Thankfully, I hit upon the Presto Perc and it is the best made, nicest looking, best tasting electric coffee perc ever. (Or so the web reviews would tend to support vs. reliability issues with the other choices.)

The biggest surprise? Today’s electric percs do NOT boil coffee! My Presto percs at 195°F. Apparently, despite their deceptive retro looks, a few things have changed since 1960. For one thing, most electric percs brew at 1-cup per minute. For another, they now boast an thermostat that prevents the rolling boils of percs past. Some things, however, are the same: You still don’t want to leave an electric perc on “keep warm” to toss that coffee over the spent grounds repeatedly. Very carefully, preferably with a pot holder, take the spent grounds out. Even better, serve the perc coffee from a vacuum-lined server. The coffee is hotter than drip, so no need to nuke the milk, cream, sugar and cup in the microwave first to avoid the frustrations of lukewarm coffee. By serving some 30+ degrees hotter than your average drip, perc coffee stays hotter longer than average. Finally, the key is to use the correct grind. Percs will make a bitter brew of the pre-ground medium-fine type of coffee sold for drip makers. Use the correct grinds and the correct ratio, and like any other preparation that takes some know-how, you can get a darn good cup of coffee from a percolator.

In closing, I hope the trash talking perc critics that are ALL OVER the web have tried a 21st Century electric perc. Because if the only thing you know of is the Old School electric boilers or the stovetop variety — not a problem but they do take some time to master — you’re missing out.

I don’t mind the reality that some people hate percs. I do object, however, when self-described coffee snobs repeat what they’ve heard through the coffee grapevine without any real firsthand experience. Know it and then knock it — or love it — but not before you’ve even *tried* one! Take it from someone who has gone to the trouble to buy an electric percolator that was built THIS CENTURY: Percs CAN produce good coffee. Like any other brew method, it’s all in the technique and the freshness of the beans. Pre-ground Robusta beans are not the norm anymore, nor are percs that “boil”.