coffee is typically perceived as more robust and full-bodied. Flavor or strength: you have to choose between them. In terms of brewing, French Press brewing can be completed in five minutes, whereas Percolator brewing can take ten minutes.

5. Brewing Methods

What makes better coffee percolator or French press? This will help you determine which type of coffee maker makes the best coffee that will suit your preferences better.

Electric percolator

Keep the water temperature constant. The ideal temperature for food preparation is between 195 to 200 degrees F. Percolators that predate modern electric stoves are located directly on the stove (often a campfire).

The process of constantly brewing the coffee results in solid coffee (over 210 degrees, typically). Furthermore, because newer electric percolators don’t keep rotating, they become too hot and boil the water, causing undesirable tastes and odors to be extracted.

Follow these steps:

1. Start the percolator. 6-8 oz. cold water in the bottom chamber. The entire volume of water must be less than the upper chamber.
2. In the percolator, insert the assembly holding the chambers and tubes. Add two teaspoons of coffee per cup to the top section.
3. Position the percolator on the heating element. Once the water in the bottom chamber begins to boil, part of it rises from the tube and spills onto the lid of the coffee chamber, triggering the machine to make a fresh pot of coffee. Water enters the coffee chamber from the bottom, exits the coffee machine from the bottom, and trickles back into the water reservoir at the pot’s bottom.

4. The cycle is repeated with the pot’s water. While the liquid (now brewed coffee) in the bank is kept at a low boil, it is continually dripping through the grounds to maintain a constant low temperature throughout the brewing process. Also, the “perking” process ceases when the liquid hits boiling point, and the coffee is ready to drink. Most agree that the percolator should never boil.
5. Coffee is ready to be poured. Next, cream and sugar are added, and you can finally take a sip of your brew!

However, boiling always happens when percolating coffee, which leads to severe over-extraction and tarries bitterness. Keep in mind that if you have to use a percolator, make sure to choose a very smooth coffee with low acidity and grind it finer than you would for the French Press. Allow it to have a brief fermentation for no more than 3 minutes.

Read more:

Are Coffee Percolators Worth It?

French Press

One ounce of coarsely ground coffee to sixteen ounces of water yields a ratio of one cup of coffee to sixteen cups of water. While rubbing your beans on a coarseness setting helps to reduce extraction, we also advocate doing so. Finely ground coffee will produce an overly extracted (possibly harsh and bitter) cup of coffee and a clogged filter.

• Select The Perfect Grind.

You’ll need medium-coarse ground coffee for the French Press. When using the small-grinding or fine-grinding equipment, avoid using the coarse or fine settings. You can also grind coffee beans before brewing it. The greatest coffee is made with coarsely ground coffee beans.

• Make Sure The Carafe Is Preheated.

The French Press was preheated by putting hot water into it. Fill the carafe with coffee grinds. Allow the carafe to warm up for a time and then pour. There’s no need to preheat the French Press in the microwave or in the oven before use.

• Measure The Coffee Ground To 0.5 Tsp.

Measure the amount of coffee you want to make, and then measure out the amount of ground coffee you want to use. The ideal ratio is maintained but is flexible to other ratios as well. Also, it’s necessary to use 17 grams of coffee for every one-and-a-half cup of water in order to get the correct balance of coffee ground and water for the ordinary French Press.

• Add The Ground Coffee.

Crush the measured coffee beans, then calculate a tablespoon of ground coffee into the hot French Press. Soak the bottom coffee grinds in a tiny quantity of boiling water. Allow the sauce to be slightly stirred with a spoon or a bamboo paddle and then mix well. Allow the French Press to rest for 30 seconds while the lid is covered.

• Allow Your Coffee To Bloom.

Pour the rest of the boiling water and mix the French Press. In addition, provide the French Press with another gentle spin and place the plunger-secured lid on top. Wait for 3 minutes and 30 seconds before you do this again.

• Pound The Plunger Down.

When the time is up, press the plunger to finish the drink. When pouring coarse ground coffee into the French Press, the plunger will trap the grounds at the bottom.

• Once You’ve Brewed Your Coffee, Serve It.

To transfer the coffee from the French Press into a coffee pot or a cup, pour it into the appropriate vessel. Then, serve it as soon as possible to obtain the most delicate flavor.

These are all the steps in preparing a French-pressed coffee. However, use caution when using the French Press’s optimal brewing temperature. If you wish, you can add milk and sugar to your liking. In addition to brewing coffee with your French Press, you can also use it for other things.

6. Pot Capacity

Electric Percolator

Depending on how many coffee drinkers you have in your family, the size of your coffee maker may be a significant consideration. Getting a 12-cup coffee maker instead of an 8-cup coffee maker might mean the difference between everyone enjoying coffee together on Christmas morning and having to boil coffee all morning to ensure that everyone has their cup of joe on Christmas morning. If you only drink coffee regularly, you can always make less in a larger coffee pot.

French Press

Larger models weigh approximately 50 ounces and make about as much as a 6-cup coffee machine. Stainless steel or glass carafes are most commonly seen in French presses, although you’ll also find ceramic and plastic models on the market.

However, there is a clear advantage to using glass in the glass industry: you can see through it.

