This is a very nice matched coffee service that uses the Vacuum Process. This set dates from the mid 1930s and features lots of very moderne details. The set was designed by Frank Woolcott and patented in 1934.

  

Frank Woolcott's Design Patents D-93,957 and D-93,958

Here is a closeup of the cream and sugar bowls as well as the "stove" with the electric heating element

The Creamer and Sugar Bowl (Bakelite Handles)


The "Stove" for Heating the Water


Woolcott's Patent 1,983,210 for the Stove

Closeup of the Server

This variant uses a cheesecloth filter that is kept in place by a spring. Like all appliances of the time, the cord was detachable. This version uses a cord with a resistance device (the ANYHEET control) in the cord to regulate the heat applied to the water. Since many remote communities only had Direct Current (DC), the manufacturer's nameplate makes it quite clear that only Alternating Current (AC) is to be used.

The Cheesecloth Filter and Metal Cover for the Server

 
Woolcott's Patent 1,967,982 for the Filter mechanism
and Anne Boever's improvement there-upon

The ANYHEET Control


An Ad for The ANYHEET Control from 1935


The Manufacturer's Nameplate

The reader who sent us these photos tells us:

"..The Silex Hostess set was purchased (for $240.00) by the Connecticut State Historical Society. In the spring [of 2006] it will become part of a long term exhibit in the Old State House in Hartford, CT where it was made..."

Contact Us if you can help us know more about this fascinating object.

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

These photos were sent in by our friend Al in New York. Neither Al nor I know very much about this artifact which appears to be a four burner coffe warmer for service in a restaurant. Here's what Al says:

"...Could you help me identify this silex coffee maker? It was originally purchased for a coffee shop my grandfather had in lower Manhattan around 1930 and never used. It's a gas four burner made of chrome with four glass coffee pots on top..."

Here are some additional pictures:

Manufacturer's Plate


Closeup of one Server


The Original Box!!!

This system for brewing coffee was invented by Frank Woolcott:

Woolcott's Patent 1,983,209 for the Silex System

Here is a picture of a three burner Silex set that was sent in by our reader John. He writes that it is still in service at Kortman's Restaurant, located in Rogers City a small town in Michigan.

The 3 Burner Silex at Kortmans

While we are looking at commercial coffee-makers, you should see some of the beauties that have been restored by our friend Eric:

 

The Taft-Warren &Taft Commercial Coffee Urn

Eric writes:

"... I've attached a few images of a Taft, Warren, & Taft coffee urn that was produced in the early 1900s. Taft, Warren & Taft was a Baltimore-based firm, long since defunct, that supplied Baltimore and Washington, DC hotels with restaurant supplies, including coffee urns, beginning around 1912. (That is when they showed up in the State of Maryland's Comptroller's tax records.) The urn shown is one from my private collection and is slated to show in a proposed exhibit onBaltimore wares at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. All of these urns wereoriginally nickel-plated top-to-bottom. Now you see them only as copper and brass as the nickel wore over time, and owners opted to have the remainderremoved. I fully refinish my urns, plating all of the hardware, thoughleaving the copper chassis unplated. I happen to like the two-tone,three-tone look. Several of our urns get used for family functionsincluding tailgate parties, clean-up well, and are always the subject of attention by coffee lovers. ..."

In conjunction with Eric's note, we also received a photo of thus brass beauty, sent to us by John, one of our readers. He says that he picked this up in the Phillipines and that the only markings on it indicate that it was made in Osaka, Japan during the period when the United States occupied that country after World War II. John says,"...Brass that might have ended up in shell casings and steel that might have been part of a "Zero" have been re-fashioned into a very beautiful and elegant object, hopefully a metaphor for our times...

Coffee Urn Manufactured in Occupied Japan

Unfortunately, Eric, the Urn expert has this to say:

:...Now, regarding the coffee urn that one of your readers indicated was made in occupied Japan (O-J), I do have to take exception. It is an interesting story, however, I don't believe it is correct. There were a number of U.S. manufacturers of coffee urns that were in production between 1885-1935 that produced this style of coffee urn (i.e., gas heated, ceramic insert for coffee, copper water jacket for heated water). Such urns ranged from 11-12" diameter to as large as 20-22" diameter (over 4 feet tall!). (I have one of the large ones in my basement, and my contractors often mistake it as an old water heater!) Now, regarding the O-J urn, I believe that the two wire handles on the sides were a later embellishment, as was the eagle on the top (to mimic an Italian espresso machine of the 1930s). Additionally, post-WII urns had moved largely to aluminum in construction. It is possible that theurn ended up in the Philippines in a nice hotel, however, I am almostcertain that it was shipped from the U.S. pre-WWII. Additionally, I recognize the chassis of the urn and will try to identify the manufacturer at a later date. Likely it came from either New York or Chicago. ..."

