**REVIEW** Presto 12-Cup Electric Percolator (UPDATED)

HUGE 3rd Update. I am SHOCKED

I am almost embarrassed to write this update but I want people to trust my reviews so, I have to deal with it.

I am going to be going over to Amazon and dropping the rating for this percolator from a 5 to a 3-star review. It's not about the incident I had spilling hot coffee. I already updated the Amazon review with a warning about that. This is about flavor.

So. I got the new coffeemaker I was posting about (or will be; I don't know when it's scheduled to publish) and it might not be the world's best in some people's opinions but... It shook me up with the flavor it delivers. Keep in mind the machine is new and quality might nosedive at some point. (I'm going to be more careful from now on about screaming praises.)

A while back, I got a complimentary bag of coffee from a seller to replace one that I did not enjoy. I brewed both in the percolator and hated both. I didn't tell the seller about the complimentary replacement bag. After all, they had been kind enough to not only give it to me but they refunded my money for the bag it replaced. I had about 2 cups' worth of freshly ground beans that I had frozen from the second bag. I vac-sealed it and stuck it in the freezer. I vac-sealed the rest of the beans and gave them to a neighbor. And I moved on.

When I got the new coffeemaker, the Ninja CE251 (that I will be doing a full review on), I wanted to do what I had done with the percolator and try small batches of at least 3 kinds of coffee. The percolator did well with 2 of them (I can't remember which ones now). The other coffee came out just kind of blah. And the same thing happened with both bags of coffee from the kindly seller. I thought it was the coffee. Since I usually pick a couple of bags of coffee I like and stick with it - unless I am doing a review - I was fine. I was using Green Mountain Dark Magic ground coffee. It was okay. I thought it was good. Until...

To test the Ninja, I made a couple of cups each of Green Mountain, Cafe Du Monde (stop hating!), and the Door County Brownie Batter. I remember that the Brownie Batter was yummy from the percolator. The Green Mountain was okay (I thought) and I can't remember about the CDM. 

The Ninja killed it with all three. Knocked them clean out of the park. I couldn't believe how good everything tasted. I can't remember all the subtleties of flavor with the percolator but I know it was nothing as good as with the Ninja.

Again, I am embarrassed. I guess since the percolator coffee was "good" I didn't know any better until I brewed them in another machine. Mind-blowing. 

When I remembered the coffee I had given away - an almost entire bag of fresh beans!!! - I was glad that I had some left from what I had ground. I had just enough for about 4 cups so I did 2 cups.

Now I am kind of pissed. I gave away some of the best coffee ever. Free coffee at that. And I can't afford more of it right now. 

The coffee was so good that I was able to drink it black without gagging. When I added unsweetened creamer... Yeah. I will be saving up for another bag. Who needs food or A/C when I can have coffee that good?

Now I have to go back over to Amazon and make that review right.

2nd Update*** 

WARNING: I am having to return this. It gets too hot. I like that because I like my coffee hot. However, I burned my hand when I spilled the coffee I was pouring, and, let me tell you, the coffee was freshly brewed and scalding hot. Luckily, I was near the sink and had the cold water already running for something else. I cooled the burn and slathered on some Manuka honey and it was fine. I tend to be off-balance and clumsy so... this could have been really bad. It's still the best coffee pot ever but not for me - or anyone else with balance issues. Absolutely be careful with it around small children or anyone who might tend to bump and knock things over.

UPDATE: See below the original post for my updates.

This is listed on Amazon (where I bought it) as the "Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker". Since I am keeping the stovetop percolator too, I am selling my Keurig to a neighbor to pay for it. The stovetop pot will be my cold weather indulgence while I use the electric pot for daily coffee brewing. I could have titled this post "The Perks of a Percolator".

So, let's get a look at this thing.

They even included wraparound filters

I like 99.99% of everything about this percolator. There is one big drawback that, had it not been for the Pros, I would not have gotten this one. First, let's look at what I like.

