…Not only does she make a sound, Sarca’s whole family makes a sound!
If you’ve been reading this blog and remember the last time my percolator died (Sept. 2014), you’ll understand the struggles I faced finding a replacement.
Its successor was a Hamilton Beach electronic percolator. My household used it lovingly until last Sunday when it stopped drawing power after it brewed a pot, and it never came back. I have to say it was on borrowed time, as it would periodically lose power mid brew, and then repeatedly try to percolate about 3 times before it was satisfied the coffee was hot enough. It’s been doing that behavior for a better part of a year.
Why not just replace it with any old coffee maker? Because, I’m stubborn, and enjoy a perked cup. And honestly, as I have previously opined on the subject, there aren’t much in the way of choices here in Ontario for electronic percolators. My research shows, not much has changed since 2014: people still love their Kuerigs, Starbucks and Timmy Ho-Hos. Few seem to brew at home any more, and percolating is obviously a dead technology, relegated to manual campfire percolators and catering coffee urns. I got the memo, people, loud and clear! No more perc!
But, I still buck that hive-mind mentality. I am forever on the lookout for a decent percolator, even when my perc is working. On Amazon and coffee fan sites, I read reviews like they are the Bible on Sunday. I’ve even taken to Value Village to see if I can find another gently used percolator; my first electronic perc being a Proctor-Silex from VV that introduced me to this way of electronic brewing in the first place.
Last winter, I found a DeLonghi percolator that didn’t look like it had ever been used. This model came with an adjustable setting, giving you the ability to perc a light or dark brew! SCORE! I kept it in storage for situations like this week when my Hamilton Beach would bite the big one. I took it out of the cupboard, and got it running. And welllll…..
I can see why the DeLonghi was barely used, and given away to Value Village…franky, it brews a TERRIBLE cup of coffee. I took this week to try to work out the bugs that come with having a new perc – finding the right grind, using the right amount of grounds, etc. But, unfortunately, after trying for five days to get a decent cuppa out of it, it didn’t work out. There was no aroma…there was no taste…the coffee was practically hot water, even after adjusting the settings to perc a dark brew! The hubs didn’t like it. I didn’t like it. And now my visiting in-laws didn’t like it! Time to fix this – FAST!
The solution is, of course, to buy another percolator. But which? Because of a lack of percolator popularity, there are STILL only TWO main electronic percs on the market that are readily available around here at stores accessible to me: Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach. You look online, and the top two 5-starred percs happen to be from Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach (and no surprise why…those are the only ones being made right now! Of course they are highly revered!)
From past experience, I concluded the Cuisinart percolator isn’t great; a little less than a year and it was giving us problems. At least we had more longevity with Hamilton Beach! The hubs encouraged me (out of practicality or caffeine withdrawal) to stop the search, and just buy the next option…the low-hanging fruit…the Hamilton Beach.
What? Buy another one?
Yup, I went to my local Walmart Friday night and bought another Hamilton Beach percolator. There isn’t much choice out there, and for what it’s worth, for all the whining I have done on how cheaply they manufacture these things, the Hamilton Beach percolator does make a good home perked coffee. Who knows, maybe I’ll get another 2.5 years out of this one too. Fingers crossed. I think in terms of coffee makers, this is number 7 in 20 years. Obsolescence is alive and well!
Enjoy your ‘fee today! I know finally I am!
I don’t drink coffee and don’t really understand the difference between this and a regular coffee maker, but I’m pleased you’re back to drinking something decent.
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I’m glad the story had a happy ending – a Sunday without a ‘fee just wouldn’t be right!
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Bruce Cockburn would love this title! Special mention must be made to the “buck that hive mentality”..
Atta Girl!
Perc Away!
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Haha Bruce Cockburn. Deke you funny.
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I would have made a lot of sounds as well if I wasn’t able to have my morning coffee. I’m really inhuman without it. And I can certainly appreciate how particular you are about the kind and with which method you use to brew it.
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I use a low tech stove-top thingy, they last for 150 years, minimum.
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I’d go old fashioned too…but, I don’t feel comfortable leaving the stove on when I leave the house to keep the coffee hot for when the hubs wakes up.
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Maybe we should get a stove top one for when we are both home. Prolong the life of the HB.
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In southern Ontario we have very hard water. The stove top thingy gets full of crusty orr deposits.
I am usually crusty enough in the morning.
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^ crusty ore….
