Presto 02822 6-Cup Stainless-Steel Coffee Percolator

My father always brewed his coffee in a perculator pot. My husband and his family always brewed their coffee in a drip coffee pot. Drip coffee pot all I used for years. I needed a new pot and decided to try a perculator coffee pot. Only needed a small pot at this, just for myself. I chose this 6 cup presto and happy with the choice I made. Also wanted a stainless steel pot, easy to clean, with the open water reservoir cleaning is a breeze. The poor spout, great design with no spills pouring. Brewing time is fast, great tasting cup of coffee in no time. The 6 cup pot is small and fits perfect in my small kitchen.

Recently I was looking for a totally plastic-free way to make more than one cup of coffee at a time. Currently, there are no automatic coffee makers available that fit this stringent requirement. Most plastic-free setups are single-cup pour-over or require stovetop use, and I’ve got those already. Enter this tiny electric percolator. I already own a couple of larger vintage percolators and use them from time to time to make quantities of coffee when needed. However, some or all of those percolator parts are aluminum. I own a steel stovetop percolator, but for daily use, I wanted something I could fill, turn on, and let do its thing without me having to hover or add water or monitor it. This is a great percolator for one or two people who might use 12-15-oz to-go mugs. The total amount of water at the “6 cups” level is about 26 ounces after brewing (I know; it’s weird coffee math). Coffee snobs and people who make profits off of selling more coffee beans for wasteful brewing processes (I am looking at you, cold brew) will tell you that percolated coffee is horrible because the same water perks though the same grounds a few times and the oils aren’t “extracted” from the brew. Don’t listen to them. Perked coffee tastes better than anything else I’ve had, even those fancy, $6, coffee shop “pour over” brews. I like bitter and cloudy. It makes me feel alive! Maybe it’s because I am a child of the seventies and I was raised on percolator (and boiled/cowboy) coffee, but percolator brew tastes richer and more full-bodied, and, most importantly, it can be much more economical to make. One level tablespoon per cup seems to work with almost any grind. “Percolator” grind is coarser than drip, which might waste more beans, but you also won’t get grinds in the bottom of the pot or your cup if that really bothers you. What with coffee being a tropical, imported bean from which we are losing trees and carbon sequestering, making an economical pot of coffee should be a priority, and not wasting precious, imported beans seems logical. Not to mention the aforementioned quest to go plastic-free as possible for morning beverage-making. You can get paper filters that fit these percolators, and this machine comes with a few of those. That paper bit will filter and capture some of the oils and grounds that make percolator coffee objectionable to some people. The filter basket works just fine, though, without them. Most commercial grinders at stores still have a “percolator” setting, and you can grind beans at home slightly more coarsely if needed. I find that a regular, pre-ground drip grind works fine in this pot, though. I know. I am utterly barbaric! Cleanup of this pot is easy and the innards can be machine-washed. I expect this thing will still be perking long after I am gone, assuming we still have a viable power grid in the 2100s. If not, my ancestors can use my stovetop percolator over an open fire. Assuming they can get the beans, that is. Enjoy your coffee while we still have access to it, fellow Westerners!

I’ve been having fun with this little guy and really like it. It brews in just a few minutes and keeps the coffee hot without boiling for a long time. And the coffee has a fuller flavor than drip. Some tips are: 1. Use a percolator grind. That’s bigger than drip and smaller than French press if you grind your own, or about 3/4 of the way to coarsest. If you buy packaged ground coffee, you’ll need to use a paper filter as the grounds (which are meant for drip) are too small for the metal mesh and a lot more slip through and continue to stew in the coffee after perking making the coffee bitter; you’ll also lose some of the oils that give perked coffee its full flavor. I think not using a filter sets is apart from a drip method. 2. The cup size says “about 5 ounces” but that’s deceptive. The 6 cup mark lets you fill it with 28 ounces of water, or 4.66 ounces before brewing. That’s already small but you lose some water to the grounds. Filling the water to the 2 cup mark and 3 tablespoons of grounds produced 9 fluid ounces of coffee, or 2 4.5 ounce cups. To get 2 12 ounce mugs,, I filled it a bit over the 4 cup mark with 5 tablespoons grounds and got just under 18 fluid ounces for 2 9-ounce fills. This was perfect for adding cream and sugar. 3. It’s about the same size to store in my cabinet as my OXO single cup drip maker, and that does not include the box of filters or a kettle for heating water. For someone struggling with small spaces, this little guy is perfect. So I’d recommend this pot for someone who wants to brew at most 3 smaller/2 larger mugs of coffee or a small mug and a small to go container for the road or who is going true retro with smaller cups and saucers. If you want a percolator for larger amounts, buy the bigger version. Plus the pot has to cool between uses to brew properly so brewing multiple pots doesn’t work well. Get a long skinny brush to clean out the inside of the stem and the spout every few uses. I’m old enough to remember that it was the rancid buildup in a percolator that turned people towards tepid Mr. Coffee.

