To get a good cup of coffee out of a percolator, here are some tips. First, don't let it brew longer than 8 minutes. By that I mean once the water reaches the grounds basket you start the time. Then once it is brewed, unplug the coffee percolator, or if stove top type, remove from heat. Then you have the option of putting it in a thermos, or just keeping it in the percolator. Since the percolator brews at a higher temperature, your brewed coffee will remain hot longer than other brewing methods.

If you keep the brewed coffee warm by keeping the unit plugged in it will end up tasting bitter and/or burnt. Also, the brew basket needs to be cleaned after each use. Otherwise it will affect the taste of the coffee because of a buildup of oils similar to that of a French Press coffeemaker.

The best brewing coffee for a Percolator are coarse ground light to medium roast coffee. If you like darker roasted coffee, you would probably be better off with some other type of coffeemaker.