On the subject of commercial brewers, you might want to look at our page on Diner Talk, since a whole lot of the coded communications between waitstaff and the kitchen involves coffee.

feel free to Contact Us if you can help us know more about either of these fascinating objects.

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

Landers, Frary & Clark traces its start to the time George Landers, age sixteen, arrived in New Britain, Connecticut in 1829 looking for a job. He soon went to work for Josiah Dewey who, seven years earlier, had started a small foundry making cupboard latches and other hardware. After Dewey's death, it became Landers & Smith Manufacturing Company in 1853. As president, Landers' salary was seven hundred dollars a year.

In 1862 the small but prosperous company made another of the many acquisitions that were to mark its history and growth in future years. It acquired the firm of Frary, Clark & Company, of Meriden Connecticut, the company name changed to Landers, Frary & Clark, which it retained for the next full century of its existence.

Probably the most important item introduced around this period was a household scale, "the first product designed particularly for the American housewife," White explained in his speech. The company's productline continued to grow, adding meat choppers and sausage stuffers, screw eyes and strap hooks, door handles and floor scrapers, molasses gates and faucets, meat hooks and harness hooks, cast iron match boxes and curry combs, fancy brass hat hooks and eyes with porcelain knob ends--and even toys.

In 1870, George Landers, having turned fifty-seven, decided to retire from active management, but to stay on as vice-president and director. His son was now secretary of the company.

In the 1890s the trade name "Universal" was adopted for the company's products. And it was in the same period that it introduced a series of quite revolutionary household products that were to help establish it as a leader in the housewares field. One of these, was the "Universal" bread maker in which dough was prepared in the evening, left in the machine to rise overnight, ready for baking in the morning. This product quickly became one of one of the mainstays of the company.

The second product to become a household necessity was the "Universal" food chopper. Choppers were not new, but this one ground not merely meats but vegetables as well....Odds and ends could be turned into hashes and casseroles with ease....The identical model food chopper first produced in 1897 was an active item in their line nearly 100 years later.

The third, and to us, the most important product introduced during this period was the "Universal" coffee percolator (first produced in 1905), offering a new method of brewing coffee without boiling it, with resultant improvement in clarity and flavor. For most of the period from 1900 to 1980, percolators outsold other types of coffee makers. This percolator of the nineties was a simple one, heated on the stove. The day of electricity was only dawning.

A stock clerk named Charles F. Smith had gone to work for Landers in 1882, and in 1900 on the death of Charles Landers, son of the founder, he was elected president. Until his death in 1938, Smith was responsible for the tremendous growth of the company. Beginning with a patent it received in 1908 for the development of an electrical unit to be used on percolators, the company moved head-on into the appliance field.

The first "Universal" appliance appeared in 1912 when a "thermo cell" electric iron was introduced. Percolators, toasters and ranges soon followed. By 1915 it was already making electric ranges. Then came World War I when all production was devoted to military needs.

After the war the company greatly intensified its entry into electrical household products, an era Richard White referred to as the second or "electrical phase" of its development. "Today [1925], while Landers is manufacturing many non-electrical products for the home, its principal products are in the electrical field," he said.

It is noteworthy that in the early 1920s Landers, in order to exercise more complete quality control over its appliances, adopted a policy of making all its own parts as far as possible. At the time it claimed that six out of every ten homes in the country had at least one "Universal" product. Its capitalization in 1923 had reached $10.5 million and it employed over three thousand people.

The company also grew by acquiring other organizations: In 1919 the Barnes & Kovell Company was purchased. In 1920, the Columbia Heating Pad Company and in 1940, the O-Pan-Top Manufacturing Company, producers of a top-opening carpet sweeper, joined the "Universal" line.

Throughout the many years of its growth Landers had developed a conservative, intensely quality-minded image; here, it seemed, was a company so solidly rooted "it'll go on forever." So in 1950, when it announced the discontinuance of its cutlery division after eighty-four years of operation, the trade was shocked. Landers, they would tell you, acquired businesses--it didn't drop them.

