Vietnamese coffee filter set

Ever since I came back from Vietnam, I have been using these small "French presses", or Vietnamese coffee filter sets. I bought 3 sets for one dollar (15,000 dong) in Vietnam, and soon realized that I needed more. So, I bought a few in the U.S. (local VN grocery store) and noticed that they come in different forms. This one has the screw in press, which I don't like as much as the simple press down piece that just sits on top of the ground coffee. It works great. The screw in needs to be tighten until you hit the coffee, but don't tighten too much (low drip, or no drip) and too little (too fast), but just right. I can't figure it out.

It is much more difficult to remove the screw part after the coffee is done. Worse, sometimes it can be that it is screwed in too hard, so the water does not drain through, but now you can't loosen it, because the hot water covers the piece. That's why the simpler version works much better. I have never seen this construction in Vietnam either.

However, there is one advantage, it is that it is sturdier and lasts longer.

And this little gadget does the job much better than a Melitta style funnel and paper filter. If you grind your own you'll need to experiment a bit with how fine to grind and how tight to screw down the tamper, but after a few tries you should have the cup of coffee you want.

I have 4 now. They are pretty cool for serving coffee when you have company. I don't think the online price is outrageous, but if you are lucky enough to live in a city with a Vietnamese market you can pick these up for $3 each.

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The Vietnamese styled coffee filter is really a nice bit of kit. It makes the often mundane act of drinking coffee into a ritual.

While its origins are south-east Asian, its has a cosmopolitan use that is quite underrated. If you're like me and have several different blends of coffee in your home to choose from, its nice to offer guests their choice of coffee without having to make several pots to do so.

You can alter the strength of the coffee by how tightly you compress the top filter in this apparatus. Thus enabling a "Lungo" or "ristretto" type of taste as you would find with espresso machines. This is however, not technically an espresso maker as espresso is made by forcing water through the ground coffee beans, while this apparatus uses gravity to distill the coffee.

Many people who first experience these will be in specialty Vietnamese restaurants, offered as a traditional "Cà phê su'a dá" (translated "Coffee milk ice"), but you should be able to find this nice little filter at many oriental specialty shops for anywhere between $3-$4. Don't worry about manufacturer, as I have seen several, and there seems to be absolutely no difference in quality. So don't pay a high price for this item.

Often, the best things are the simplest, and it doesn't get any simpler than this. It should last you decades of use.

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Ever since having Vietnamese coffee at a restaurant in St. Louis (and then returning regularly to have Pho and coffee), I have wanted to buy one of these filters to use at home. The one at the restaurant uses friction to compress the coffee grinds with the insert, so this kind is a bit different in that you actually screw the insert down, but I haven't had any problems with it.

To use this properly, make sure to not screw the insert down too tightly it should be snug, but not tight. It might take a couple of tries to get this right. The coffee grounds need to be able to expand a bit. Once the insert is screwed down, pour a little bit (less than a cm) of water into the filter, and let that drip through. This allows the grounds to expand. If you don't do this step, sometimes the grounds actually escape from the filter up into the water chamber. Not too big of a deal, but the water runs through too quickly when that happens. After the small amount of water goes through, then fill the filter almost to the top with water, and cover it with the cap. About 4 minutes should pass before all of the water has gone through. Then, enjoy!

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The picture for this item shows the top of the screw on damper as flat, but the one we received has a convenient slot for a screwdriver or the flat bottom of your spoon handle. The lid doubles as a plate to set down the coffee filter after you're done with it.

Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder

I love coffee, and it's kind of a hobby for me. I roast my own beans, and have collected a respectable amount of knowledge about how to make a barista-quality cup at home. I've owned a Capresso Infinity 560 for five years, and I purchased this particular model for a gift exchange. It seemed like a perfect fit: an excellent price for a burr grinder, within the price range of our gift exchange, and it's a brand I am familiar and happy with. This model, though, is not nearly as good as the 560, in my opinion, because of the quality of the grind. It grinds much more evenly than a blade, to be sure, but it creates a lot of "dust" as well. If you really want to get a quality grinder for a great price, I'd recommend the 560 instead. It's usually around $80, but it's well worth the extra money over the lifespan of the product. That being said, if you simply cannot afford that extra money and must choose between this and a blade grinder, this one is clearly the better choice.

