Pyrex's Vintage Stovetop Coffee Maker Is A Mid-Century Design Classic

By now, you've probably heard collectors gush about their collection of vintage Pyrex items. There are so many vintage goodies from Pyrex still in circulation that it's entirely possible to pass one up at the thrift store without ever knowing it was Pyrex at all. For example, you might have completely missed Pyrex's vintage stovetop coffee makers, which look no more remarkable than clear glassware with a black handle, thanks to its mid-century modern design.

Pyrex manufactured a line of percolators (which are very different from moka pots) back in the day, made up of five parts: a large pot, a matching lid, two metal straining pieces, and a glass stem. Pyrex made two variations of the percolator: one in the Flameware line with a straight handle and another with a curved, contoured handle. Different sizes of the percolators promised between four and six cups per pot. Both designs were produced between the 1930s and late 1940s, right around the time the mid-century modern aesthetic became popular, which explains the percolators' simple design and clear handles, lacking the colorful flair that other vintage Pyrex items are known for.

The mid-century modern design style that Pyrex's vintage percolators were modelled after meant a focus on simplistic design and sleek, straight lines. Something that could be mass-produced, but still fit the Pyrex level of quality. "It really does make the best (and hottest!) cup of coffee," said one Reddit user, while another Redditor said that "with good quality fresh roasted & ground beans — and minimal metal in the unit — we loved this coffee & didn't expect to." Although mainly used for making coffee, the brand also emphasized that its percolators could be used for brewing tea, boiling other liquids, and/or distilling cold liquids.

In 1938, around the time when Pyrex's straight-handled percolator hit the market, the entire unit retailed for just $1.79, and replacement lids for only $.25. Obviously, any percolator these days won't sell for less than $2, but that doesn't diminish the fact that vintage Pyrex items are still highly in demand. Today, Pyrex's old percolators range on resale sites from $50 for smaller sizes to over $200 for larger sizes, but here's how to check if your Pyrex dishes are really vintage, just in case. Pyrex also developed half a dozen other coffee-making glassware items in the same time period, such as the Platinum Banded Corning Brand Coffee Maker, but as this Redditor put it, "percolator[s] make the best coffee."