Customer Reviews

Copco 4- to 8-Cup Polished Stainless Steel Stovetop Percolator, 1.5 Quart

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a great little coffee percolator, especially for the inexpensive price. For one person it makes more than I need, since the full "8 cups" comes out to about 4 normal mugs full.

I used the original plastic top for the first use, and it didn't seem to get too hot at all. Some mentioned the top melting in other reviews. Once the pot reaches a boil turn the heat down to medium, since it will still percolate there's no reason to boil on a red hot "high" burner (which may have caused the melting they mentioned).

Just in case I also purchased the replacement glass top (B0000CFM6K) advertised with the percolator here. It attached nice and tight, and works great too. I'm sure the inexpensive glass replacement top will last as long as the coffee pot.

Another great thing I noticed was that when I wet the basket, as recommended, before loading the coffee grinds no grinds ended up in the coffee at all. I thought there would be, but no grinds in any cups of coffee after a half dozen uses now. It's a great little percolator.

(I also added some photos to add to the stock image above so you can see the size of the pot, and a comparison of the stock plastic and replacement glass tops)

We tend to have a lot of power outages in the winter, [we have a gas range] and we bought this coffee maker for that reason. We found the coffee so incredibly good, that we deep-sixed our electric coffee maker [an over-priced Cuisinart] and we now use the stove top percolator every day. What a difference between the two! Compared to the stove top, the Cuisinart made brown water! The stove top makes coffee like my grandmother use to make...coffee that tastes like coffee should!

Every coffee lover should try this percolator.....you'll never go back to the automatics!

Percolators really are a forgotten gem. With good coffee, nothing beats them for good coffee at low cost. In a small kitchen, nothing is as space-efficient as a stovetop unit. This model is good, as far as it goes. It is attractive and works well, although I would prefer that the basket and base were a bit wider. As others have commented, the plastic dome really is an inexcusable shortcoming. Even with careful use, it will fail after a year or so. The inner surface etches to a white color. The threads strip. And the bottom edge may distort (apparently steam is hot enough to melt the plastic. ) They could have provided a glass dome for about 50 cents more and made a much better product. You can get a glass replacement, but with delivery it'll cost you nearly 8 bucks. Another shortcoming others have noted is the scrapingly sharp edges of the top and spout. They do seem to get smoother with use, however. One problem with this model is that the base is too narrow for all electric and many gas burners. It wastes energy and feels just a little unstable. The wider base of the otherwise similar Farberware Yosemite model makes it better on most stoves.

The metal is a nice weight, and the item is lovely in general. the plastic parts are, well, plastic (handle and perk top)- but it really does not detract from a well-made item. the coffee is wonderful and strong and tastes much better than in my previous electric plug-in type maker- since you can control the amount of time you let the coffee percolate, and i like strong coffee. i would definitely buy this item again, and recommend to friends. i don't use my electric coffee maker any more at all. the only negative is that it only makes 8, 6oz cups at a time, and for company, that's not much- about 4 mugs, no seconds.

I have used one of these for years and found this one to be the best even when there were more choices available. It has become difficult to find one that works on the stovetop or any open fire without electricity. I read one of the reviews for the Arcosteel 18/10 Stainless Steel Percolator also sold on Amazon. The reviewer complained about the pot rusting. I have not had a problem with rusting with this one and I have lived on a boat on salt water. I did have a problem with the plastic top that I suspect everyone that has had one has. They can melt. Too bad they dont correct this. I found a generic one of glass that fits and works perfect. I lost the strainer that fits atop the basket years ago, while washing it in the ocean, and it still works fine. Let the pot sit for a minute after removing it from the fire and any grounds in the coffee will settle to the bottom. Even if you dont have beans especially ground for a percolater as I normally don't. I find the coffee to be richer and hotter than the electric type. You can vary the amount of grounds as well as the time to perk to get your desired strength. Dont forget it and let it boil dry or you will have to throw it away. I'm going to order a new one and keep my old one for backup before the electrostooges take over the world and we can no longer find one.

I can't really speak on the performance of this particular percolator as I have not had a chance to use it yet. For those who have had problems with the plastic top melting, try replacing it with the Fitz-All glass top (No. 135: Small, diameter hole from 13/16"" to 1-1/2""). I bought mine at REI, but they also sell them on Amazon as well as ACE Hardware's online site. This top fits perfectly and will not melt. Hope this helps. Fitz-All Replacement Percolator Top

great product even with a plastic piece on the top that doesn't stay. It works. I put 4 cups of filtered water into a clean pot (well I try). I put 4 little rounded scoops of coffee, perhaps they are tablespoons, into the part that holds the coffee. Oh yes, the coffee is ground for percolator. I have to do this at the store. I haven't figured out if I can use Starbuck's French Press grind in this percolator? Perhaps I'll bring some beans down to the store and see. I put the little distributor on and the lid and cap. I light the stove and let her rip till it starts to boil. When it starts to boil, I turn the heat down 2 notches and set the timer on the microwave to 10 minutes. I turn it off and drink a cup. I buy only dark roast decaf and envy those that can have French Roast regular or any dark roast. I reheat two more cups during the day as needed. Sometimes, I leave a cup for the next day if I'm too lazy to make coffee in the A.M.. Anyway, get a percolator and start enjoying coffee!