I love the look of this coffee maker. Takes up less room on my counter than my old Mr. Coffee which finally stopped working after a number of years. Just a nice, clean, slim look. Does take a little more effort to put together than a French press or drip coffee maker, I'm getting more efficient at that. But I can't get the flavor of my favorite coffee that I was getting with the Mr. Coffee. There is a taste I do not care for and do not know what is causing it. Instead of a smooth cup of coffee, this produces more of a harsh, not quite metallic taste. I have tried a number of different combinations: using a different brand filter, folding the filter over the outer edge of the basket rather than over the coffee, adjusting the number of tablespoons of ground coffee, using very cold water right out of the refrigerator, or putting water in the maker the night before as I always did with my Mr. Coffee so it is at room temperature. But that taste is always there no matter how strong or how weak the coffee is. I have made coffee at the same time in a French press, or put the basket from my Mr. Coffee over the Mr. Coffee pot and slowly poured hot water over the grounds. These two approaches do not end up with that taste that I get from the percolator. The flavor I love is just not there. Maybe the water is too hot? Another reviewer mentioned that a course grind coffee works best. Unfortunately, my current favorite coffee only comes in one grind which works great for drip coffee makers or a French press. I will see if I can find a coffee I like that is available in a coarse grind to see if that takes care of the problem. At any rate, I do like that this does not have an automatic shut off, which was something I did not care for on my Mr. Coffee. So, on days I drink tea or make an instant cappuccino (I always have more than one cup of either), I won't have to reheat the water in my stove-top kettle. The water will stay hot until I unplug the percolator. Very nice. --------------------------- OK, tried another coffee favorite, in a drip grind, this is a flavored coffee. I didn't use a paper filter this time, as recommended by one poster. The first cup was very good, the last cup was mud - a courser grind is needed to use without a filter. Next pot I used a Mr. Coffee filter, cut a small hole to fit snuggly around the stem and pressed firmly in the basket folding over the top edge of the basket. Made a very nice cup of coffee. However, it does keep cooking the coffee (the Mr. Coffee does not). By the last cup maybe 1-1/2 hrs later I had to add hot water to dilute and the taste had changed. I still like the pot but unless I make 2 cups at a time instead of 6 I will use it to keep water hot during the day to make tea, instant cappuccinos, and coffee in my French Press. Wanted to buy another Mr. Coffee but from reviews, they don't appear to be made as well as the one I had for years. ============================ Update: the Presto died about 1 month after the 1-yr warranty expired. Warranty says "designed and built to provide many years of satisfactory performance under normal household use". I only used it to heat water after using it for a short time to make coffee, did not care for how coffee tasted when percolated. So, heated water and used a French press. Now back to using my stovetop tea kettle. I have not had luck with any electric coffee product since the Mr. Coffee I had for many years died. They just no longer manufacture products to last.

I’ve had this coffee maker for 9 years and use it nearly everyday and it’s always worked great and makes good coffee. I love it because there’s no plastic and it’s easy to clean. It’s the right size for my husband and I but if we have company over we have to brew a couple pots, but it brews very quickly so it’s never an issue. I highly recommend it

We have purchased three of these coffee pots. All have the same problem in that we love the pot but it will not produce consistent results. Sometimes it makes excellent coffee and other times it is so weak that it is almost clear. There is nothing you can do to produce drinkable coffee every time. Our only solution has been to check the results after each pot is brewed. If it is too weak, then pour one cup of coffee. Carefully remove the top cap and the grounds cover. Slowly pour the freshly brewed cup of coffee into the top of the grounds and let it drain through into the pot. Replace the covers. Test. You'll find that you now have an excellent pot of coffee! It's a bit crude and inconvenient and you need to be careful to use a towel or other protective item to prevent possible burns. However, this will solve your problem.