I just bought this grinder as a Christmas present for my wife. It grinds quickly and well and is fairly quiet much better than our old blade grinder. The ability to store whole beans in the top dispenser and to store ground coffee in bottom dispenser in the refrigerator is also handy. From what I have considered, it seems to be one of best lower cost burr grinders available.

But as to the "mystery" in my title, actually there are two mysteries:

1) Sometimes when your look for burr grinders on Amazon, this model does not show up. Not sure why, but it might have something to do with the fact that it does not ship directly from Amazon. The supplier names have also changed within the past 2 weeks.

2) It is not listed as a model on the Capresso web site. I tried to register it on the site but cannot, since it is not in their drop-down list of products. In fact, the Capresso web site has no mention of this model (or anything looking like it) in their catalog of grinders, registration page, downloadable instruction manuals, or replacement parts page. Update: the Capresso company e-mailed me that they make this particular model only for Costco, though apparently others get them to resell on Amazon. That still does not seem like a good excuse for Capresso not listing this model on their web site.

The grinder generally works quite well (grinds evenly and as finely as one might want), though the whole beans sometimes get jammed in the top of the grinder. It's easy to clear, but then throws off the measurement of how many cups-worth of beans you wanted to grind. It seems to help if the beans are dried out a bit first, rather than dumped right into the grinder from the freezer when still moist.

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(APRIL 14, 2013 UPDATE)

I've been using this grinder for more than two years now, on an almost every-day basis, and the grinder is still going strong. Use it to grind beans for espresso, paper filter, and french press, and still works just as good as it did two years ago. One of the best purchases ever! I recommend it even more now.

(JANUARY 2011 REVIEW)

Apparently this model is made exclusively for COSTCO, and they were selling it for $30+tax. Found this randomly on the shelf @ my local COSTCO looks like they sell out really fast.

9 settings, and setting 9, which should be really course grind is barely course enough for paper filter. I assume that this is not the best grinder if you want a course grind for your French Press, but will be fine for a paper filter, or espresso machine. I do notice lots of "dust" but that's common, to some degree, with really expensive grinders as well. Static is NOT a problem. just tap the plastic container a little bit, and wait a few seconds before taking the container with the ground coffee out.

What it comes down to is that, if you're lucky enough to pick up one of these at COSTCO, you'll get a decent burr grinder for a great price, and it will allow you to grind your beans fresh.

Don't put your coffee (grinds or beans) in a fridge or freezer if you care about your coffee, taste, quality, etc.

Read Best Reviews of Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder Here

For anyone who does not grind their own coffee beans, you are missing out on really great coffee flavor. It's not that difficult. And for anyone who is using their Braun rotary-blade grinder for coffee beans, STOP. It overheats the beans and interferes with the taste of the coffee. I would not have known this and just assumed it was the way the coffee tasted but for the advice of The Coffee Genius, a friend who knows from coffee to the point of taking it that one step too far and roasting the green beans, instead of buying it pre-roasted. I love coffee, but am not married to it, so grinding is pretty much pushing my coffee envelope as far as it will push. But the difference between burr and rotary grinding is noticable. If you are going to go to the trouble, you might as well get the best taste.

As to the Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder, it works fine for me. The coarser grinds work well for my french press. I use a medium grind for the Keureg, the finest for espresso, and I overgrind on the espresso setting when I want it almost powdery for the little Ibrik. I don't know if that's the right thing to do, but it works for me and if the coffee grinding police show up, I'll lie. The Capresso will grind from 2 to 20 cups worth of beans, you can use the container for storage if you make too much. It's compact and, while not quiet, doesn't sound like a jet is taking off in the kitchen either. For $30 here(or $27 at Costco) and such a lovely improvement in your daily cuppa joe, this would be hard to beat.