I took my percolator out of dry dock to see whether I could use it to make coffee comparable to espresso or French press, which have been my methods of choice for making coffee. Drip coffee has never been in the running at our house.

I ran a comparative taste using my stovetop espresso maker, French press, and Copco percolator. I used Medaglia d'Oro espresso coffee in each coffee maker.

My stovetop espresso maker (or "machinetta") is a "6-cup," which actually makes 9 ounces, or one barely respectable American mug of coffee. There is no standard "cup" in the coffee industry, and it's helpful to inquire as to any coffee maker's capacity in ounces. The little machinetta is aluminum, and has developed a helpful build-up of scale that is supposed to protect me from any transported aluminum taste. It does, but it also looks pretty groty. It takes about 12 minutes to make a cup of coffee with the machinetta. For my taste, it makes a delicious, smooth coffee with the best flavor of any method. But I have to go through a 12-minute process for each cup I have during the day. Still, it's fun to make, the burbling sound is pleasant, and the machinetta pours beautifully. Cleaning is simple, and the machinetta has just three parts. The drawback is my concern about the cumulative effects of aluminum over time, and a stainless steel espresso maker costs at least four times more than an aluminum one the same size. I just don't find the price of a stainless steel model a good value, and I prefer to make a larger batch once a day. My thermos keeps my coffee very hot for 5 or 6 hours.

Our French press remains my husband's method of choice. He likes "cowboy coffee." It's the simplest method--so simple that I find it lacking in process. It does make good, strong coffee. The glass carafe is hygienically appealing. Clean-up is simple, with two basic parts, the plunger assembly and the carafe, but every few uses the plunger should be disassembled and the strainer cleaned. Somehow I just don't find it very satisfying to boil water, pour it over the coffee, and tamp it down with the plunger. There's no reason you can't accomplish the same thing without a plunger: just pour boiling water over coffee in anything and strain it into cups or a thermos. The French press is attractive, but does continue brewing with the plunger down, as long as it contains coffee. The other downside of the French press is that the coffee needs to brew about 5 minutes, and it cools while it brews. The espresso maker and percolator have piping-hot coffee ready to serve when brewed. This is a big thing with me.

It seems incredible that a 6-cup stovetop espresso maker that makes 9 ounces of coffee should cost $80 in stainless steel, when this totally nifty stainless steel percolator costs $20-$30 and makes up to 40 ounces of good, strong coffee. You do not have to use coarse-ground coffee in a percolator. You most certainly can use espresso; just wet the filter basket and its cover, and most of the grounds remain in the basket. The few that don't are very fine and perfectly ingestible. If the grounds are a problem for you, wait a few seconds and they will sink to the bottom of your cup and reside in unobtrusive sludge.

I use 2 rounded scoops of coffee and 16 ounces of water--it is not necessary to fill the percolator to the 4-cup (20 ounce) minimum mark. I perk my coffee for 7 minutes. I turn down the heat to the lowest point at which it will continue perking. The percolator has 5 parts to clean, but it's simple, and stainless steel is satisfying to keep up. If you choose the brushed finish, buff it with the grain--side to side, not up and down. It's dishwasher safe, but worth handwashing to keep the finish from water spotting.

I agree with everyone else that the after-market glass knob is a good idea. We found one at our local independent hardware store right after buying our percolator. Too bad they don't come in colors or art deco designs!

The percolator coffee flavor is distinguishable from the espresso made in the stovetop machinetta or the French press, but I find it equally good. It's strong and smooth, with its own American "bite."

Conclusion: We remain a divided household. I favor the percolator; my husband favors the French press. We would both favor the espresso maker if one were available in stainless steel that would make 40 ounces and sport a percolator price tag.

What I do: I love my espresso and the espresso ambiance, but prefer the efficiency and economy of a larger stainless steel coffee pot. I like percolator coffee and its 1950s ambiance; it has its own distinct flavor and aesthetic. So I drink my percolator espresso from a demitasse cup and savor the bliss.

I bought one of these coffee pots about 4 years ago and two weeks later I had to buy another for my Mom.

The stem that holds the basket has a spring that allows the basket to bounce which prevents a spill over; what an ingenious idea.

In regards to an earlier review, I have used many kinds of ground coffee with great success.

The only draw pot is as mentioned earlier is the plastic tops melt. I have went through three of them within the 4 years and need a new one now. I hope I can find a replacement made out of glass as posted earlier.

Perked coffee is the only way to go for true coffee lovers like myself. This pot is wonderful, the coffee is good and hot, and there are no grounds in the last drop to worry about as is the case with some coffee makers. The perking allows the full bodied flavor of the coffee to come thru that you just can't get with dripped coffee. I love this pot.