I started using this around October 1st 2025. I didn't have experience with a percolator, but I was trying to get away from plastic coffee machines because the hot water touches the plastic and I don't want that stuff leaching into my body. I find this kind of machine finicky to use but that's not at all why I'm giving it one star. It's hard to see the lines inside, but I do always find them. I have to use my felt sense to get that tall stick in the right spot in the center of the percolator. Then I have to use my felt dense to get the basket inside the hole of the stick. Then I have to use a funnel to get the coffee in the basket properly, and I use 1/4 cup measuring cup to put in the funnel, so both my hands are anoyingly busy using this. Then I have to shake the funnel around the basket to make sure the coffee gets evenly distributed inside the basket, then I shake the basket around a little bit to level it/make sure the coffee really is evenly distributed.... then you put the top of the basket on, then you have to close the lid of the machine and make sure it's closed properly and securely. It's all a bit of a pain in the bum but I was willing to forgive that because.... This made the best coffee I've ever had. strong!!! my husband and i loved it. Until February 23rd 2026. Not even 5 months. The coffee came out very weak and watery (search the reviews for the word watery and you'll see a lot of people having the same complaint) - I saw the lid partially popped off, so I figured I must have made a mistake even though I was sure I heard it shut completely as always, just as it's always done as I've been making it everyday. We tried again (having wasted coffee and new creamer).... Watery again. More coffee wasted. more creamer wasted. My husband thoroughly cleaned it to make sure nothing was clogged. When I put the top on this morning I noticed it wasn't going on right (unusual) so I pushed in the levers on the side of the top - it closed perfectly. I thought maybe that was the source of the problem but no. the coffee was super watery again. then i read the reviews, searching te word watery, and i see i'm not the only one with this problem. far from it. For $60 I literally expect this to last at least 10 years. I have a lot of kitchen equipment I've had for that long.... Even my grandmother's blender is over 50 years old. I rely on coffee to function - I have a medical condition, I can't find the right dose of medication yet to fix it and coffee helps me be able to just even function at all throughout the day. I haven't been able to function yesterday or today without coffee. i don't appreciate wasting money, wasting coffee, wasting creamer, wasting my time. I don't know if Amazon will refund me... I really don't want a replacement for this because people report that this machine has this problem. Really go search the reviews. If I had written this review even two weeks ago I would have given it a five stars because it made great coffee. But a device going kaput so relatively quickly is completely unacceptable.

I really have trouble with reading others reviews because it's so subjective. You have to read the poor ratings and compare them with the overly hyped ones that sound like the manufacture paid someone to write it. But I can assure you I'm not paid, but am extremely happy with my choice of this wonderful coffee pot. It's the best perked coffee I've had since I was a kid and used our old fashioned percolator on the stove every morning. I loved watching the coffee in the glass top. So when choosing this particular one, I wanted one that was not so big since it's just my wife and I but big enough. This one is perfect, gives us both two cups of coffee and makes it in five minutes, so if you had company, it would still do the job. I have to say however that they include filters which to me makes no sense in a percolator, but trust me it's like stuffing paper bags into a tiny tin with some grounds in the bottom. And the filters they provide make no sense, good luck trying to make to make them fit. You can't keep the lid on, it's ridiculous. I've used it without filters like I did when I was a kid, and unless you use a finely ground coffee I get no grounds in the bottom at all. But if I do use something where some does get into the coffee, in sinks to the bottom and doesn't come out in your cup ever, unless you fill your cup with every drop in the bottom of the pot, but who does that anyway? So if you're concerned about the coffee grounds with this pot, don't worry, you'll never have any in your cup, the holes in the strainer are very small, and most important, if you use filters, you lose the oils that make coffee taste smooth, which is what filters do... filters. It look nice on the counter, and it's not huge like the large one that also is a nice coffee pot. I chose the one without the glass viewing top because they tend to leak and break, and this one does not...but you can hear it perking and the smell of fresh perked coffee is the best. I'll never use the pod type again, you'll see how much better your coffee tastes when it's fresh perked. The only down side I have is you have to be careful when cleaning it that it's not submerged or a lot of water drips down the side and could leak into the pot base. It's not that water can't run a little down the side, but if you were to submerge the pot you'd short it out and probably have problems, but that's true with all electric coffee pots. It also doesn't have an automatic shut off, which to me makes no sense, how hard would it have been to add that, and I do worry that if I forget to shut it off when I leave and there's only a tad of coffee in the bottom....well, you get the picture. But to be honest, I bought this coffee pot for two of us or just me since it makes two to six cups and both levels tastes as good. So I unplug it as soon as were done with our coffee because after it's brewed it's extra hot, and will stay that way unplugged for at least an hour. So regardless, I would buy this pot again any day. Hope this helps in your decision. Oh by the way, they recommend a level table spoon per cup, but for me it is a tad strong unless you like it that way. Five table spoons for six cups is perfect like you get in a nice restaurant, and about a table spoon and a half or less for two cups. Just my preference, you can experience on your own. Hope this helps with your decision. Presto also had a very good reputation and stands behind their products....service after the sale is the most important to me.