This is a old fashion percolator. If don't like expensive K cups this a good alternative.

The coffee maker is easy to use simply fill with water to desired water level. The water levels are inside coffee maker. There is a level for 4,6, 8 cups plus the max level is about 10 cups. Grind your coffee beans not too fine but like sea salt. There is an on and off switch. Makes excellent coffee.

Excellent! I wanted a smaller pot...my days of "10 cups per day" are over lol. Washed it out thoroughly, using D**n dishwashing liquid. Ran four cups of water through to Clean it, dumped it out, then refilled it, loaded it with 2 rounded Tablespoons Gevalia Colombian Medium grind. IT IS EXCELLENT! Percolation time is 8 minutes with full load of water. I do believe you're going to like this coffee pot.

My Hamilton Beach percolator died after almost 2 years. This seems to be the life span for most coffee brewers of any style. Sad, but I've come to accept it. Hamilton Beach discontinued the model I had so I needed to look for another one.

This one caught my eye because it has the beautiful retro look that I love. Very simple and classic. I was worried that it was a re-branded version of the Bialetti model that came out a few years ago that was just awful. If this is the same parent company, they made some definite improvements.

Yes, the perk knob is GLASS. It's a thicker glass so I can see why people would think it might be plastic. You want a heavier glass so it doesn't break as easily. Still, because it is glass and the lid pulls off instead of twists off like other percolator, I recommend letting the pot cool completely before yanking on the glass top to remove the lid.

Coffee snobs always say that percolators make the worst coffee. Coffee, like anything, is a matter of taste. It also depends on how you use the brew method of your choice. The biggest gripe is percolators "boil the coffee". This can certainly be true if using a stovetop percolator and you're not paying attention and have the heat up too high. It was also true of vintage percolators which - although nice to look at - had a much higher temperature thermostat. According to most coffee "experts", coffee should be brewed at between 197F and 205F. Every time I get a new percolator I take the temp of the water. This registered at 203F. Perfect. If you complain this makes "lukewarm" coffee, than you should get a stovetop model where you control the temp. The makers of this percolator set it within the proper range so as not to over extract the coffee and make a burnt/bitter cup.

You'll really want to buy whole bean coffee and grind it to a coarse grind using a burr grinder.. not a blade grinder. I bought an inexpensive Cuisinart one a few months back and it does a great job. If you buy pre-ground coffee, not only is it far less fresh (diminishing the taste) but it is ground for drip brewers that pass the water through much faster - when a percolator brews more slowly. You'll end up with something that tastes a bit like battery acid. But then again, some people love it. It's a matter of taste. Because this has a bit longer brew cycle than my Hamilton Beach did - 6 minutes once it started perking for 4 cups (brew time is usually 6-8 minutes for a stovetop model depending on taste), I adjusted the coarseness setting on my burr grinder to make it one setting more coarse to compensate for the longer brew time. Worked great. Seriously, get a decent burr grinder and experiment with grind size. It gives you a lot more control over the flavor of your coffee.

Use a paper filer. Always. Again, it's up to your taste and some die hard fans refuse to use a filter. More power to them. A good paper filter (especially the wrap/envelope style) not only keep all the grounds in the basket, but make for a smoother cup of coffee. This is true of all brew methods. It's my recommendation. I get the wrap filters at any local grocery store.

My only complaint is the plug. It doesn't use a standard percolator plug. The part that goes into the base of the unit is like the female end of a typical outlet rather than the rounder plugs of most percolators. It's also made of heavy rubber. What this means is it's harder to get on and off the pot... and when you have to remove the plug after each use for cleaning, I worry it will wear down in time. Maybe not. Still, I would have preferred a traditional hard plastic connector that easily slid on and off the pot.

It made a very smooth cup of coffee this morning. Overall I'm very impressed. Brews well and is quite nice to look at - and satisfying to watch brew (any percolator I use MUST have the glass knob.. I'll never tire of watching the water percolator in the bubble).

The only thing yet to determine is how long it will actually last. Fingers crossed it lasts me a long time, because so far I really love this coffee pot!

I like this little coffee pot. Perfect for one person. However, I gave it only 4 stars because, it's difficult to get the water spots off of the outside.