Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
$58
- Brews great-tasting coffee-rich, hot, and flavorful
- Makes 2 to 12 cups of coffee as fast as a cup a minute, then keeps it piping hot automatically
- Easy-pour spout and traditional design provide elegant coffee service anytime
- Luxurious stainless steel construction for easy cleaning and lasting beauty
- Made of durable stainless steel including the filter basket and perk tube; Signal light indicates when coffee is ready to serve
Specification: Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
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7 reviews for Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
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Tsam –
This one is better than even the quality Cuisinart I had for about 8 years.
This Presto percolator makes hot coffee without burning the coffee. The pot keeps the coffee hot even after it is unplugged for over an hour to my calculations. This makes wonderful coffee. The carafe itself more solid than the Cuisinart I had. The filter inside seems a bit thinner than the Cuisinart, but after using this percolator I have no concerns about this.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed this item. I was looking for a replacement for my Cuisinart percolator that I purchased about 8 years ago. Reading the reviews on the Cuisinart, it seemed the quality of that item had decreased substantially. If not for the reviews on this one, I would likely have purchased the Cuisinart and hoped for the best.
Vanessa –
Ugh I wanted to love this so badly I read so many review and tried and tried but no matter what I did it would stop perking before it was done. Always watery. I even tried letting the water run for twenty minutes to get it super cold I’ve filled the basket with grinds to the top no mater what the coffee comes out so weak I may as well be drinking hot water
Update I managed to figure it out with out the filter but then it just quite on me
Called presto turns out
PRODUCT IS NOT LEGAL IN CANADA!!!!!!
Company couldn’t fathom how I got it since they aren’t allowed to sell it here since it’s not approved
in Canada it didn’t pass inspection no wonder
Arthur Senior –
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In the first years of my life, I grew up with a coffee percolator. Its in my humble opinion, a percolator is the best way to make coffee. Back in the 1990’s, companies started marketing drip style coffee makers. They would classically show somebody getting coffee grounds all over their percolators, and using that as a reason to switch to drip. Well, it must have worked, because our family switched to drip style coffee makers, and we went through many of them, as they never lasted more then 3 to 5-years!
I gotta be honest, when you’ve tasted drip brewed coffee, it just isn’t as good. When you’ve tasted percolator brewed coffee, its like a night and day difference. After a power outage spike took out our old coffee maker, it was time to finally go back to the percolator, and we chose the Presto. How does it measure up? Well, let me install a new surge protector first, plug the percolator into it, and then I’ll tell ya.
The coffee maker comes packaged fairly well, nice box, cardboard separation inserts. Comes with an included 2-prong power cord, the same kind waffle irons, rice makers, and crock pots use. It comes with a instruction manual, and all the parts that make up the percolator, all packaged in plastic bags, which you must take out, and install properly to get ready for use.
With the lid removed, filter basket and tube, fill the unit with the amount of water you require for the needed cups you want. For example, if you want to make 12-cups of coffee, fill to the 12-cup mark. I grind my own coffee beans with a portable B&D electric coffee grinder. I like my coffee strong, so I fill the grinder to its max level, and I just do a medium grind, that way you don’t get a lot of grounds getting past the filter basket into your coffee.
Yes, I am well aware of the age old discussion, to paper filter, or not paper filter, that is the question. To be perfectly honest, using paper filters will indeed alter the taste of the coffee to be less desirable, all to have no grounds at the bottom of the pot. If you do a medium grind, you won’t get that many grounds at the bottom of the pot anyway, so I recommend to not use a paper filter for best flavor results.
Once you have filed the filter basket, just place the percolator pickup tube into it, then center the bottom half of the tube, with the bowl shaped recessed notch at the bottom of the coffee pot. Then just hold it in place while you install the lid. The lid literally snaps into place, so there is no way that lid is ever coming off on its own, without human intervention, so you can trust it, which is a plus. Then all you have to do is plug the cord into the wall, and the coffee maker begins percolating after just a few seconds.
When the coffee pot is fully filled, it is surprisingly heavy, so much so, I decided to weigh it. The coffee maker weighs in 6-pounds and 10.7-ounces, that is almost 7-pounds! It is in my opinion, that seniors who are suffering from arthritis, will have quite a bit of difficulty managing this coffee pot. I remember my mother had a lot of trouble, just trying to lift a 12-cup drip style pot. So you might want to use a second hand with a pot holder, to help you support the pot as you pore.
The good news however, is that this pot has an excellent handle, that remains cool to the touch, so you never have to worry about getting burned, as what would happen with a stove top percolator! Additionally, the percolator has a beautiful spout, and it functions as good as it looks, pores beautifully. I recommend that you use filtered water, I use a Britta filter, which is better for your health, and helps to reduce calcium deposits in the coffee pot.