7. Maintenance And Cleaning

After each brew, throw the used grounds into the trash or compost pile, then clean any individual pieces. Remove any coffee residue and oils from all components with warm soapy water. You can clean the water pipe with a pipe cleaner. Here are some cleaning tips for both machines:

Electric Percolator

Follow the cleaning directions for an electric percolator. A full submersion may damage the heating elements.

Use a moist sponge or washcloth. On the other hand, manual percolators are easier to clean, though you should still avoid using the dishwasher.

After wiping away any residue, rinse the soap and leave the lid open and the pieces separated from drying. Reassemble it dry to avoid mustiness and bacteria growth.

Moreover, there are two ways to clean a percolator:

Mild Cleaning
If you choose a gentle cleaning procedure, make sure that your percolator is unplugged and cool to the touch.

• Eliminate any residual liquid and grounds.
• Fill a sink with hot water and mild detergent.
• Disassemble and thoroughly wash your percolator.
• Rinse the cleaned interior parts with hot water to remove any detergent residue.
• Reassemble with dry wipes.

Deep Cleaning
If you choose deep cleaning:

• Empty the percolator of any residual liquid and grind.
• Fill your percolator’s water portion with 50/50 water and vinegar.
• Please turn on your percolator and assemble it.
• After 5 minutes, turn off the percolator.
• After emptying the percolator of all vinegar and water, let it cool.
• Rinse off the vinegar and clean the rest of the percolator with mild dish soap and a dishcloth.
• Scrape off any debris stuck between the washer and the pump tube. Use a pointed brush.
• Allowing your percolator to dry completely helps avoid mildew and mold growth.

French Press Coffee Maker

Cleaning your coffee machine is easier with the correct cleaning chemical. Here are 6 easy tips to clean a French Press:

Vinegar: Vinegar is a great natural stain remover for coffee stains. Vinegar’s acidity helps it erase stains. Disassemble the French Press and soak in a weak vinegar solution.

However, if vinegar alone does not work, add a tablespoon of salt to produce a combination. They both remove coffee stains, making this solution great for tough stains.

Baking soda: Baking soda is a well-known stain remover for coffee makers, mainly because it leaves no odor or flavor behind.

Soap Detergent: Clean your French Press Coffee Maker using soap detergent. Contrary to popular opinion, soap detergent can also remove coffee stains. Leave the dishwashing components in the detergent and water mixture for best results.

Lemon: Lemon is a frequent component used to remove stubborn stains. Grease the coffee machine with a lemon wedge or slice. Moreover, lemon loosens the grip of colors and makes it easier to scrape away unwanted impurities.

Dishwasher: Coffee stains might be difficult to remove, but a dishwasher can help. Rinse the carafe and filter. Let the pieces work in the dishwasher. Make sure your French Press Coffee Maker is dishwasher safe.

Tips on how to clean your French Press Coffee Maker

Removal of Ground Coffee
Coffee ground used in the coffee maker needs to be removed. For good results, put away your coffee grounds correctly and do not dispose of them in your sink as they have the tendency to clog your drain.

Also, use a spoon or brush to remove any remaining grounds. Rinse the sink with the acceptable coffee grounds.

Also, use a spoon or brush to remove any remaining grounds. Rinse the sink with the acceptable coffee grounds.

Dismantle a Coffee Maker
Disassemble the French Press’ lid, cylinder, plunger, and plunger screen. Submerge all components in a hot water kitchen sink.

Add a little cleaning agent. Baking soda is preferred by coffee connoisseurs who value their coffee’s flavor. Also, it is essential to rinse dish soap well when using it for cleaning. Nobody wants coffee that tastes like soap.

Cleanse
Invest in a tiny brush with soft bristles that won’t harm your French Press Coffee Maker’s glass. Scrub the inside of the carafe with baking soda or warm water. Now, it’s time to clean the plunger: scrape the plunger and plunger screen thoroughly to remove residual coffee grounds.

Dry
You must dry the devices using an air blower at this part. You must also disassemble the machine’s components to fully dry them.

French Press coffee stains are difficult to remove due to the fact that they are not readily removable. Nevertheless, know that with the following advice and tactics, your French Press Coffee Maker will look as good as new, while also improving the flavor of your coffee.

8. Cost

Farberware 12-cup Stainless Steel Percolator is great for reliable electric percolator coffee makers that will create huge amounts of coffee for years.

If you’re looking for a french press, I highly recommend the Frieling USA Double-Walled Stainless-Steel French Press. To keep your coffee at the correct temperature, use a thermal carafe.

9. Conclusion

It is hard to choose from so many coffee makers in the market today. But for coffee enthusiasts, there’s no doubt about it, these two types of coffee makers will have your attention. You can choose between an electric percolator vs. French press, or you may purchase both for a variety of coffee brews every day!

However, if you prefer a slow and simple morning routine that allows you to enjoy all the complex nuances of your roasted coffee bean, we recommend using a French press.

On the other hand, it’s recommended that you select a percolator if you are a friendly person who wants to delight their visitors with a potent though a less delicious cup of coffee (perhaps the perfect way to wake up after a night of drinking).

You now have all the information you need to determine what kind of coffee maker you should choose to buy. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and look for the perfect coffee percolator or French Press for you!

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