Presto 02811 Stainless Steel Electric Coffee Percolator - 12-Cups, Easy-Pour Spout, Stay-Cool Handle, Make 2-12 Cups

My family has owned this percolator for 6 years now, purchased right here on Amazon in 2010, and I'm about to buy another one for work. This pot has consistently delivered the best tasting coffee - better than all restaurants we frequent, better than friends and family's coffee... just awesomely, amazingly good. I've had a couple of minor maintenance issues over the years (see below) but they were super easily overcome, and in general this has been a super-reliable and very inexpensive appliance. Honestly, this has to have been one of my most favorite appliance purchases ever. And all for less than $40. Take THAT, you overpriced, overly featured drip machines that make lousy coffee!! ;-) *TIPS* With this, and any other stainless percolator, there are some basic guidelines to follow that aren't necessarily in the manual: 1. DO NOT use a paper filter. Ever. Use the metal basket ONLY. The holes are tiny enough to allow the coffee through, but to keep 99.9% of the gains in. Using the metal basket without a paper filter allows the flavor oils that naturally exist in the coffee bean to STAY in the coffee and contribute to its amazing and full flavor. If you use a paper filter, you'll lose the oils and get an "over-extracted" flavor that's more bitter than bold... so don't use a paper filter, follow the instructions, and you're GOLDEN - perfect coffee every time. Yes, you'll get a couple of grains in the last cup without a paper filter... whoop-de-do, just don't drink the very last few drops of the very last cup - problem solved. ;) 2. Cleaning the pot: Make sure it's clear of any build-up, but don't scrub the interior... allow the percolator to become seasoned. It's hot enough to prevent any bacterial issues, just like a wok or a cookie sheet. So let that puppy get seasoned, it's perfectly safe AND more delicious over time! The key place for build up is the receiving "hole" at the bottom of the pot for the metal tube. That can build up coffee debris pretty quick, and if you don't clear it, it will keep the metal tube from seating properly and you won't be able to brew properly, if at all. You only need to scrape away the excess with a fingernail, and you're good to go. The outside of the pot, however, feel free to scrub and make super shiny. It's really a nice looking piece when cleaned! 3. Cleaning the basket: The basket's tiny holes can get plugged up over a month or so of daily use. There's two ways to deal with this: chemically (cleaners) or with a wire brush. I prefer the wire brush route and just tap the bottom of the basket, which instantly clears the holes and allows you to keep the years of perfect seasoning intact. Wire brush FTW. 4. When assembling the pot in order to brew coffee, if you don't get the metal tube lined up with the receiving hole in the bottom of the pot, you'll get a misfire where you'll get a weak pot of coffee (at best), if not a mere pot of hot water. To ensure this doesn't happen, once the metal tube is aligned with the receiving hole, twist it left and right like you're trying to gently screw it in. It doesn't actually screw in... the twisting movement simply forces it to pop into the hole if it isn't in the hole already. Best. Trick. Ever. 5. Don't overfill the basket with coffee - the closer you are to the top of the tube, the more likely to get grains in the bottom of the pot. However, don't underfill or you'll get weak coffee. Follow the instructions, and you should be fine. 6. It's OK to let the coffee sit plugged in and ready to go for a long time as a FULL pot. If you're going to be leaving less than half a pot for more than an hour, UNPLUG IT, the coffee can burn if it sits long enough, just like ANY coffee pot. However, I've let a full pot sit for 4 or 5 hours, plugged in, and it's still not bad at all. Obviously, the fresher the better - just don't let it sit plugged in with very little coffee left, or your coffee will be understandably less delicious than you were expecting. 7. MAINTENANCE: I've had to replace the wire/plug once because using it thousands of times caused it to develop a minor short. Any plug/wire off the shelf that fits will do... it's just a straight up, no frills, 2 prong AC cable. Easy-peasy. I've also seen the screws holding on the bottom decay over time as they're not made of rust-resistant metal, sadly. However, a quick trip to your local hardware store will get you brand new ones; just bring the old ones with and ask the hardware guy for help. I replaced the bottom screws about 2 years ago when they got too rusty, so I got 4 years out of mine. You might be able to forestall the rusty screws issue by covering the holes with hot glue to prevent water from getting up in there when you wash the outside. That'd probably work perfectly, but I haven't actually tried it. Finally, stop reading reviews, buy this pot, and enjoy your awesome coffee!!!