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Aw you fixed it. I was about to ask why Bobby Orr was angry at your coffee pot.
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We have the same hard water…but we have a water softener which helps
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We have one too. Almost a necessity down here.
However, most drinking water taps do not go through it, as hard water tastes better.
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I would not have wanted to be in the same work area as someone that had to endure bad coffee for a week.
Or maybe postal code even.
I am holding out hope that people still brew at home. I do. I enjoy Timmies as a treat, but every day. At 2 bucks a shot. No thanks. I need my money for more records.
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“I need my money for more records.”
This is a man who sees clearly. 🙂
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Oh no, sorry to hear about your coffee troubles! I know how seriously you take a good cuppa.
I’m glad you’ve at least got a replacement to keep you going, but I say don’t stop looking. Have you thought about kitchen/restaurant supply-type shoppes in the city? Or what about coffee shoppes – I know when my Dad and I were in Taranna a couple of weeks ago, we were in the Green Beanery on Bloor right along from Sneaky Dees before Bathurst (south side of Bloor). They had shelves and racks of all manner of machines and contraptions for making coffee for sale. Might be worth calling a place like that and just asking (they’re at 565 Bloor, 416-588-7700, open at 7:30 am). There must surely be other places all over that sell coffe-making equipment without having to rely on Wally or Amazon or Crappy Tire…
Good luck! I know you will find the right machine for you and attain coffee nirvana!
PS: Did the 54-40 CD arrive? I may have something else to send you, too, just wanna be sure I used the correct address…
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It did not arrive.
Just re send it.
Her address is 4__ Ci____ Crt Waterloo On. Canada
🙂
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Haha NICE TRY, DR. FEELGOOD!
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OMG so sorry Aaron!! Yes, I did get it! Thanks muchly! (Bad Sarca!)
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No worries Sarca, just wanted to be sure you did get it before sending anything else. Enjoy!
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This is us and Tassimo machines. We went through three!
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I got a Keurig for my wife one time, leaked every iteration just past the year warranty. Garbage.
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My first experience with a Tassimo was when I was still working at the hospital in the kitchen. Got this new-fangled Nescafe pod thingy that was the “new” “exciting” way to brew coffee. I honestly preferred the Bunn coffee maker that was 40 years old over this.
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YIKES! Fortunately that has not happened to us (YET).
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My mother-in-law had one of those type of machines. I’m not sure of thr name brand.
Basically, it seemed like every time I went to visit I spent my time showing her how to clean it.
I think most people neglect them and they get plugged up. The water here is so hard that they get plugged up.
I finally told her to turf the thing.
More trouble than they are worth.
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These coffee makers are difficult to keep clean, what with hard water and coffee…Coffee stains and can burn dregs to the bottom…so it is difficult to keep it pristine.
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That’s for sure. Those Tassimo machines are not easy to maintain. More trouble than it was worth. My mom still has hers and I can have frothy coffee when I visit.
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Have you given up on them?
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Yes we have. We have a Keurig now, but I want a Nespresso. George Clooney is good at selling those things!
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Funny, I was at the Fairview Mall 5 years ago when they were demoing the Nespresso in the Bay. That thing made a strong espresso!
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I could go for some of that 🙂
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I still remeber the Penelope Cruz Nespresso commercials.
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I’m a George fella myself. If I had half his suave I’ve be a lucky man.
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You’d be pushin 60 with newborn twins lol
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But her accent. Also her ummm other assets.
I would walk right by Clooney to her booth.
Nessssssspressssso
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That poor dude. I bet his 2 nannies cost him from buying another Porsche.
😉
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I read that Clooney is with John Candy in the Planes, Tranes clip, but the commercial I saw did not show that.
I really want to see that one.
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I just use a drip coffeemaker.
Just like Gord Downie sings in We Want To Be It.
“Drip. Drip. Drip.”
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Urgh! Death of coffee maker! Yuk coffee!! Glad you’re back on the road to good coffee. It’s a wonderful and complex world – finding the right balance and machine, huh?
Ours died quite a while back and we still haven’t replace it. We’ve been rocking the coffee brewing in a Bodum cafetière for so long now. Took a while to find the right balance, but we’re there (for now)
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French Press, baby!!
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Bill, how do you keep the coffee warm after you’ve pressed?
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You gotta drink it! It’s just for making what you want to drink right away. Kevon would have to make his own!
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I am open to all ways of brewing. I have a friend who swears by the pour-over method
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