• It takes up far less room than the Keurig. I can move this easily from counter to counter as I need to. Right now, I have it near the stove but am thinking of moving it closer to the sink where I can easily fill it with water.  I saved so much room that I was able to arrange my coffee, tea, and some cups and saucers in the spot where the Keurig used to be. If need be, I can even store this on the kitchen bar. And I am seriously thinking of doing this because it frees up more working counter room.
• It brews fast. Not as fast as the Keurig but, then again, this isn't limited to just a pod's worth of brew. I timed it making about 6 cups of coffee and clocked at 07:29:04. If you remember, one of the complaints about my old Keurig's performance is that it had slowed down and was putting out less liquid. (And, yes, my neighbor is aware of this. He also knows the machine is 4 years old.)
• The coffee is hot as lava! I actually burned my tongue on the first sip - and that's after I'd added fridge-cold creamer. Cold creamer killed any heat for coffee coming out of my K.
• The machine keeps the coffee on Warm until I shut it off. I don't know yet how tasty the coffee is after about a couple of hours. So far, it's still been yummy after about an hour and a half of warming. One day, I will use some cheap coffee to taste-test the results after a few hours in the pot. 
• The machine is almost entirely stainless steel. The cap of the lid is hard plastic and that's it. Like with the stovetop pot, I feel it will be durable because of the metal construction.
• Buying coffee for this is cheaper than for the K. Bagged coffee is just cheaper all around than pods. For instance, at my corner grocery's coffee center, I can buy as many or as few beans as I want. Ground coffee is also more affordable - in general. 
• Coffee is cheaper not only because I'm not using pods but because I can mix coffee roasts. I tried this already with a weaker Breakfast roast I've had in the freezer for a while. It's a decent-tasting coffee but just not rich enough for me. On the other hand, I had a little bit of some Columbian roast that could cut through steel it's so strong. I mixed the two for a really decent brew. I plan to go through the freezer of vac-sealed bags I have. There are several small batches of brew that were given to me over the months that I've never used. Some were too tricky to use in the Universal K-cup for the K machine and some I just never got around to trying to brew because I didn't want to waste them on the K. Also, I am once again enjoying the affordable Yuban and Community Coffee with chicory that I never used in the K.
• I can, in most cases, skip using a filter. Filters were never a problem with K-cups but with the Universal K-cup, some coffees were bothersome. I can use or not use filters with the percolator. A couple of grinds did leave residue on the brew but I didn't notice until I was dumping the dregs from the pot. For the coffee that does leave grounds in the brew, I plan to use wraparound filters. I tried the Melitta discs and they were a total bust in this percolator.
• I can, of course, make up to 12 cups at a time with the percolator. I rarely will be making that much coffee but it is nice to be able to set up 4 cups and drink at my leisure.
• It's a picky one this, but I don't have to deal with all those freaking empty k-cups taking up room in the trash. 

By the way, in the video, I have the pot sitting on a silicone mat. I wasn't sure if the heat from the pot would mar the counter the way the Keurig did. I don't think it does but no need in taking chances.

Talk about a strong cuppa.
 Whew!

Time was the biggest factor for me with a percolator. The stovetop took too long for most mornings. My routine with the electric percolator is to set up m coffee the night before. I get up in the morning and plug in the machine, hit the bathroom, open the blinds, and - boom- coffee is done. I like to let it sit for a minute or two for all the liquid to clear the basket before I pour. It makes for a good start to the day. And the coffee is going to still be piping hot if I don't get to it right away. There were mornings when I had to reheat coffee from the K because I got busy and didn't get the brew into my thermal mug before it was cooling off.

Should be about my Keurig instead

Last of all, I honestly felt like having a Keurig was just trendy. That's why I ever got the first one. One of my sisters-in-law had the first one in the family - way back when they were first being used in homes. My brother had one in the office and it was so convenient. I think I got my first one a few years later. Keurigs were a popular Christmas gift item. Pretty soon, everyone in the family had a Keurig. It seemed like they were better made and lasted much longer then. I swear I shipped or drove one from state to state for a while. I think I ended up giving it away during one move. I don't know. The one I had in Alaska was still going strong but I couldn't figure out how to empty it to pack to the move here. Now when I think about it, I just kept getting a Keurig because it was what I was used to. Any other machines I had on the side were basic and didn't last long. These days they are getting a reputation for being shoddily made and not exactly easy for the common user to repair or maintain.

So I do love having this percolator. I don't know why I didn't get one sooner. Rah, rah, sis-koom-bah. So what is the one thing that almost sent me looking for another brand?

Hold that thought while I mention a few minor irritations:

• That cord is okay for my tiny kitchen but it is a bit short. I have to reposition the pot when I use it so that the cord doesn't tug when I am filling my cup. Otherwise, I have to lift the cup to pour coffee.
• Unlike the stovetop version, the lid on this one is solid. You can't see the perking action. That's nitpicky but still...
• The well that the pipe sits in is narrow. In order not to move it out of place, I have to kind of feel around for how to sit the basket onto it. If that makes sense.
• Because this starts to work the very second it's plugged in (no On/Off Button), can't leave it plugged in and turn it on as I want. For now, I leave the cord unplugged from the wall until I'm ready to use it.
• Cleaning the basket can be a pain if I don't use a filter. 

 Now about that major concern I have...

Well, there is no Auto Shut-off feature. Nope. The pot is either on or off. If it's plugged in, it's on and that is it.

That's irritating and very concerning. Especially since I have times when my short-term memory is not even halfway decent. Seriously. I have routines just to accommodate my memory problems. I tape notes around the apartment and I have all kinds of timers on my phone to remind me of medications and daily details. I have 3 calendars - desk, kitchen wall, and purse. I constantly lose or misplace things so I tend to keep duplicates for the bedroom, bathroom, and living room. I use Alexa to help with some reminders and alerts. It's a process to live in my head and in my routine. It's sometimes embarrassing and that I can live with. It's when something can be dangerous that I worry. So, yeah, that whole no shut off thing? That bothers me.