Alas, Landers, Frary and Clark went out of business in 1965, a victim of cheap and cheesy imports.

Contact Us if you can help us know more about this fascinating object.

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This photo was sent in by the noted 40s Phil of central Indiana. Phil writes: "Here's how you made instant coffee in the old days if you didn't care for Instant-Postum. It's the Filtron cold water coffee extractor, it works like this:

1. Put a pound of ground coffee in the large middle bowl
2. Fill the upper chamber with cold water
3. Invert the upper chamber over the coffee chamber
4. Water drips slowly (overnight recommended) through the coffee grounds
5. An Extract ends up in the lower pot (that closely resembles a coffee server)
6. Add the highly concentrated extract (1 ounce) to a cup of hot water..
7. Voilla! you have instant coffee

If stored in a sealed glass jar this extract will last a month or more, according to the instruction book. The price of the Filtron was $19.50. "

Closeup of the Filtron Server

Brochure for the Filtron

Advertisement for the Filtron

They STILL MAKE THEM!!!

They're not as classy as their deco ancestor, but you can have one by writing to:

Thanks, so much, Phil!

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This photo was sent in by the noted 40s Phil of central Indiana. Phil writes: "This is a 1940 G.E. top of the line coffee maker Cat. No. 129P8. It's a vacuum type machine. What an incredible mixture of glass, chrome, and bakelite. This one is in mint condition "

Instructions for the GE Vacuum Coffee Maker

We have had some exchange of comments with our readers about problems with the GE 129P8. Here's what Phil has to say:

"...[I think] that the GE 129P8 is the coolest glass vacuum coffee maker ever. I have two of them and they are both in "like new" condition. After [discussing this with a reader] I got the hankerin' to make some coffee with one of my 129P8s. I discovered that neither one of them works. When plugged in, the pilot light comes on but when the red button is pushed the pilot light stays on and nothing happens. I have a feeling that the magnetic trigger in these coffee makers did not last long. That explains why my GEs are in such excellent condition ... they quit working early in their lives so were not used much. I have an extra stove (heating unit) for a GE 129P18 (that is the post WW II GE model which is a face-lifted 129P8). That stove does not work correctly either. I did get it to go on 'Hi' heat by holding the button down with my finger. I ran it through a coffee making cycle (using just water - no coffee) and discovered another good reason not to use these GEs for making coffee. The boiling water and steam in the upper bowl caused the bakelite lid to give off a burnt bakelite odor and that odor was present in the cloth coffee filter when I cleaned the coffeemaker after the experiment. Also, one of the rubber feet on the upper bowl lid stuck to the inside of the bowl during the test run. If you do get your 129P8 working, I would recommend that you leave the lid off while making coffee. I'm going to try to dis-assemble one of the 129P8 stoves to see if I can get it working properly. ..."

Thanks, so much, Phil!

Here are some photos of another high-style GE Vacuum coffee maker sent in by our friend Leon

   
1941 Ads for the GE Vacuum Coffee Maker
Carefree Coffee
Check out our Toaster Page for a discussion of the Toaster in the Ad

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is the Chase "Coronet Coffee Urn Service", designed by Walter von Nessen and introduced in 1938. The set includes the "Coronet Coffee Urn" (No. 17088), the Sugar and Creamer (No. 17089 and the "Festivity" Tray (No. 09018). The set sold for $28.95 in 1941, and now has a value in excess of $700. More about this may be found in Art Deco Chrome by Jim Linz (Schiffer Books, ISBN 0-7643-07444-4) P 118

This photo was sent in by the noted 40s Phil of central Indiana. Thanks, so much, Phil!

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

Mannning-Bowman was the Cadillac of giftware! Their slogan was "M-B Means Best". This is the "Harmony" coffee service, which appeared at least a year before Chase introduced the "Coronet" service. The 1937 Manning-Bowman catalogue notes that "...the spherical design of the 'Harmony' sets it apart as the smartest coffee service..." The set, with crystal catalin trimmings consisted of the Urn (No 492/12), the gold-lined sugar and creamer (No 1152). A tray was also available. More about this may be found in Art Deco Chrome by Jim Linz (Schiffer Books, ISBN 0-7643-07444-4) P 118

Of all things, Manning-Bowman is not as collectible as Chase --- this set only has a value of about $300!

