Getting a good cup of coffee in the morning is a must-have for many of us.
One of the best ways to get a good-quality cup with little effort is to use a good-quality percolator.
A simple and effective appliance that lets you brew ground-up coffee beans in minutes.
Yet, something we’ve all struggled with is keeping a percolator clean. With regular use, percolators can become a grimy mess if not attended to.
I’m sure we’ve all spent time wondering, “Can’t I just throw this darn thing in the dishwasher with the rest of my stuff?”
I had the same thought. So I went on the hunt to find out the answer.
By using a stainless steel, immersible, and dishwasher-safe percolator, you can rest assured no damage will come to your percolator if cleaned in a dishwasher.
To first get an idea of how to best wash your percolator in a dishwasher, let’s first expand on our research into percolators in general.
What You Need to Know About Percolators
A percolator is a coffee brewing pot that uses a simple yet effective method of brewing up a great cup of coffee.
They often look like tall kettles and come with a unique design to enable them to percolate.
The bottom of the percolator is filled with hot water and is then heated to begin converting that water into steam. As the steam rises, it will move through the central compartment where your ground coffee is stored.
Due to the pressure caused by the heat source (Often a stove or induction hob), the coffee liquid will rise to the top compartment.
The Mess of a Percolator
This process playing out over and over can cause significant grime to build up in your percolator.
Whilst the percolator itself won’t be making a mess, it can be a nightmare to get into each compartment and clean it properly.
Coffee grime is an extremely tough substance, and people have been coming up with ways to deal with it for generations.
The most common methods of cleaning a percolator without the use of a dishwasher, include:
- Using a Vinegar Solution: Vinegar has long been used, mixed with water, to deep clean percolators. It is an inexpensive method of breaking down the coffee grounds and restoring that clean finish to the inner chambers of your favorite brewing pot.
- Baking Soda Deep Clean: Baking soda is also a commonly used ingredient, mixed with water, that works to break down coffee grime and brings your percolator back from the depths of internal mess.
The Issue With Traditional Cleaning Methods
If you’ve ever had to clean anything using vinegar or baking soda before, you’ll likely know this already.
However, for those lucky enough to have avoided this, let’s cover why these methods come with a few key drawbacks.
Having to scrub clean your percolator is an absolute nightmare of a task. With a percolator needing a deep clean at least every two weeks, you’ll spend hours scrubbing away only to have to repeat the process in a fortnight.
Surely there must be a better way? Well, thankfully, with the right percolator, there is!
What You Need to Know – Cleaning a Percolator in a Dishwasher
The most important area we need to cover is the materials your percolator is made of.
Dishwashers are extremely tough on anything you put in them and will destroy weaker materials with ease.
The most common material that is destroyed through machine washing is rubber, specifically rubber seals or rubber bases.
These are quite common for many percolators and other coffee brewing kettles to be made from.
This means you’ll need a fully stainless-steel percolator if you want to use your dishwasher to clean it.
Many percolators come made in stainless steel for this reason and come with detachable kettle sections so you can easily place the percolator into the dishwasher.
Let’s explore some stainless-steel percolators that come with these features and are safe to place in your dishwasher.
Farberware 50124 Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator
Cook N Home 8-Cup Stainless Steel Stovetop Percolator
The Presto percolator is a twelve-cup model that is made from stainless steel and is completely machine washable. You’ll notice that it has an electric heating pad on the bottom, which obviously can’t be placed in the dishwasher.
Thankfully, you can easily detach the kettle section from the heating base. Allowing you to just place the stainless-steel kettle into the dishwasher and providing you with a clean and easy finish.
2. Bialetti Express Moka Pot – 6-Cup Aluminium Silver
The Bialetti Express Moka Pot is another example of a percolator that can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
It can be taken apart with ease, allowing you to place each part into the dishwasher separately.
This is a vital component that is required if you want to place your percolator in the dishwasher.
You may notice it is made of aluminum, not stainless steel. This is also an acceptable metal material for a machine washable percolator to be made of, with just a slightly less rigid finish.
3. Primula Today Aluminium Stove Top Percolator
The Primula Today is an aluminum stovetop percolator and has no electric parts you need to worry about.
This simple model is designed to be used with stove heating and can be broken down with ease.
You’ll notice some more delicate parts inside the Primula Today, most notably the middle compartment that holds the coffee grounds.
This is quite a thin piece of metal but will be durable enough for machine washing.
4. Grip Blue Enamel Coffee Percolator for Camping
The Grip Blue is a camping percolator that you’ll see regularly.
This design is made with a durable enamel metal finish and is a minimalist approach to a percolator.
A typical approach for most camping appliances.
Any enamel camping percolator of this sort is perfectly safe for machine washing.
The enamel is exceptionally durable, and there are no electric components you need to be concerned about.
