I purchased this over the Farberware stovetop percolator based on reviews that said it worked better for smaller servings of coffee. I use just two cups (16 oz) of water to fill one large mug (15 oz) with coffee every morning. I'm sensitive to caffeine so that one mug is all I can have and I want it to be perfect. I am getting a perfect cup of coffee with this. As with any method it takes some experimenting to find what suits you best.
Things to consider....
** no serving markings for filling with water...I use a measuring cup. Not a problem for me but it might bother some.
** I use finer than what is usually recommended for a percolator grind, which can clog the basket. I like my coffee strong and the finer grind helps me get there. This requires a paper filter or the basket will get clogged and things won't flow through properly. Even after ten minutes...standing water in the grinds. In theory I didn't like the idea of filtering my coffee (oils add to flavor they say) but I did what I had to do to get a strong cup of coffee. And things flow perfectly with the filter. (Just a regular basket filter with a little slit torn in the middle). And the coffe still tastes great to me. Even a slightly coarser grind eliminated this problem, but my coffee wasn't strong enough that way. So unless you like a finer grind, this probably won't be an issue for you.
**This seems to be an issue with all percolators, but if you like strong coffee you may not be able to brew a full pot....the grounds basket would be overfilled. Now admittedly, I haven't tried this. But I use 6 tablespoons of coffee (and 16 oz of water) for my one large mug and it's getting pretty full. I've used up to 9 tablespoons when making coffee for hubby too (he gets a smaller mug) and the grinds basket seems like it might be at capacity....and we're making just one large and one small mug (with 24 ounces of water which is about 4 "servings" according to the coffee industry). But again, I haven't really tested its upper limits. I'll update if I try it....hate to waste coffee. This shouldn't be an issue unless you like really strong coffee.
This machine is very solid and well made. I did replace the plastic knob with glass as others have noted. The folded upper lip does mean drying out the inside with paper towel as others have noted as well. I loved that the bottom was all one piece, not two like the Farberware.
I always enjoy reading how people make their coffee...so if you like that info here goes. I heat the water on just above medium heat. When it's getting hot I add the stem and basket, twirling slightly to make sure it's seated at the bottom. I put the lid on and only have to wait a moment for the fist blurp into the glass knob. I then turn it down to medium/low and percolate for 10-12 minutes. I recently changed grinders and noticed I needed an extra two minutes, so little changes in your grind can affect your perc time.
The coffee is delicious. I love vintage electric percolators, but found myself wanting more control over percolating time and this stovetop percolator is perfect for that....lets me get it just right....strong!
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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)UPDATE 6/10/2015 - It has been almost a decade now, and both the percolator and replacement glass top have both held up and performed flawlessly. I could not be happier. One of the better purchases in my life, I lucked out. Highly recommended (if they still sell them).UPDATE 1/29/2018 - It's been just over a decade now (I bought it in Dec '07) and the little coffee pot is still percolating like a champ. Just for fun I took a new photo of it on the stove this morning (the photo with the black stove). So if you buy this percolator I guess you can expect to get more than 10 years out of it. Good times. :)
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