Revitalize old rubber vac pot gaskets
I love vac pot coffee. What's not to love? It's fun to brew and the coffee is as good as brewed coffee can be, without the sediment you get with a press pot.
I also love to buy old vac pots, but as pretty as they are, if the rubber gasket is old and hard, they are just dust-catchers on the shelf because they don't create a seal. Without the seal, air escapes around the gasket and you don't get the vacuum necessary to pull the coffee back into the lower decanter. I broke an upper bowl on one that was difficult to remove after brewing. What a mess that was!
I recently ran across a solution for the gasket problem. Go to the auto parts store and get a can of transmission stop leak. This stuff works on the seals and gaskets in the transmission just as it works on your vac pot gasket. Take the gasket off the upper bowl of the vac pot and soak it in the stop leak for 2 or 3 days. I have had good results on one of my gaskets and I am now soaking the others. I don't know if it will work on cracked gaskets.
It won't make them as new, but will soften the old rubber just enough to make the seal. It may not work on all, but for about $4, it's worth the try.
The stuff stinks so don't do it in the kitchen. It's hard to wash off, but the rubber doesn't come in contact with the coffee, so it's safe. Let's rephrase that. I think it's safe, but you decide for yourself. There is a possibility that some residue of the stop leak could get onto the mouth of the decanter and into your coffee.
Please let other readers know how it works in the Comments.
Robert
Labels: VacPot
posted by Robert @ 3/30/2008
11 Comments
11 Comments:
Growing up we had a "Corey" Cacum coffee maker... metal top with same gasket.
It seemed to me the best coffee of my life.
Hoping to find (healthy and safe) way to soften rubber gaskets on older vacuum brewers. Not sure I want to try your Petrol product...any more edible alternatives folks??? I recently purchased NIB never-used Cory, but rubber so hard wont snug in properly. "Dust catcher" is right - useless unless soft gasket.
Another NIB Cory I recently purchased brewed thrice before lower vessel broke at rim...rubber too tight? not sure why. Now I just bought a 3rd NIB prewar SILEX and rubber fairly soft and vacuum so far working nicely... 2 brews so far: HINT: to insure seal twist upper vessel into lower, (so says Silex literature), and yes it helped. Unfortunately Silex when pouring drips messily....so I came online to see if I could restore my hardened rubber Cory. Hope someone has a non-petrol suggestion. Also, I'm considering buying yet another that both workd and pours well: Any suggestions on which models would pour without making a mess on tablecloth? I have brewed coffee many ways; for lovers of Strong efficiently brewed coffee, (very like French Press full brew and with fine grinds - excepting grounds do NOT stay in contact with water after brew time and thus do not secrete extra bitterness), vacuums are great - as long as you fill (remember some water remains in lower vessel and dilutes what brews in upper, negligible when pot is full. Also Sunbeam metal/chromed C-50 brews very well and (being metal) can afford to and does have a smaller reservoir of water in lower vessel, thus dilutes less. Pours neatly enough, reliable and automated, with excellent filter design. Brew contacts metal, without any adversity I detect. (I've had/used this Sunbeam for a decade.) (I want to try the all-glass vacuum partly because claims of superiority of clean tasting brew due to contacting glass only, generally no metal.) Not like ineffecient plastic-lined coffee makers of today such as my Cuisinart drip system - which has high consumer rating but still cant hold a candle to superior vacuum pot! I highly recommend later Sunbeam (C-50 better than C-30) only we dont get to see the action! :) Anyone have good idea for softening gaskets? (other than using gasket-less model?) Can anyone suggest model(s) which pour neatly? Salud!
~Padraig Ruarc
This technique works pretty well. It did make my gasket perfect but it at least made it usable. If the gasket is wet it will still pop out on its own but if dry it'll stay put during the whole brewing process. Do wash the gasket well after the soak, and wait a few days for the odor to dissipate. I brewed a pot the same day after reconditioning my gasket and I definitely could smell petrols. However a few days later it's not noticeable.
how do you get the gasket off the pot-? it doesnt uncscrew
One of mine came off with a little tugging. I kinda peeled it off. Another felt as if it was glued to the glass. I soaked it in hot soapy water for 15 minutes, rinsed and dried, and them it came off a little more easily. Be careful that you don't break the glass. Don't use any metal against the glass to pry off the gasket or it will surely break it.
I just found a silex glass pot. The rubber is decent, but wouldn't stay with the upper vessel after the brew.
I applied a thin bead of clear silicon caulk to the rubber where it meets the glass. It works ok.
I just heard about this technique and am trying it as I'm typing. I learned that ozone air purifiers can reduce the life of rubber gaskets in the home (which has been my problem). My dad said he knew a world renouned antique car retorer who would boil his car window gaskets in ordinary household liquid dish detergent. Said it restored the gaskets completely. I don't know any of the particulars in the process, such as length of boil time, but it's easy enough to try it until I get it right. Pretty inexpensive if you're only restoring small things. I think car window gaskets would take a few bottles of soap! Anyway, just wanted to share what I know - try it out and see what happens!
I guess that I have been fairly lucky. All of my vacuum brewers, mostly Cory, have had nice pliable seals. And it seems like the more I use them, the more pliable they get. Until I got my first Cory I thought that Senseo brewed coffee was the best. But now I have to have my vacuum coffee, so I am collecting vacuum systems. I know that there are new made systems available, but, I want USA made so I have to go with these oldies. Hopefully the gaskets stay pliable.
I make brand new c30 gaskets
contact me at ---------
Lee_d_33712@yahoo.com
Here are a couple of sources for narrow-neck gaskets:
Casco Bay Molding: http://www.cb-molding.com/store/AntiqueCoffeeGasket.cfm
Orphan Espresso: http://www.orphanespresso.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=47_119
-Chris
I just purchased a new glass, stovetop, siphon percolator from Amazon with free shipping. It comes with cloth filter, and a grid for the electric stove and a spoon to stir it if you wish. It makes the best coffee I have ever had. It cost 35.00 and I love it.
alex
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