Tool talk: Coffee percolator

Have you got the Tuesday morning blues? Dragging yourself out of bed without a cuppa brew isn't easy.

Instead of bumping around the kitchen with your eyes half-closed, let your coffee percolator do all the work.

Brew basics
Hand-in-hand with the rise in coffee drinking, percolators became the first word in many households around the 1990s. But ever since dispensers and espresso coffee became a hit, the percolator has lost its importance. But if you're still fastidious about your morning fix, you'll find the percolator is a fast friend.Most percolators are made from a canister with removable parts. Some are placed on a stove for heating but most modern gadgets come with an integral heating systems.

Located at the bottom, closest to the heating device, is a container that is filled with water. A valve connects the bottom container to another placed at the top which contains ground coffee. When the water in the bottom container is heated, the hot water is pushed up through the valve and passes over the coffee powder.

The cycle is repeated until the coffee is ready. Don't worry about over-brewing.. the percolator is designed to let you know when it's done by emitting a spurt or whistling sound. Once you hear the sound, turn off the heat, the steam will do the rest.

Better not bitter
The bitterness sometimes experienced in percolated coffee occurs only when the water is allowed to circulate over the ground coffee for too long.

The apparatus is extremely efficient. Most parts are made of stainless steel to avoid rusting. Some percolators however, use paper filters to strain the coffee.