Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker, 9.7″D x 13.1″W x 6.2″H

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!!!

 **UPDATE** I thought I had a winner.
I am embarrassed to have to come back and update this review. I don’t want someone else to make my mistakes. I had updated once (see below) about the burn I got. I still loved the machine and hated to return it. Then I got a new machine of a different kind. I won’t mention the brand or model here. What I want to say is that I thought I was getting good flavor from this percolator. Until I got another machine. The coffee is so good from the new machine that I could not go back to what I was getting from this percolator.

I feel bad because I could possibly influence other customers. To be honest, some people will be okay with this machine but my opinion now is that it’s for basic coffee. My mom would love the coffee from this because she didn’t care about subtleties of flavor and the notes of different coffee. I don’t care to a high degree but I care enough that I noticed the difference between this and the new machine I got.
***

I love how hot the coffee is (although, coffee type/brand is important because this brews so hot). However, I tend to have balance issues and I spilled coffee on my hand while I was pouring a cup. I scalded myself. Luckily, I had cold water running for something and was right next to the sink. All is well but… Yeah. Be careful if you are in the least bit off-balance or unsteady. I am returning it and so sad because I don’t know if I will find one as good. For now, I still have my Farberware Classic Yosemite stovetop percolator. I have ordered the Ninja CE251 & am hoping it’s a good machine without being a space hog.

SHORT & QUICK: Great machine that produces great coffee. No Shut Off function. Cord could be longer. Cleanup depends on filter or type. Coffee is stronger than with some machines so practice.

Now for the full scoop. These are the details, the whole, and nothing but.

PROS:
– Looks stylish enough. It seems like it could be a little sleeker but that’s just my personal opinion.
– Coffee comes out flavorful & that’s the most important to me. (I need to NOT follow the chart included with instructions because it will be too strong).
– Coffee is good and hot. It’s so hot that you better be careful with that first sip!
– Coffee came out stronger for me than with my carafe-style pot. The first cup (shown in the photo) was so strong you could hit someone over the head with it. This is great because I can use less coffee to get a good brew. TIP: for me, with the darkest roast I have, instead of about a tablespoon per 8 ounces, I cut down to a heaping heavy half of that. For lighter, milder & Breakfast roasts, I stayed the same. I suggest starting with a couple of cups for practice.
– Generates very little heat/steam into the kitchen. This was one issue with my stove-top.
– Perked much faster than I expected for 6 cups. Perks faster than my stovetop percolator. When brewing about 4.5 cups, I started my timer at plug-in at stopped when the Done light popped on. It clocked at 07:29:04. Not bad, in my opinion.
– Very easy set-up. Mostly (see about the pipe in a moment.)
– The cord is not too, too short but… more on that in a moment.
– I like that it’s all metal. That should up the durability. (Note that the piece that the top of the lid is hard plastic.)
– I am able to use this with or without filters. I prefer using the wrap-around filters (some were included) because they are much neater. (See below about my experience with the suggested Mellita 3.5 disc filters.) With the wrap-around, there were no grounds at the very bottom when I cleaned the pot. Without a filter, you get slightly better coffee (stronger) but there will be grounds at the bottom of the pot – but they settle so there aren’t many in the cup.
– I can save money buying coffee by the bag instead of pricey/messy pods. I’m able to go back to brewing freshly ground coffee.
– It brews quietly – once it finishes with the initial starting noise. You can hear in the video under my commentary.