I bought this Presto to replace a Mr. Coffee programmable drip coffee maker. Out of the box, the Mr. Coffee machine had a non-working warming plate. Then, after a bit of thought, recalled that I wasn't especially happy with the last 2 or 3 drip coffee makers I owned. They produced adequate coffee, but nothing out of the ordinary, nothing spectacular. While browsing for a new coffee maker, I came upon the Presto and read the great reviews and also the not so great reviews. Since the positive reviews far outnumbered the negative ones, I took the plunge and couldn't be happier! This machine is simplicity in itself. Every part is able to be easily cleaned due to the few number of parts it consists of. A simple rinse between uses is about all that's needed. Maybe once a month a more thorough cleaning is necessary to remove any stains from the coffee or the oils produced by making coffee. I use the flat bottomed Mr. Coffee (#4) basket filters with the Presto. It takes just a second to poke a hole in the bottom to get it over the stem and into the basket. So far, not one ground has ended up in my coffee regardless of how fine, or coarse my coffee is. For each and every drip machine I've owned, none has made coffee as hot as I like it. After brewing, I've always had to put the cup in my microwave for varying times to get it to the temperature I like. I like mine one step below scalding but your mileage may vary. I tested the temperature of the Presto after a full brew of 12 cups and it was 195 degrees F. After doing some research on the internet, discovered that the optimal temperature for brewing is between 195-200 degrees, so this coffee maker was spot on! Although this temperature may seem too hot to some, it's actually quite beneficial for the following reason: the hotter the water, the less coffee is needed for full flavor extraction. In the drip makers, I was using 6-8 spoons of coffee per 4 cups of water to achieve the flavor I most enjoyed. With the Presto, the ratio was 1 spoon of coffee to make 1 cup of coffee, or 4 spoons of coffee per 4 cups of coffee. So, my usage of coffee grounds was halved to make a much hotter, full-bodied, delicious cup of coffee! The only down side to the Presto, compared to the auto coffee makers, is lack of a timer. The fix to this was the addition of an appliance timer which costs perhaps $5-$7. I like to have my coffee waiting for me when I awaken in the morning so add the water, filter, and coffee before bed. I have all the tabs of the timer removed except for just one which turns the pot on about an hour before I wake. I don't have to worry about "off" since I unplug the pot after drinking my morning coffee. Of course, I could always manually plug in the pot and wait about five minutes, but find a timer more to my liking. Another nice feature of this coffee maker is the small footprint it has as opposed to the larger plastic automatic coffee makers. With proper care and cleaning, am hoping to get a lot of years out of this great machine. And, thanks to Amazon's Prime shipping, it arrived on Christmas Eve in time for a large family gathering when it took its "maiden voyage." Thanks Amazon and thanks Presto!

This perks the best coffee! No more pod coffee or drip coffee for me. You can make 6 cups or 12 cups. This pot has been used everyday, sometimes twice a day, for almost a year now without any problems. It's easy to clean, but does need a deep clean with dishwasher detergent atleast bi-monthly to keep your perked coffee fresh. I tried the basket liners, but found they just didn't work well and coffee grounds still leached into the brewed coffee. I switched up to whole bean coffee and grind a coarse grind. No more grounds in the coffee and a great cup of coffee.

Well, it's been 5 years since I purchased this on Amazon. It makes great coffee! My only gripe is that the power cord it starting to act up. Seems to be a little short in it right where the wire meets the plug part the goes into the unit itself. Looking at replacement cords on here right now and the reviews are bad because they are not OEM power cords. With that said, I was able to order one on the official website of Presto. That is the way to go! All in all, this percolator is very good. If I didn't have an issue with the power cord, I would easily give this percolator 5 stars.

De percolator zorgt voor lekkere koffie! Echter is de machine na 6 maanden al kapot.

コーヒー豆と水を入れたら勝手に大量にコーヒーを作ってくれるマシンを探していたので購入。 特に問題なく大容量のコーヒーがすぐに作れます。 気になる点としたら機械部分が丸洗いできないことくらいかな。 あと、もうちょっと安いといいな。

Super cafetera, la mejor.

it's 110volts, half-powered and will burn itself up if you simply use an adapter. very inconvenient and expensive to return to las vegas.

Excelente cafetera. Fácil de usar y fácil de servir. A diferencia de las cafeteras de "vaso" o jarra de vidrio, este tipo de cafetera sí calienta el café como se debe además de dar un mejor sabor al manejar temperaturas más altas. Así es como deberían ser todas las cafeteras, ya que además no hay riesgo de que se te rompa o quiebre tan fácilmente. Por otro lado, puedes usarla sin filtro, lo que la hace además una opción más ecológica y barata a largo plazo.