The percolator as we know it was invented in 1889. It consists of a pot with a footed tube that supports a basket containing ground coffee. Water in the pot is boiled which forces it up the central tube and over the grounds in the basket.This process of boiling, forcing, and dripping back down goes on for 3-4 minutes.
Percolators hit their hay day in the 1940’s-1970’s and just about every household in America had an electric percolator on the counter.
The early auto drip machines like Mr. Coffee put the percolator out of favor. Now you only see percolators brewing very large quantities of coffee in massive urns for service during events.
