Percolating Coffee
| Field | Coffee making |
| Went Obsolete | 1972 |
| Made Obsolete By | Mr. Coffee, the first Drip Coffee Maker marketed for home use |
| Knowledge Assumed | Percolating |
| When useful | When one desires a higher-quality superior brew |
Although the standard for several decades, percolating coffee fell out of favor when drip coffee makers hit the market in the early 1970s. This was a watershed moment in coffee brewing history, when corporate marketing encouraged consumers to give up their beloved percolators in favor of the speed and convenience offered by drip coffee makers.
While drip coffee makers are a little faster than percolators, they are also wasteful of resources like the trees used to make paper filters, and the greater amount of water lost to evaporation during the brewing process. Percolators require no paper filters, and use a closed brewing system, which wastes far less water than a drip coffee maker. These factors have helped to make percolating a far greener process, second only to the French Press method of coffee brewing.
Percolators are still widely available and many consider percolated coffee to be a superior, more flavorful, full-bodied brew compared to the drip-brew offered in chain restaurants and convenience stores.