Hello,
I am new to this forum and am a product design major doing some research on a coffee making appliance that I wishing to redesign: the electric percolator.
I figured I'd go find forums where I'd be apt to possibly find percolator-lovers and ask for your help in my research. I just want to add that I am not looking for negative comments from non-percolator users about how supposedly "awful" the coffee made in a percolator is, because as a percolator user myself, I find the coffee to be the BEST EVER. To me, it's all about personal taste and I have already read negative comments before from percolator-dissers. The purpose of this is to find out from percolator users what they like about their percolators and what they don't like and would wish could be redesigned in percolators.
I decided for my senior project to take on a challenge with a lesser known coffee appliance that is in dire need of a makeover. I not only want to appeal to current users of percolators but to try to attract non-percolator users, but with the way they look now, few younger coffee drinkers (especially drip-brew lovers) would find any appeal in percolators and think of "grandma" when looking at them. Despite electric percolators still being manufactured to this day in the U.S., I feel that they haven't put much thought into redesigning them or make them more updated or modern looking. I want to change that with my project. There are many areas that I myself would want to redesign, but I want to hear from you, what areas you would improve on (outer aesthetics as well as inner components, etc) and how you would think you can improve on them. No idea or suggestion is a bad one. I want to hear them all. Please help me with my project. Thanks in advance! 🙂
My Dad
used this percolator when I was a kid in the 'fifties. He seemed to like it. I didn't drink coffee yet, and never had a talk with him about why he preferred percolated coffee. He was a mechanical engineer -- for what that's worth.
Revere Ware was nicely made production stainless ware with a copper-clad bottom. We had other Revere pots and pans in the kitchen.
http://tinyurl.com/3jze6p9
Materials, BPAs worry me and ...
Materials, BPAs worry me and would prefer aluminium or stainless if I were to buy one, also reclycleability, thickness of glass if you use any, why is it always so thin? How easy would the jug be to clean? Getting your hands inside those things can be difficult. Noise, I hate it. I'm visiting family right now and they hav a microwave which has an insistent "ping" bloody things. Energy efficiency, size and bench space is precious fo me and would pefer something taller rather than squat. Manufacturing company reputation and location (okay not relevant now but...) I almost certainly wouldn't buy one made in China or anywhere else with a poor human rights record. Repair-ability, could any weak componenets (theres always something somewhere) be repaired at home or could a part be ordered?
General sturdiness and no whimsical touches please, do not put a bird on it.
I'm a user
"Farberware Superfast Fully Automatic", 1970s maybe, stainless, use it everyday. Love the look, love the way it works. Picked it up in a junk store in 2004, unused. I've run it twice a day, pretty much everyday since.
(I don't like the design of their new versions - too fat and chunky, ugly handles, ugly finial)
Some kind of automatic shut off would be nice. The sound adds to the experience for me, as long as it's not too loud. If you can figure out a way to design something that can be removed from the heating element, that would be a welcome change. Sometimes I want to grab it and take it to the cup instead of bringing the cup to it.
If it ever dies I will, too. I will cremate myself and use it as an urn.
Perculators aren't grandma, t...
Perculators aren't grandma, they make really good coffee. I use an IKEA one everyday. I think, in Europe they are used more than in America. I don't find drip coffee to taste very good.
I would use stainless steel as aluminium is not apparently a safe metal to use. Also, the machines with a milk frother attachment on the side are awesome.
Can I have a free sample please?!
CJS,
remember, before you write in your paper that young people are not familiar with percolated coffee, that that is probably not true. They HAVE experienced it if they have ever been to a catered event.
Caterers and restauranteurs use percolated coffee urns whenever they have to provide coffee outside or at a venue that doesn't have a pre-plumbed drip maker or espresso machine.
I have two commercial percolators that I use for parties--one for decaf and one for regular. It's nice because you can turn them on just as you are serving dinner and the coffee is nice and fresh in about 30 minutes or so.
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