CONS:
– That cord. It’s long enough to be out of the way of other things on my counter. However, when pouring, I sometimes have to reposition the machine or lift the cup. The first time I went to pour a brew, the cord pulled slightly because it was too short that way. It could be at least a few inches longer for convenience.
– You have to unplug this to shut it off when you’re done. I can never decide whether it’s more convenient to plug/unplug the cord from the pot or the wall. Still haven’t decided.
– The pipe (that the basket sits on) fits into a narrow well at the bottom. When I’m tired, it can be a pain trying to get the pipe situated. Tip: put the pipe in before settling the basket.
– My particular unit seemed as if it might have been lightly used??? There were some scratches in the bottom around the well & there was some sticky mystery gunk inside the spout (see photos). Of course, that might be from the factory. I bought a warranty even though I usually skip those so I hope it covers any possible problems down the road.
– This is a personal gripe but I can’t see the percolating action. The top is not see-through like on my stove-top pot or what I remember of my mother’s old percolator.
– This machine starts working the instant you plug it in. It’s a little disconcerting. I would rather have a Start button and also…
– … there is no Auto Shut Off. Like most customers, this is a huge deal for me. It’s the kind of thing that makes you sweat after you’ve locked up, left home, and are halfway to the airport. Even the cheapest coffee pots of various types I’ve owned had the Auto Shut Off feature. I don’t understand why this one lacks that.
– This keeps coffee hot but I have to test it more to see if it “cooks” coffee while keeping it warm. So far, I’ve only made & kept coffee warming for about an hour and a half. It was fine but I don’t know about when I want to make several cups to last for a few hours – or at least more than 2. Right now, if I am making coffee to last a while, I transfer to my thermal travel mug.
– The cleanup can be messy – depending on whether or not you use a filter and what kind of filter. So far, I prefer no filer (but it can be really messy) or the wrap-around. The Melitta 3.5 disc filters that are suggested do NOT work well at all. In one case where I used a lot of grounds, the mess was phenomenal. The grinds bubbled up and spewed outside the basket and a lot of them then leaked down the sides of the basket into the coffee. That was a nightmare. (I let the grinds settle and poured carefully to keep from getting too many into my cup. I will never buy the Melitta 3.5 again. They almost fit the bottom of the basket but leave just enough of a gap all the way around to create the mess I experienced. Even with less coffee and no “bubble up” problem, I still got too many grounds in the brew.

So the best things in my opinion include the quick brew, brew/flavor, heat. This did 6 cups almost as fast as my older Keurig does a regular-sized pod & the heat of a Keurig doesn’t even come close. I can add creamer from the fridge without ending up with a lukewarm coffee.

The biggest negatives are no Shut Off and the length of the cord. The shut-off really concerns me because that’s a potential safety issue. I can just imagine one day having to call my neighbor or landlord to go check that it’s unplugged after I’ve left the house. It’s really a potential hazard and I’m going to look into what happens if one is left plugged in for too long.

Like a lot of customers, I am replacing a Keurig and I can’t believe I waited this long. I got a Keurig when they were trendy & for the speed and convenience but it’s actually not that much faster than this percolator. It definitely does NOT deliver the flavor and heat of the percolator. Also, I wasted too much money for too long on pods that didn’t vary much in strength.

By the way, if you are going for the old-fashioned experience of hearing and seeing percolating action, you don’t get much with this one. The stove-top machine had all of that. This one is more of a disconcerting sound of popping/knocking when it starts, then very faint gurgling as the water moves through the pipe (?). And there’s no visual because of the solid top.

This to me is better than a machine with a carafe. It beats my last carafe type in flavor and brew strength. It’s less messy (depending on whether or not you use a filter), more attractive, and there is obviously no carafe to break.

The final verdict: This one is (so far) living up to the best of the reviews. None of the other machines in my price range seem much better (except for the auto shut off) and they have other shortcomings that this one doesn’t. I think I’m going to stick with it. If it doesn’t give me any problems by the time the return window closes, I will keep it and count on my warranty after that. I got the warranty simply because it was a few dollars more and I can bypass trying to contact the manufacturer if I have problems before the paid warranty kicks in.

**After some sleuthing around for tips & helps, I learned that it’s common to use coarser ground coffee with percolators. I’m going to be trying that.**

Me encanta esta cafetera. La puedo guardar cuando no la uso ya que tengo poco espacio para electrodomésticos. Hace muy buen café y es de muy buena calidad.

Es muy practica y hace muy bien el cafe