Are you a coffee fan who has already tried every possible coffee brewing method? And what about using a percolator? Since the water is continually cycled through the grounds, extracting more flavor, coffee percolators often produce a more robust cup of coffee than other methods. But to make a perfect cup of coffee, you need unique beans.
We’ve reviewed 27 options to pick the 6 best coffee for percolator with the Don Francisco's Hawaiian Blend as our Editor’s Choice. Consider a product like hand-harvested sustainable coffee for the ideal coffee for a percolator. Additionally, you need to look for a medium roast coffee that has been coarsely ground. If you want to maximize flavor, use coarsely ground roasts or whole beans when brewing in a percolator. While fine grounds might work for coffee pots, you’ll get more flavor with the coarser grinds.
More features: recyclable cans; blended and roasted in the USA
With pure taste, drinking this coffee will have you feeling like you are sitting in Hawaii right where it is made. Made in the USA, there are no concerns about the authenticity of this coffee. A medium roast, this is a good amount of caffeine to consume at the start of your day, and the flavors work well on their own as a cup of black coffee or with cream and sugar if that is your preference.
What we liked: The floral aroma gives off a great smell to help you wake up feeling happy. There are no concerns about the coffee going stale, as the recyclable stainless-steel cans help seal in freshness. This coffee has been made for over 140 years by the same family who has passed down their trade secrets through four different generations.
What could be better: While the floral aroma is appealing to many, there are hints of fruit in the coffee. The average coffee consumer will not notice these, but for someone who drinks a lot of coffee, the fruity hints can be slightly off-putting. Thankfully, the fruity undertones are actually quite weak, so a strong brew of coffee will overcompensate for that.
More features: Kosher; caffeinated; roasted in Canada
This original blend from Tim Horton’s is a classic. Tim Horton’s has become a breakfast and coffee staple in the takeout industry, and they have brought their coffee to your home. A medium blend, this 100% Arabica coffee is roasted in Canada with beans from the Americas and is considered to be kosher.
What we liked: There is a great balance in this coffee, and you will be hard-pressed to find another coffee that is as smooth in taste like this one. With the coffee beans harvested in Central and South America, the taste is pure and authentic, and the beans are grown under ideal climate conditions. With five different flavors available, there is something from everyone, and you can even find decaf coffee if you want to have a cup at night before you go to bed.
What could be better: This medium blend is not designed to be overly strong, which means you might need to consume more than one cup on days you need an extra caffeine jolt. This is not a terrible thing, as the taste is so delicious you will find yourself reaching for that second cup whether or not you need the caffeine!
More features: Kosher; original blend
100% Arabica coffee, the roast is medium, but it can be strong in flavor and in a punch. Economical in price, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this coffee from Hills Bros. Smooth and rich in taste, this coffee actually tastes stronger than it really is. A kosher brand, this coffee is good for just about anyone.
What we liked: There is a large selection of different roasts and blends available, so you can pick out what works for your tastes. With beans roasted in Central and South Americas, you can rely on this being a great tasting coffee made from some of the best coffee beans in the world. A great option if you serve coffee in a commercial business setting, the coffee is well-liked by many and is moderate in taste – not too bold and not too weak.
What could be better: At only 26 ounces, this can is smaller than others, so you might find yourself buying more than you intended. True coffee lovers will not mind the rich taste, but some might choose to weaken the taste with some cream and sugar, as it can be quite strong in taste.
More features: caffeinated; from Colombia; roasted and packed in the USA
American made, this coffee is roasted and packed in the USA, so you do not have to worry about any contaminants from overseas. AmazonFresh confidently backs this product with a one-year refund and will return your money if you are not satisfied with this product for any reason. A medium roast coffee, this should satisfy your cravings so much that you might be tempted into more than one cup!
What we liked: If you are looking for a full-bodied coffee, look no further. You will love the smooth texture of this coffee from Columbia. With multiple size options to choose from, you can find the right one to meet your needs. It is always nice to have coffee from a company that believes in itself. You can get a refund anytime up to one year after your purchase if you are not satisfied with this coffee.
What could be better: While this is a medium roast, some coffee drinkers think it is on the weak side and require a second or third cup to get the right amount of caffeine intake. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as consumers love the taste, so they generally don’t mind having another cup of this coffee.
More features: variety of two different blends; Swedish tradition; Rainforest Alliance certification
A medium roast coffee with a deep, earthy taste, nature lovers will love this coarse coffee from Guatemala. Crafted in Swedish tradition, coffee lovers rave about the rich taste of this coffee. The Rainforest Alliance certification shows that this coffee was made with fair trade principles in mind.
What we liked: With two different sizes, you can select either size, although neither is very big in size. The hints of caramel in the taste are outstanding for those who love a little extra flavor. For those that don’t love the caramel, it is usually overpowered by the pure, rich taste of the coffee, so you might not even taste the caramel.
What could be better: While there are two sizes, some consider them too small. While some coffee comes in containers up to 48 ounces, these top out at 20 ounces. And, not everyone loves the caramel taste in the coffee. There is also a little bit of a citrus finish, which can be odd when paired with the rich coffee tastes. However, it is so light that most people don’t notice it.
More features: harvested by hand; produced sustainably
This coffee is a specialty blend that is harvested by hand and is sustainable. Only available in small packages that is because of the manual labor and love that goes into each package. Grown under the perfect shady conditions, these coffee beans are grown with care. With mild flavors, it is possible to enjoy more than one cup at a time without being overly caffeinated.
