Customer Reviews

Coleman 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

You need to know: there is a problem with the glass domes. The glass dome screws into the metal lid, and the glass screw threads break off on their own from the heat. Ive gone through 3 domes now. It wasnt uncommon to find shards of glass on top of the filter basket.
I use this pot at home, as I like perked coffee better- and there's darn few real percolators left. BTW, if youre thinking about buying an electric model, they all feature "fast brew" technology, and dont perk long enough. This pot is solid, but has a few shortcomings: the handle is a little unconfortable, but if you use a pot holder,(as it's designed for) it's fine. The body, lid, and basket are sturdy. The bottom is thick and sits flat on a glass cook top. But the stainless steel main stem assembly base/stem is a little thin, - wish it was sturdier- as the basket needs to be level to drip right. And dont remove the tight fitting lid by grabbing the glass dome- youll crack the bottom (threads) off the glass dome, it as I did. Coleman sends free replacements if you call the 800#. You might as well call them now to get a replacement, as it take 2 weeks to arrive.
Having said that, this pot is pretty solid, it's a good buy, and its real capacity is closer to 14 cups- I like that.
UPDATE: as I say above, the first glass dome cracked when I used it to remove the lid- it is shaped to be grabbed- wont make that mistake again. Coleman sent a replacement glass dome at no cost, no problem with them. That dome cracked within the first 10 days too, first just a little at the bottom, then practically right in half, and I did not grab it. I need to warn you that the glass dome breaking is a big issue with this pot. My pot is sitting on the shelf, not being used right now. I used it 6 weeks and went through 2 domes. Im calling Coleman and telling them about the problem, and asking them to send 5 domes so I will have enough to last 6 months. They should temper the glass on the dome to toughen it up. If youre looking for a pot to camp with choose the blue model, its very durable with no breakable parts.

This is the best percolator coffee pot I've purchased, partly because it is made strictly of stainless steel and glass. No plastic or aluminum to take care of or change the taste of your coffee.

The secret to keeping the glass percolator top from breaking while the pot is in use is to be careful not to screw on the percolator top too tightly. Both the glass and metal will expand when heated. If they are screwed too tightly together the hole will actually shrink just enough to break the glass. This is old technology that most of us have forgotten about and so little hints like this are not passed down anymore. Tighten the top just barely enough to keep it from rattling and no more. This will leave enough room between the glass and the metal for heat expansion.

However, it is a mathematical certainty that I will drop the lid at least annually so I still like to have an extra top or two in the kitchen drawer like my grandmother used to. Now I know why she did. Hope this helps!!

The coffee pot is simple and well made. I still managed to break the glass dome after one week. I contacted Coleman by email to see if I could buy a replacement dome. I received 2 domes @ no charge 3 days later.

I like the coffee pot. I love stove-top perked coffee. But the dome broke, just from the heat, only a couple of months after the purchase. I have contacted Coleman and have not heard back. It is quite frustrating. November 2007 update: The company responded to my complaint, and sent me two domes, free of charge. So I am a satisfied customer, and recommend the product.

Excellent coffee pot. The percolator works good the dome on the lid is glass and will last the life of the pot. The pot and all parts are stainless steel.

You can get percolator filters from the market that will aid in the clean up.
Best camping pot I have seen. I got one for my emergency kit. I can face anything as long as I have my coffee...

I have spent a lot of time reviewing the previous posts, and have actively implemented their recommendations on usage:

1. Glass dome is fragile, so treat it as such. We don't use it as a handle and ensure that it isn't screwed in tightly. Always backed of half a turn.

2. Stem isn't robust, so treat it as such. We don't pack stuff into the basket or main body.

3. The grounds get in. Select the appropriate ground size and dampen the basket before use.

Accepting the weaknesses of this percolator and adjusting usage accordingly, we have a reliable camping and home item that has consistently delivered excellent coffee and vastly surpasses the problematic, maintenance intensive and inconsistent dripolators and home espresso machines out here.

Reliable, consistent and value for money.

I bought this percolator to replace an aluminum WWII era percolator, that still works excellent, because I wanted to move away from cooking with aluminum. The actual weight of the pot and lid is nice, however, the interior parts are quite flimsy. I even had to bend a piece back into shape before I could use the pot for the first time. The stainless basket is nice but the lid to the basket doesn't fit tight in the basket and you end up with a lot of grinds in the coffee. On my old aluminum percolator the basket lid actually snaps tight into the basket. This is a typical Corporate American profit squeezing product. I don't expect it to last very long at all and will get used to flossing the grinds out of my teeth.

Be aware: There is big center area indentation on the bottom so on a ceramic stove only the outside 3/4 inch edge of the bottom gets the heat. The water outside of the center area boils and boils but, because there is very little heat getting to the center, the pot cannot but sporadically and weakly perk. (You need to see the inner workings of a percolator to clearly understand why.) I would not have bought this pot had I been able to see an angled photo of the outside bottom. I am sure it will work just fine on a gas stove, however, because you can adjust the flame to the center. I give it 4 "potential" stars! I can't honestly rate it because I haven't been able to use it. I have a small (4 cup) flat bottom one that makes just fine coffee -- they all work the same way.

I bought this to replace another one- that had a plastic dome, and was not seamless like this one. While the lid is a little difficult to remove, it seals in the coffee flavor, and is a breeze to clean all
parts in the dishwasher. We use it 2-3 times daily. This is the best one that I have found, and would unquestionably buy this again, even to just have an extra pot when the family all gets together.
Will never go back to the automatic coffeemakers!

I purchased and received this percolator over a week ago. I read most of the reviews on this product before purchasing it. I needed a large durable percolator to take on trips so I didn't have to take my wonderful porcelain Berggren percolator that I use daily at home. I have only used the Coleman 12-cup percolator three times due to the strong unbearable metallic taste and the defective stem/spreader. I used the same method for percolating coffee in the Coleman 12-cup stainless steel percolator as I do for my 9-cup Pyrex(clear glass)percolator, my 9-cup white porcelain Berggren(Scandinavian) percolator and my new purchase... the 12-cup stainless steel Rapid Brew percolator. This Coleman percolator takes forever to perk. The water just boils. When it does start perking, it is not continuous as with my other percolators. It perks for a second, dies down then perks inconsistently, whether on HIGH, MID-HIGH or MEDIUM heat. I'm wondering if the wrong stem/spreader was mistakenly put with this percolator. The bottom of the stem slides over the convex bottom of this percolator. The Coleman percolator looks nice and is heavy stainless steel?(there are no markings that identify it being made of stainless steel. Only a stamp on the bottom "Coleman")... and where can the awful unbearable metallic taste originate from? As far as the issue with the glass bulb breaking that has been mentioned in a lot of reviews, I did not encounter that problem. If you need a durable stainless steel percolator, I would recommend the 12-cup Rapid Brew stainless steel percolator. It has been working out fine for the last couple of weeks.