Wake Up and Smell the Coffee - It's Good for Your Head!

Did you hear? Just the aroma of a brewing pot of coffee can get the old brain going! Chemicals found in the wafting odor of coffee have been found to stimulate the sleep-deprived mind, helping to buffer it from the effects of stress. The rats in the study conducted at Seoul National University sniffed Columbian coffee (you know, with Juan Valdez?). It's a good smelling brew, and although just a whiff'll do, I'll keep drinking mine. Bottoms up, my caffeine addicted friends!

Now that we know what the mere aroma can do - its time to perk up the household - with vintage percolators!

Percolators have been around for a long time. The first is credited to a Frenchman named Laurens in 1818. It was several years later, in 1865 when the first patent for a percolator was granted in the USA to James H. Nason (not James Mason as is popularly credited on the net - sounds like someone got a little hypnotized by a famous name being one letter away, who knows...).

They became increasingly popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. The stove-top styles are still popular with campers and those engaged in many outdoor sports for their ease of use over a camp fire. Plug-in varieties came in a wide range of styles to suit every taste. And taste is what its all about. If you've only been sipping coffee made by our modern drip machines, there is a world of greater coffee enjoyment awaiting you! You alway knew mom's coffee tasted better. It's no secret, it's the coffee maker she used!

The Cory Crown Jewel (shown above) sold for $50 in the 1950s! Thats about $357.75 today! Made by Harvey Cory's Glass Coffee Brewer Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, it is the Cadillac of percolators. As it was also made for just a short period of time, (around the mid-late 1950s) they can be hard to find.

This circa 1940s Mirro-Matic 8 cup percolator is made of the finest aluminum. Finial and handle are bakelite adorning a classic pedestal body. Other versions have different handles and finials on the same shape.

Vacuum coffee pots are another way to enjoy a truly superior vintage cuppa joe. This style of coffee maker was in use in Germany by the 1830s. Cory created an early glass version in 1933. While the glass ones are a wonder to behold, this Sunbeam Coffee Master is not so nerve-wrenching to own! No slippery glass to wash and crack - it's a marriage saver! If you've got a roommate and want the delicious treat of vacuum brewing, consider the benefits of chrome on your counter and you may avoid a messy scene! Now that's an ad campaign after a practical gal's heart.

Speaking of practical - once you've found the vintage coffee maker of your dreams, taking care of it properly will ensure a tastier brew. The frugal folks at Thriftyfun.com offer cleaning tips for many vintage finds, including how to spruce up that percolator. Keep it clean out there - and your appliances will reward you - Mom will be proud!