This photo was sent in by the noted 40s Phil of central Indiana. Thanks, so much, Phil!

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

The Chemex is a beautiful object --- a hand-blown double cone of glass that serves as both coffee brewer and server. The upper cone holds a filter; ground coffee is placed in the filter and hot water poured therein. The brewed coffee drips down into the lower cone. The filter is removed and the device may be used to serve the coffee. Because the glass gets very hot, there is a wood grip, made of two curved pieces held together with a leather thong. A wooden ball/toggle is used to cinch the pieces together, but it can be loosened to remove the grips so that the device may be cleaned.

The Chemex has touched my life in several ways...

Before my family moved to the Suburbs, my dad would only drink espresso and it had to be made very precisely --- every day, on the way home from work, he walked by the Nicholas Brothers warehouse and came home with a small bagful of fresh roasted beans. After dinner, he would grind these with a hand mill and make espresso on a Vesuvio stove-top apparatus. Although we were dirt poor, we enjoyed very good coffee.

When we moved to the Suburbs --- the most singularly traumatic event in my life --- coffee began to come from cans. (Fortunately, we did not move far enough into the Suburbs for coffee to come from jars....) In 1956 or 1957, we received a package from California sent by Uncle Tony. (Those of you who read the website regularly know that Uncle Tony was a professional musician, zoot suiter, and general black sheep of the family). Inside this package was a Chemex coffee maker, much like the ones pictured above. Anything from Uncle Tony was suspect, and more so since it came from California ("The Land of Fruits and Nuts" as my Dad was fond of saying) In suburban Pittsburgh, this glass object with the strangely primitive wood grip held by a leather thong was truly exotic. Mom placed it over the refrigerator and it served as a conversation piece for a few months. ("What's that?")

After that, the Chemex was sentenced six years in the back of a cupboard for being inscrutable to suburban housewives. Then, I visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York which has a small exhibit of the great design innovations of the 20th Century --- among them is a Chemex coffee maker, a dead ringer for the one above our stove. When I got home, I was able to rescue the Chemex and take it back with me to College --- a Museum Piece. I treasured this object, my very tenacious link with the fashionable people who frequented the Museum of Modern Art.

When it was learned that President Kennedy fancied Ian Fleming, I immediately acquired a copy of From Russia With Love. Like all young men of the period, I eagerly memorized James Bond's favorite consumer products. To the vast unwashed generations of poor kids catapulted into the confusing social whirlpool of College, James Bond was a sort of mentor, someone who could guide you to making the Correct Choice of razors (Hoffritz), toothpaste (Vademecum) and Coffee Makers. To wit, I present this quote from the above referenced text.

Bond orders breakfast:"...two large cups of black coffee from De BR in New Oxford Street, brewed in an American Chemex (and no sugar). A single egg, boiled for three and a third minutes. Thick slices of wholemeal toast, with Jersey butter; Tiptree 'Little Scarlet' strawberry jam, Cooper's Vintage Oxford marmalade, and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum's."

In the books, Bond ---the force for Good --- had a preference for the handmade and the personal. The villains had a predilection towards Technology. One could imagine either Bloefield or Dr. No showing off his "Mr. Coffee" device.

In all candor, and at the risk of sounding bourgeois, the Chemex just does not work very well... I know that this borders on Heresy, but the filter is not well supported in the blown glass funnel. Even if you use the VERY EXPENSIVE specially reinforced Chemex filters, the paper often breaks and you have a pot full of grounds. The Melita system seems to work a lot better for the practical necessities of making lots of coffee. Of course, James Bond left these details to his minions...

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is one of the more popular collectible coffee brewers. The thing works very well, especially if you have to brew a large amount (like 15 cups...) in a short time. The distinctive curved handles and gently bulging shape are very attractive. The device uses an internal metal filter that is very well-designed. I have seen these at $100 and over.

I date this from before WWII. The manufacturer's information states:

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This coffee maker is eminently collectible for the cylindrical shape and the "Dee" shaped handle. This utensil employs a paper filter in conjunction with the metal filter. I was very fortunate to find this as new old stock --- I have the original cardboard sleeve with the initial price ($0.75) written in black crayon. The piece dates from June of 1935 when the original design patent was issued.