I don't know if I ever mentioned the time that I was using a travel-style coffee maker (to brews some ground coffee instead of K-cups). I had used it just before I was leaving to visit family in Arizona. I was sitting on the plane about to take off when I started to wonder if I had turned off that little pot. I ended up trying to call the building maintenance guy so he could go into the apartment and check. It was the holidays and Iowa roads were awful. The maintenance guy lived in the town next door to where I lived. The building manager was on vacation. Neighbors had no way to get into the apartment. I sat there, praying for the maintenance man to answer his work phone while a flight attendant was giving me dirty looks. I managed to leave a message for maintenance. Then I sweated and worried all the way to Phoenix. I needed Valium or a strong drink by the time that plane landed. When I turned my phone back on, I had a message from the maintenance man. The coffee pot and everything else were unplugged and all was well back at my apartment. He didn't wish me a happy holiday. I brought him back a huge gift bag of goodies from Cracker Barrell. We were friends again.

I don't need another anxiety-inducing episode like that. I have already decided that this time if I travel, I am leaving a key with a neighbor just in case. As a matter of fact, I now have an OCD checklist to tape to my door if I have to leave town ever. 

Thankfully, on a day-to-day basis, I'm done with drinking coffee by about noon at the latest. I have tons of time to make sure the pot is unplugged before bedtime. 

Still, I feel like I have made a good purchase and I will be saving a lot of money in the long run. I figure I will have saved what I spent on the pot by the end of the year. No more pods and I have coffee on hand to last for at least 3 months. Having hoarder tendencies has paid off! I have enough coffee from the past 4 years vac-sealed to get me through another pandemic lockdown.

Anyway.

Getting the percolator made me reevaluate how I make purchase decisions. There is a subReddit called Buy It For Life where members discuss the benefits of going for quality over quantity. It's made me realize that I tend to spend more money replacing cheap purchases. I've decided to work on that. In the future, I hope to be more careful about buying clothing, footwear, handbags, and, especially, appliances. I'm proud to say that I got a head start when I bought Under Armour sneakers and the purses I got from Poshmark. I made a promise to myself that I will not be buying any more handbags for the next several years - if ever. I have a few quality bags that will last as long as I need them to. The same goes for my winter boots. I might have to buy more sneakers by next summer's walking days though. As for appliances, I'm done for now. I have the basics and they are all decent items. The only thing I really want - not need, mind you, are some good knives and maybe one other good non-stick pan.

Anyway, I will keep you updated on any breakdowns or problems with the percolator. I spent a few bucks more and got the 3-year warranty but this thing better last me a lot longer than that!

Peace

--Free

UPDATE

It's been a minute that I have been using this and I am still thrilled with it. I have more room on my counters now that I have gotten the Keurig out of the way. This percolator has made me fall in love with coffee again. I got a complimentary bag of coffee beans from the seller of the Mushroom coffee. I also have some Luzianne (white label can) to try, and brownie batter coffee to taste. I will review them all.

Since I have the complimentary beans (dark roast), I had to bust out the burr grinder I first got to review a couple of years ago. I'm glad I have that thing now! I remembered to do a medium-coarse grind for brewing in a percolator. 

The other day, after brewing freshly grounded coffee, I remembered why I started drinking java. It was for the flavor. I think that in the past several years, I'd put flavor behind trendy. Every time, I have my coffee now, I am having more enjoyment of the smells and tastes and just the simple indulgence. I had my neighbor over and she said that she might have to get a percolator. She is in her mid 80's and remembers using her old stovetop perc as a farm wife. She has a drip machine for now. Like me, it was the smell that she enjoyed so much.

With the Keurig, I would have spent about $15 to $17 to restock coffee to last me about 1 month - maybe less if I use 2 pods a day. And sometimes, I would deny myself the 3rd cup just because of the cost. With ground coffee, I can make as large or small a serving as I want instead of being restricted to a pod at a time. If I get low on coffee, I can make smaller servings. In a drip maker, I would use about 2 tablespoons of coffee to 8-10 ounces for a cup of coffee. With the percolator - where the water gets hotter and, well, percolates through the grinds, I can get a strong cup of coffee using just about a tablespoon and a half to 8-10 ounces. That's just me. Maybe some people like theirs stronger. I'm trying to learn to drink my coffee black so... Basically, I'm getting the equivalent of about 40 to 50 pods at the price I would pay for about 30 pods. It depends on the coffee I buy. Luzianne White Label is at the high end at about $16 for a pound. More in line with my budget (at the lower end) is Cafe Du Monde at around $8 per pound. So, yeah. saving money.

By the way, I have to give a big thank you to my neighbor the teacher. She worked out all the math for me with the coffee pricing. I tried to do it but got lost at the beginning! LOL