The company claims that the percolator takes 1-minute per cup, so 12-cups = 12-minutes. I am always wary of company claims when it comes to marketing, so I decided to test that. The water sat long enough in the pot to reach room temperature before I plugged it in. As my video clearly shows, the Presto 12-cup percolator took a total of 12-minutes and 55-seconds to finish brewing. So while that is nearly a whole minute longer then company claims, its well within the norm, so they get a pass…..This time.
By now your wondering, all this is well and good, but how does the coffee taste? I am happy to report, that the coffee that this percolator makes, tastes phenomenal! Literally, every time I took a sip, I was in heaven. Its like one of those things that makes you ask yourself, “what have I been doing with all of my life?” The answer is, you’ve been doing it wrong for years, but now you own a percolator, so you’ve redeemed yourself. I can’t recommend the flavor that this machine produces enough!
Please note that, unlike drip style coffee makers that never get the coffee that hot, this percolator makes coffee piping hot, 195-degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful with your first sips, unless you cool it down a bit with some liquid creamer or milk.
Now as far as cleanup is concerned, its not the huge ordeal that companies made it out to be, when they suggested that you switch to drip style coffee makers. Simply, remove the lid, run it under hot water, set aside. Remove the filter basket, knock it against the inside of your trash can, most of the grounds fall in, or use a piece of paper towel to assist. Run the filter basket under hot water to rinse out any remaining grounds. Run some water through the pickup tube, just make sure its clear, set aside to dry.
A quick rinse of the pot as well, not even soap is required, Its literally that simple, and now your percolator will be ready for the next pot you make. I recommend only plugging and unplugging the cord from the male end that goes into the wall, there is really no need to detach it from the coffee maker itself. But when the coffee percolator finishes brewing, it will automatically turn off and switch to warming mode. I don’t recommend leaving the pot in warming mode for longer then 30-minutes though, that way the coffee stays fresh and doesn’t turn bitter on ya.
I would have preferred that this coffee maker had an on/off switch, but that doesn’t appear to be a feature, that is found on percolators in general, not just from this brand. Other then that, I literally have nothing else negative to say about it. The percolator is both beautiful in design, as it is, in its function to make excellent tasting coffee, what more could you want? I really love this coffee maker and I can’t recommend it enough. If you’ve been using a drip style coffee maker, please do yourself a favor, and get a percolator.
I rate this coffee maker a solid 5 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended!
Ace –
I bought this for work and we make 4 to 5 pots a day with it.
It works so well I bought another one for the house!
The coffee is consistent in strength and flavor…..best of all piping hot!! Seriously hot….
The unit at work has made over 800 pots easily, functions the same as when it was new. We have refined the process to get the best results.
– Use your standard fine grind coffee (coarser the grind the weaker the brew)
– The perc will make between 2 – 12 cups, typically we go with 7 level tablespoons of coffee (Folgers) per 8 cup pot (this varies between coffee types and grinds)
– get the Melitta 3.5″ disc filters
– Place one filter disc ONE ON TOP OF COFFEE IN BASKET AND NOT ON THE BOTTOM…..this seems like backwards thinking but has given the best results by far. Again….one one the top and NONE on the bottom.
– Cleaning is easy, usually just a rinse and quick wipe. Run through white vinegar every once and a while when staining becomes substantial. Also be sure the “washer” on the bottom of the perc tube can move freely and isn’t gummed up.
FYI..The filters are a lot cheaper on amazon.com and they will ship them to Canada.
Enjoy!
UPDATE:
July 2019 – Presto percolator is well over 1500 pots now and works as good as day 1. Fantastic!
January 2020 (almost!) – Percolator is now over 2300 pots and still preforming like new. Brews between 3 to 4 ten cup pots per day. It is basically running for 16-18hrs a day….every day.
Tilbillygirl –
I bought this percolator a year ago and intentionally waited this long before reviewing it. For the money, it needed to last minimal one year for me before I would make any effort to type. This pot replaced my Bunn home unit that started leaking after 5 years of service. This is my first electric percolator, it has performed flawlessly for the entire year (and counting). It looks great, easy to use and clean. I wanted a coffee maker that lasts more than one year, and with as few parts/hoses etc. as possible. And as few plastic parts as possible. Plastic absorbs flavors and odors. This pot is all metal inside. Put quality coffee grounds in, and get quality flavor back out. The only improvement I could suggest would be to have this unit built in North America, and maybe an auto shut-off. The keep warm feature works great.