The manufacturer's information states:

This particular coffee maker was designed by Anetta Brenneman of TACU. Here is a reproduction of her design patent drawing:

Here's a little note on the history of the "Wear-Ever" brand:

Wear-Ever got started near Pittsburgh, Pa.

Aluminum, a new material, began to be seriously used as cookware as early as the 1890s when it was cast and stamped. Among the first manufacturers were the Pittsburgh Reduction Company which became U.S. Aluminum Company (USAC), and then the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA). (Wagnerware and J Illinois Pure Aluminum Co. were also manufacturers of aluminum cooking products at this time.)

In 1901, USAC formed "The Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company" (TACU), as its marketing subsidiary. In 1904 TACU adopted "Wear-Ever" as its trade name. These products won a prize at the St. Louis World's Fair, and in 1912, Wear-Ever aluminum utensils became standard issue for the U.S. Marine Corps. By 1925, USAC had become ALCOA and Wear-Ever became the name for TACU.

If the mark says "USAC", the piece is from before 1901; if it says "TACU" it's between 1901 and 1925; if it just says "Wear-Ever" it's after 1925.

We note that Anetta Brenneman identified herself as an employee of TACU.

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is an absolutely beautiful hand-blown vacuum coffee maker from the 1920s that was made by the Silex company which specialized in making heat-resistant glass vessels for industry. In the 1930s, the company merged and became Proctor-Silex, then Hamilton-Beach-Proctor-Silex, then Scovill Industries, etc, etc,etc. This is catalogue model EC-10, and made TEN cups.

The upper (disassembled) view shows the various components: At the far left is the heater "stove" which is simply a resistance coil mounted on an attractive metal stand. In the center is the Upper portion (resting upside down). The vacuum lock and a cheesecloth filter are in the foreground and the server is shown at far right. The fully assembled brewer is shown in the bottom photo. The small metal object on the right is the cap for the server when it is used at the table. This is NOT automatic --- you have to keep an eye on it to judge when all the water has passed into the upper chamber.

The Silex was immortalized by Norman Rockwell in his October 30, 1948 cover for The Saturday Evening Post, as shown below

  
The October 30, 1948 cover of The Saturday Evening Post
Click Here to read about the Douglas "Kitchen-Master" Chairs
Click Here to read about the Sunbeam T-9 Toaster

This is the eight cup version of the Silex Vacuum coffee maker (Catalogue EC-8).

Silex 8 Cup (parts)

Silex 8 Cup (Ready to brew)
VACUUM METHOD
NOT Automatic
Another Silex 8-Cup model that we found

Here is a FOUR cup model

Silex Model BWE-4 Coffee Maker



Label for the Silex Model BWE-4

I am extremely fortunate to have all three of these beautiful objects! Here are representative directions for using the Silex coffee makers

Directions for using a Vacuum Coffee Maker
similar to the one pictured

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is a classic Sunbeam vacuum coffee maker, made famous in advertisements in Life magazine during the late 1940s. This is an automatic coffee maker --- you load it up and it takes care of brewing the coffee. A light comes on when you are ready to serve. This is a significant step in the evolution of coffee makers, so we have devoted considerable attention to it -- including lots of patent diagrams in our special page on Coffee Technology

Here are the directions for using the Sunbeam C30 Coffee Maker

The Sunbeam came with an attractive tray set. While returning from the Reading Air Show, we stopped at a roaside flea market, and what should appear (for a quarter) but the tray!!

Here is the Manuufacturer's information:

Here is a nice grouping of ads for the C30 and related products from Sunbeam

 

1941 Ads for the Sunbeam C30 Coffeemaster

1947 Ad for the Coffeemaster
Check out our Toaster Page for a discussion of the Sunbeam T-9 Toaster in the Ad

Problems with the C30A Seal

This is a high quality, well-made product. The principal design flaw resulted because Sundbeam did not expect that the product would have such a long life. The seal between the server (bottom part) and the reaction chamber (top part) is made of rubber. Over time, this changes composition and hardens. In the process, it turns into a powerful glue and almost permanently seals the two pieces together. The most frequent question that I get is: "How do I get the two pieces apart?"

My answer (alas) is "YOU CAN'T." In other words, the thing is shot, kaput, a total loss (other than parts). If the thing hasn't been fused that long, you "might" have a chance of loosening the seal by soaking the thing upside down in hot water, as shown below. Be very careful to keep the heating elements in the base from getting wet.

