If you’ve been drinking coffee for any length of time, you’ve probab...
Percolators may have fallen out of favor with the gourmet coffee crowd, but they remain a favorite with those who enjoy a strong, hot cup of coffee. The Presto 02811 12 cup Stainless Steel Coffee Percolator brews up to 12 cups of coffee at the rate of about one minute per cup, and keeps it piping hot for as long as you want. The 100% stainless steel body is an elegant, gleaming statement recalling the classic style of high-class hotels, and the sound and aroma of perking coffee is a reminder of the hospitality of yesteryear.
Product Description
The Presto 02811 12 cup Stainless Steel Percolator is a classically styled hotel percolator that makes great coffee and keeps it hot for hours without burning it. It brews from 4 to 12 cups of coffee at the rate of about one minute per cup.
The filter basket and percolator tube are both made of stainless steel for durability, rather than the aluminum or plastic used in lower quality percolators. The Presto 12 cup percolator features an indicator light to let you know when the coffee is done perking. After it finishes, the pot keeps the coffee at piping hot serving temperature without overheating it and burning the coffee as drip coffee maker warmer plates do. The electric cord is detachable for easy storage, and the filter basket and percolator tube are removable for easy cleaning.
Product: Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Percolator
Type: 800 watt electric percolator
Size: 10 x 5 x 13 inches
Weight: 3.8 pounds
Features: Brews 4-12 cups of coffee, perk tube and filter basket made of durable stainless steel, detachable cord, signal light to tell when coffee is ready
Uses: percolator basket, percolator filters if desired
Includes: Percolator, power cord, filter basket and cover, percolator tube
Pros:
The biggest pro for the Presto 02811 Percolator is the good old-fashioned coffee taste. The biggest fans of the machine are those who remember the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee percolating in the kitchen and the taste of coffee that has perked for just the right amount of time. Other pros mentioned by customers in numerous reviews at a number of shopping sites include:
– The detachable cord easily stores inside the percolator.
– The all stainless steel construction is more durable, and safer than percolators with plastic and aluminum parts.
– The brewing speed of a minute per cup, which makes it easy to brew up a pot of coffee for a crowd without an unreasonable wait.
– The Presto percolator keeps the coffee at the perfect piping hot serving temperature for hours without overheating it or burning it.
Cons:
The cons of the Presto 02811 Percolator are few and relatively minor. The cord is fairly short, so it’s important to consider where on the counter you can brew the coffee. A few people complained of coffee grounds in their coffee, but the problem appears to be easily solved with either a coffee filter or using percolator grind coffee. Aside from that, few of the customers posting reviews of the Presto 02811 at several different shopping sites had any negatives at all to report.
The Final Verdict:
If you like your coffee strong, hot and by the pot, the Presto 02811 12 cup Percolator seems tailor made for you. It evokes the nostalgia of country kitchen mornings and the hospitality of the hotel dining room, making rich, dark, hot coffee that truly satisfies. For those who grew up with drip coffee, the percolator just may be a real eye opener.
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Tina Maria Adams says
This article is not accurate concerning the percolator causing “acidity” of coffee. In fact, boiling the water in a percolator boils all of the acid out of the coffee and leaves you with clean, clear, coffee wihout the acid causing stomach issues. Auto drip and other coffee makers can’t do that because the water doesn’t get hot enough to boil and then it needs to “cook” long enough to boil the acid out which generally takes approximately 7 minutes after it begins boiling. Our grandparents and the generations prior to electric pots and auto drip makers and such never had stomach issues from drinking coffee. Think about that! Also, using Organic Coffees and grinding them specifically for a Perculator will produce the best coffee. To keep loose grounds from getting into the water, simply wet the Basket good before adding the grounds. It will help the grounds to adhere to the Basket good and not get into the water and into your coffee cup. Enjoy! It has an amazing taste and aroma and your belly will be happy too!
Tina Maria Adams says
This article is not accurate concerning the percolator causing “acidity” of coffee. In fact, boiling the water in a percolator boils all of the acid out of the coffee and leaves you with clean, clear, coffee wihout the acid causing stomach issues. Auto drip and other coffee makers can’t do that because the water doesn’t get hot enough to boil and then it needs to “cook” long enough to boil the acid out which generally takes approximately 7 minutes after it begins boiling. Our grandparents and the generations prior to electric pots and auto drip makers and such never had stomach issues from drinking coffee. Think about that! Also, using Organic Coffees and grinding them specifically for a Perculator will produce the best coffee. To keep loose grounds from getting into the water, simply wet the Basket good before adding the grounds. It will help the grounds to adhere to the Basket good and not get into the water and into your coffee cup. Enjoy! It has an amazing taste and aroma and your belly will be happy too!
susan says
Oh, Emory, I now see your comment above.
susan says
I just read online that the Presto 02811 claims to be all stainless steel (basket and tube included), but, in reality, the basket and tube are aluminum. Did anyone else find this to be true? Aluminum is not good when purged into coffee with hot water.
Emory says
Per Presto at 800-877-0441 the perk well of this coffee maker is aluminum, not stainless steel. This is why it heats so fast. The perk tube is stainless, but the well that the water heats up in, and washes over the coffee, is aluminum. Therefore, this is not a 100% stainless steel percolator.
Eva says
China
Katherine Dordevic says
Where is the coffee maker made?
eva says
I love it! I got the 6 cup, but am exchanging for the 12 cup. It is very well build too, don’t listen to snobs who say “it’s made in China” almost EVERYTHING these days IS made in CHINA! Check the back of your TV, or radio, or laptop…bet it says Made in China! LOL
I had a few test brews, had some come out weak, grounds, just play with it, master it, and love your perc!
Enjoy!
Eva
tim says
sounds like your filter basket is over filled or clogged the baskets need regular cleaning paying careful attention to drain holes in basket I use a round toothpick to clear mine
Jacob says
Try putting a dash of salt in your coffee grounds. Its an old “southern” secret that takes that unwanted bitter taste out of the coffee and makes a nice smooth taste.
Rena Watson says
I have the presto perc mentioned here. IT IS WONDERFUL. There are absolutely NO grounds if you thoroughly wet the coffee receptor prior to putting the coffee in it. It really works; I understand the frustration of having grinds in your coffee, so I tried this — perfect!!
Mike says
I have an odd question about ground in your coffee. I say it is odd because after reading site after site after site with the same questions over and over, I have never seen this one.
My coffee ground float out of the basket. I’ve tried dry grounds, pre-wetting, 12 cups of water, 6 cups of water, filters, no filters, and many different brands of coffee.
The grounds are floating up and out of the basket into our coffe. I know because the outside of the basket and under the top is covered in wet coffee grounds.
We really prefer a percolator but I’m beginning to tire of grounds in my teeth.
Thanks!
NewsView says
I never drank perc coffee or even remember perc coffee but I tried it just because everyone said it was so “BAD”. Whenever I see the same opinion repeated over and over again as if it were some sort of Gospel Truth, I get suspicious. Are people rehashing past recollections of perc robusta beans or something from recent memory with quality coffee and a quality perc?
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”.
Colleen says
Can you please tell me how to use my recently acquired Savoy Swan Vintage Coffee pot – many thanks. p.s. love your web site.
John says
Dear John,
Why not treat yourself to this? I think it’s the one Mom and Dad had as we grew up. Wal- Mart and Home Depot has these for about $40.00. Wal Mart is less.
Love,
Barbs
John says
Dearest John,
I think this is just the pot for you. WAL_MART has them for $42.00 here–probably less in TX.. Home Depot also has them.