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2 year update: This percolator is looks and works like new ! No regrets and we’ve enjoyed countless cups of coffee daily.
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3 year update: Same as above, still going strong. We swear by this unit and recommend it.
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4 year update : Nothing has changed. Still a great percolator !
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5th year update : You guessed it, still brewing !
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6th year update : Just finished another great cup of piping hot coffee from this percolator. The coffee maker still works like new, but the contacts within the removable cord started deteriorating this year. So I found an aftermarket replacement cord on Amazon and all good again.
TM Conway –
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**UPDATE** I thought I had a winner.
I am embarrassed to have to come back and update this review. I don’t want someone else to make my mistakes. I had updated once (see below) about the burn I got. I still loved the machine and hated to return it. Then I got a new machine of a different kind. I won’t mention the brand or model here. What I want to say is that I thought I was getting good flavor from this percolator. Until I got another machine. The coffee is so good from the new machine that I could not go back to what I was getting from this percolator.
I feel bad because I could possibly influence other customers. To be honest, some people will be okay with this machine but my opinion now is that it’s for basic coffee. My mom would love the coffee from this because she didn’t care about subtleties of flavor and the notes of different coffee. I don’t care to a high degree but I care enough that I noticed the difference between this and the new machine I got.
***
I love how hot the coffee is (although, coffee type/brand is important because this brews so hot). However, I tend to have balance issues and I spilled coffee on my hand while I was pouring a cup. I scalded myself. Luckily, I had cold water running for something and was right next to the sink. All is well but… Yeah. Be careful if you are in the least bit off-balance or unsteady. I am returning it and so sad because I don’t know if I will find one as good. For now, I still have my Farberware Classic Yosemite stovetop percolator. I have ordered the Ninja CE251 & am hoping it’s a good machine without being a space hog.
SHORT & QUICK: Great machine that produces great coffee. No Shut Off function. Cord could be longer. Cleanup depends on filter or type. Coffee is stronger than with some machines so practice.
Now for the full scoop. These are the details, the whole, and nothing but.
PROS:
– Looks stylish enough. It seems like it could be a little sleeker but that’s just my personal opinion.
– Coffee comes out flavorful & that’s the most important to me. (I need to NOT follow the chart included with instructions because it will be too strong).
– Coffee is good and hot. It’s so hot that you better be careful with that first sip!
– Coffee came out stronger for me than with my carafe-style pot. The first cup (shown in the photo) was so strong you could hit someone over the head with it. This is great because I can use less coffee to get a good brew. TIP: for me, with the darkest roast I have, instead of about a tablespoon per 8 ounces, I cut down to a heaping heavy half of that. For lighter, milder & Breakfast roasts, I stayed the same. I suggest starting with a couple of cups for practice.
– Generates very little heat/steam into the kitchen. This was one issue with my stove-top.
– Perked much faster than I expected for 6 cups. Perks faster than my stovetop percolator. When brewing about 4.5 cups, I started my timer at plug-in at stopped when the Done light popped on. It clocked at 07:29:04. Not bad, in my opinion.
– Very easy set-up. Mostly (see about the pipe in a moment.)
– The cord is not too, too short but… more on that in a moment.
– I like that it’s all metal. That should up the durability. (Note that the piece that the top of the lid is hard plastic.)
– I am able to use this with or without filters. I prefer using the wrap-around filters (some were included) because they are much neater. (See below about my experience with the suggested Mellita 3.5 disc filters.) With the wrap-around, there were no grounds at the very bottom when I cleaned the pot. Without a filter, you get slightly better coffee (stronger) but there will be grounds at the bottom of the pot – but they settle so there aren’t many in the cup.
– I can save money buying coffee by the bag instead of pricey/messy pods. I’m able to go back to brewing freshly ground coffee.
– It brews quietly – once it finishes with the initial starting noise. You can hear in the video under my commentary.
CONS:
– That cord. It’s long enough to be out of the way of other things on my counter. However, when pouring, I sometimes have to reposition the machine or lift the cup. The first time I went to pour a brew, the cord pulled slightly because it was too short that way. It could be at least a few inches longer for convenience.
– You have to unplug this to shut it off when you’re done. I can never decide whether it’s more convenient to plug/unplug the cord from the pot or the wall. Still haven’t decided.
– The pipe (that the basket sits on) fits into a narrow well at the bottom. When I’m tired, it can be a pain trying to get the pipe situated. Tip: put the pipe in before settling the basket.