This has a LOW probability of working...

Even if you do get the pieces apart, the seal will be ruined and the thing won't work. The company has been out of business for 60 years, so you can't get a replacement. You "might" be able to cast a new seal out of thermoplastic elastomers, but this is a skill that goes beyond your average garden variety collector.

So, what did you learn:

• If you see one at a flea market, ask the SELLER to take the two halves apart. (Let him try)
• If it is on an online auction do not bid unless the seller provides a photograph of the two halves apart and a closeup of the seal

This way, you can prevent yourself from winding up with a nice chrome sculpture that is useless as a coffee-maker

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is a vacuum coffee maker from the 1950s. Surprisingly, not much has changed from the 1920s other than the complications necessary to make the thing fully automatic. Of the vacuum systems, the ones from the 1920s make the best coffee --- if you keep a close eye on it and have ground your coffee specifically for a vacuum maker. At 1000 Watts, this thing uses a whole lot of electricty --- no Conservation was envisioned by the Westinghouse corporation. Their appliances from the 1950s are NOTORIOUSLY inefficient.

Here is the Manufacturer's information:

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

I found this little vacuum rig in New Market -- it has no maker's information than ABCO Metal Products. It certainly has a nice style!

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

Here are three lovely Vesuvio style Espresso makers (6, 4, and 2 cup models). These things are widely available and can approximate a good cup of Espresso --- provided that you watch it very carefully, use distilled water and have very finely ground coffe. Tap water is death to these things because the minerals in it greally clog up the pressure valve. These things have to be kept scrupulously clean!

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

These are the stovetop equivalent of the yuppie machines available at Williams-Sonoma. On the left is a milk-frother. It is simply a base unit from a Vesuvio-type machine with an attachment to allow steam to be directed into a container full of milk. The device on the Right contains a "charge" of coffee" It is placed directly on the burner and heated until; steam, rises in the cylinder. The black valve is turned to direct steam into the charge and the recovered liquid is held in a small server. BUT -- the steam pressure is not sufficient to extract all the oils that are essential to True Espresso.

You also have to be VERY observant and use the things just as the rush of steam is heard. There is not too much danger of them blowing up, but it is easy to get a blast of steam through the safety valve rather than through the milk or coffee... The yuppie machines just substitute resistance coils for the stove. No wonder you see a whole lot of the yuppie versions in thrift stores. They are often given as wedding gifts, but rarely used...

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

As percolators go, this is more-or-less the classic. It is designed to look like a seventeenth century Georgian silver coffee server. It is made of stainless steel. One of the commercial advantages of the percolator system is that they could be camouflaged to look like elegant silver pieces. The brewer is also the server. All of the other systems impose very specific design requirements and are somewhat inconvenient in that they have to be dis-assembled prior to serving. The percolator is "all in one piece" and enjoyed considerable popularity due to this simplicity.

Here is the Manufacturer's information:

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

Here is the bottom half of a Farberware Vacuum Coffee Robot, this time disguised as Dutch colonial silverware. I do not own the top half. When I got this, someone had stuck a percolator basket in it. They were probably fed up withthe difficulty of using the vacuum system and tried to do something else with it.

Original Ad for the Complete Robot
I only have the bottom...sigh..

Here is the Manufacturer's information:

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is a very lovely "LaBelle" coffee service. The photos were sent by our reader "Pru." This would have been a wedding or anniversary present. Unfortunately, it is a percolator and it does not make very good coffee.

Electrical connections for the Percolator

I don't know anything about this mark other than the fact that it was made in Brooklyn.

Click here to look at another type of collectible, or keep on scrolling for more Coffee devices.

This is a WONDERFUL Art Deco shape -- the beehive urn with Catalin Bakelite handles, plus the lovely cream and sugar set. This was the quintessential middle class wedding present of the 30s and 40s, so there are a whole lot of them around. This is not automatic --- you have to watch the color of the coffee in the little glass dome to decide when it is done. It makes LOUSY coffee.

Here are some photos of another United Coffee Set, this time with plexiglass handles. These were sent in by "Pru", one of our readers.

 

United Co. Percolator Set - Translucent Handles


United Co. Percolator Set - Detail of Cream and Sugar


United Co. Percolator Set - Maker's Mark

Click here to look at another type of collectible.

You are visitor

to thispage, this week.

You are visitor to jitterbuzz.com since April 1, 1997.