What we liked: The taste from these premium beans is like no taste available from any other type of coffee. Crafted and cared for with the earth in mind, these beans are all harvested by hand. The mild flavor is well-loved by serious coffee drinks and novices alike. This is one of the easiest-drinking coffees you could get if you don’t want something more high octane.
What could be better: About the only negative with this product is the small packaging size. Because the beans are harvested by hand at a fourth-generation family farm, they are not available in some of the larger packagings you see from machine picked coffee beans. While it’s annoying, you might have to buy multiple packages, and you will appreciate the taste and texture of the beans in this blend.
There is a lot to consider when you are picking out the right coffee. Consider how strong you want the flavor and the roast to be. You’ll also want to think about how big of a package you want. You want to drink your coffee fresh, which means it will start to taste stale if left in a big container for long periods of time. Read through this buying guide to learn all about what flavors you should look for, caffeine levels, and types of ground you need to use with a percolator.
Making coffee with a percolator is not that difficult, and it will add a great deal of flavor to your coffee. The most important thing to know about a percolator is that you want coarsely ground beans, as fine grounds just do not work as well. Follow these steps when making coffee with a percolator:
There are a lot of features to research before buying coffee that you will use in a percolator, as you shouldn’t just necessarily use the same coffee you use with another type of coffee making source.
The type of coffee is very important. While you can use coffee that is mass-produced, that type is normally best suited for commercial industry use when it is made in large batches. For the best type of coffee for a percolator, you want to consider an option like the sustainable coffee that is hand-harvested like our Best Value choice, French Press Specialty Coffee.
Not only are those beans hand-harvested, but they are also grown in optimal conditions with exactly the right amount of shade and the best temperatures for the coffee beans to flourish. If possible, strive to get coffee that was brewed in a climate like Central or South America and closely monitored throughout its growth.
You will want to use grounds when you brew in a percolator or fresh beans. But the grounds should be course. You do not want beans that have already been ground down to be super fine, as you will not get the strong flavors you desire when percolating your coffee.
Roast matters, and so does how thick the grounds are. Look for a coarsely ground medium roast coffee like you could find with Gevalia Special Reserve Coarse Ground Guatemala Coffee. Coarsely ground roasts are going to brew better in a percolator. Whereas fine grounds might just do fine when brewed in a big coffee pot, you will get the most amount of flavor with a percolator if you use course grounds or even whole beans.
The flavor is really up to personal preference. If you go with a brand like Hills Bros Original Blend Ground Coffee, you can mix up your flavors depending on your mood. This would allow you to still remain consistent with picking one brand reliably as you can get the same result each time you brew.
Sticking with the same brand means you can fine-tune your percolating experience. You can brew at the same time and get a reliable flavor, with the only thing changing is the flavor of the coffee beans that are used.
Don’t rule out trying some fun flavors like hazelnut, caramel, or French Vanilla. Sometimes you might need a cup of classic, black coffee. But, if you are in the mood for some fun, try a new flavor. You might love it!
Do you want a big airtight resealable container? Or would a small bag work for you? If you want a stainless-steel recyclable can that can be sealed airtight repeatedly, go with our Editor’s Choice, Don Francisco’s Hawaiian Blend. That’s a great option if you do not use coffee often, as it can sit on the shelf for a while and still remain fresh when stored in a can like that.
If you go through coffee regularly, you can consider getting one of the coarsely ground coffee brands that are stored in a bag. The bag will not keep it fresh for long, but if you drink it daily, that should be ok as it will stay fresh long enough to go through the whole bag.
The other option with packaging is to store your coffee in your own resealable containers. Buy some airtight glass containers, and you can store coffee in them. Use glass since odors do not stick in glass. Make sure you wash the container between uses if you are putting in a different bland or flavor of coffee as you do not want the old coffee mixing with the new coffee. With this solution, you do not have to worry about what packaging the coffee arrives in, as you can manage it in a cool, dry place in your pantry as you see fit.
You can get some good decaf blends. Just remember that even decaf coffee will have light amounts of caffeine. Some roasts are really rich and high in caffeine, like the Gevalia Special Reserve Coarse Ground Guatemala Coffee. Even if you want a lot of caffeine, you could consider a blend with a medium amount of caffeine if you are already planning on drinking multiple cups of coffee, which would help you get the amount of caffeine that you seek. Do you add a lot of cream to your coffee? Don’t forget that adding creamer is going to weaken your coffee, which will also weaken the amount of caffeine you consume. Consider stocking up on a few different coffees of varying caffeine levels. Let’s face it, some mornings you just need a little bit of an extra jolt more than other days. Whereas, other times, it might be late at night when you don’t want any caffeine, but you still want the flavor of coffee to go with a piece of dessert after dinner.
After reading through our recommended products and the buying guide, you are in a great position to buy great coffee for use with a percolator. Our Editor’s Choice, Don Francisco’s Hawaiian Blend, is great for you if you. You also can’t go wrong with our Best Value pick, French Press Specialty Coffee, as it uses hand-harvested beans and gives some of the great taste of any of the coffee on our list.
To get the most bang for your buck, consider the Premium Pick, the Tim Hortons Original Blend since it was fine-tuned by a leader in the coffee industry, Tim Hortons. There is a reason Tim Hortons is so popular – their coffee is delicious, and now you can have it in your home!
Whether you are looking to buy in bulk for use in a commercial space, or you are hoping to buy hand-harvested, sustainable beans, there is coffee for every need. You are now ready to go out today and purchase the best coffee for percolators!