– My particular unit seemed as if it might have been lightly used??? There were some scratches in the bottom around the well & there was some sticky mystery gunk inside the spout (see photos). Of course, that might be from the factory. I bought a warranty even though I usually skip those so I hope it covers any possible problems down the road.
– This is a personal gripe but I can’t see the percolating action. The top is not see-through like on my stove-top pot or what I remember of my mother’s old percolator.
– This machine starts working the instant you plug it in. It’s a little disconcerting. I would rather have a Start button and also…
– … there is no Auto Shut Off. Like most customers, this is a huge deal for me. It’s the kind of thing that makes you sweat after you’ve locked up, left home, and are halfway to the airport. Even the cheapest coffee pots of various types I’ve owned had the Auto Shut Off feature. I don’t understand why this one lacks that.
– This keeps coffee hot but I have to test it more to see if it “cooks” coffee while keeping it warm. So far, I’ve only made & kept coffee warming for about an hour and a half. It was fine but I don’t know about when I want to make several cups to last for a few hours – or at least more than 2. Right now, if I am making coffee to last a while, I transfer to my thermal travel mug.
– The cleanup can be messy – depending on whether or not you use a filter and what kind of filter. So far, I prefer no filer (but it can be really messy) or the wrap-around. The Melitta 3.5 disc filters that are suggested do NOT work well at all. In one case where I used a lot of grounds, the mess was phenomenal. The grinds bubbled up and spewed outside the basket and a lot of them then leaked down the sides of the basket into the coffee. That was a nightmare. (I let the grinds settle and poured carefully to keep from getting too many into my cup. I will never buy the Melitta 3.5 again. They almost fit the bottom of the basket but leave just enough of a gap all the way around to create the mess I experienced. Even with less coffee and no “bubble up” problem, I still got too many grounds in the brew.
So the best things in my opinion include the quick brew, brew/flavor, heat. This did 6 cups almost as fast as my older Keurig does a regular-sized pod & the heat of a Keurig doesn’t even come close. I can add creamer from the fridge without ending up with a lukewarm coffee.
The biggest negatives are no Shut Off and the length of the cord. The shut-off really concerns me because that’s a potential safety issue. I can just imagine one day having to call my neighbor or landlord to go check that it’s unplugged after I’ve left the house. It’s really a potential hazard and I’m going to look into what happens if one is left plugged in for too long.
Like a lot of customers, I am replacing a Keurig and I can’t believe I waited this long. I got a Keurig when they were trendy & for the speed and convenience but it’s actually not that much faster than this percolator. It definitely does NOT deliver the flavor and heat of the percolator. Also, I wasted too much money for too long on pods that didn’t vary much in strength.
By the way, if you are going for the old-fashioned experience of hearing and seeing percolating action, you don’t get much with this one. The stove-top machine had all of that. This one is more of a disconcerting sound of popping/knocking when it starts, then very faint gurgling as the water moves through the pipe (?). And there’s no visual because of the solid top.
This to me is better than a machine with a carafe. It beats my last carafe type in flavor and brew strength. It’s less messy (depending on whether or not you use a filter), more attractive, and there is obviously no carafe to break.
The final verdict: This one is (so far) living up to the best of the reviews. None of the other machines in my price range seem much better (except for the auto shut off) and they have other shortcomings that this one doesn’t. I think I’m going to stick with it. If it doesn’t give me any problems by the time the return window closes, I will keep it and count on my warranty after that. I got the warranty simply because it was a few dollars more and I can bypass trying to contact the manufacturer if I have problems before the paid warranty kicks in.
**After some sleuthing around for tips & helps, I learned that it’s common to use coarser ground coffee with percolators. I’m going to be trying that.**
Lucas B –
I bought this coffee maker because my wife broke our glass drip coffee pot for the 4th time so I wanted something metal. This pot had good reviews so I gave it a try. It took me a few tries to get the coffee right, but once I did I am happy I purchased this. It is small and can be stored in the cupboard, unlike drip machines which are bulky and tough to move. It looks nice enough for the counter and doesn’t have a large foot print. It make coffee quickly. For me the coffee was weak, until I did a finer grind and stopped using filters. There is no need to buy paper filters, I don’t ever use them and I grind the coffee as fine as I would for drip coffee. There will be a few left over grinds in the bottom of your mug, but very few, similar if not better to when doing a french press. I don’t notice a difference in the taste compared to drip. I think the difference in taste people talk about in coffee blogs has more to do with the stove top versions, where people over heat the coffee or brew it too long. I love this coffee pot, the one downside is that there is not an audible ding when the coffee is done so if the pot is far away, or the room is loud you have to rely on the orange light, which is fine. In my small apartment I can hear when the coffee stops brewing.