If you like coffee, it's just better when you grind the beans yourself. I now buy in smaller quantities and more varieties, and am having a great time experimenting. The Capresso is is easy to operate and presents no problems that I have found. My only difficulty with the machine: my niece borrowed mine and won't give it back. There is a lesson here. Don't tell people why your coffee tastes so good. Just shrug and say "They've really changed the way they make instant, haven't they."

You do get a little bit of the ground coffee on the counter, as noted by some reviewers. This seems to go with the territory, if you ask me. The Braun made a little mess too...and sometimes that plastic cup on top would stick -and when you gave it a good yank, half the coffee went flying. Look, you're grinding coffee. So you get schmutz on the counter. So you wipe it off. We're not talking toxic spill here or calling in the men in hazmat suits. And the truth is, I make a mess no matter what I'm doing, so this did not come as a shock to my system. If Martha Stewart somehow stumbled into my kitchen as i was preparing food, she'd tie a rock around her neck and throw herself off a dock. When I peel an egg, the people next door are picking shell out of their hair for two days. In the grand scheme of things, the coffee grinder mess is one I can tolerate.

And finally, two tips: First, If ground coffee sticks to the plastic container, put the container on the counter and tap it with a spoon--the static or whatever releases. Second, don't throw coffee grounds (home ground or otherwise) down the sink or garbage disposal unless you are eager to contribute to your plumber's vacation fund. Save them up in a plastic bag (in the refrigerator, where nobody can see them) and sprinkle on your roses. (And don't keep coffee or coffee beans in the refrigerator, it dulls the flavor...that's three tips, but who's counting.)

Enjoy.

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I've owned cheap blade grinders in the past, and this is my first burr grinder. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews of different grinders. I was originally looking for something in the $50-$75 range, but this grinder had better reviews than most of the other grinders in the higher price ranges. I am very happy with this grinder. I have had it for about a week now and have made fresh ground coffee every morning and have had no problems whatsoever.

It is not very noisy (not even half as noisy as a blender). I also really like the ability to store beans in the dish on top. I usually make a full 12 cup pot of coffee, so the first time I ground with this machine I set the little lever on the front to 12. It actually ground more coffee than what I would normally use for a full pot, and I like my coffee strong too. I changed the lever to 6, and that is the perfect amount of fresh ground coffee to make a full 12 cup pot. I also put the "fineness" dial on 4.5, which works really well for my Cuisinart drip coffee maker.

After reading tons of reviews of different grinders, and after buying this one and using it for a week, I can honestly say that at $33, this is probably one of the best coffee grinders you will find at that price point. Highly recommended.

**UPDATE 5-22-2012**

After owning this grinder for a month now and using it every day, I have had absolutely zero problems. It works like it should every single time. Very happy with this purchase.

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BUNN VPR-APS Pourover Airpot Coffee Brewer

This coffee brewer works great, however I found the product manual was frustrating and I had to figure some things by trial and error... with several trials ending in error! The box also included a long spring thing that I still have not figured out what do do with?? Having said that, this coffee maker works great for making a lot of coffee in a quick amount of time, once you figure it out. Here is how it works (after you've done the initial prep/set-up which involves pre-filling the tank something you only do ONE time for the life of the machine) :

1. Turn on (actually plug it in, it has no on/off switch one of those things you have to learn the hard way)

2. Wait 20 minutes (it needs 20 minutes to get the tank water hot)

3. Put the coffee grains in the basket

4. Pour water in the top

5. Out comes coffee (almost simultaneously as you pour it in, if you are using a 24 cup air-pot... you'll need to wait a few minutes to pour the second 12 cup pitcher included of water in, or the filter basket will over-flow, it only holds 12 cups!)

6. Fill as many air-pot s this way as you'd like, just as fast as you can replace filter & grounds and pour water in the top.

7. Unplug when finished

Pros:

Makes a lot of coffee (as much as you want) very fast once it is heated up.

Very easy to use once you figure it out.

Cons:

Terrible user manual

Needs 20 minutes lead time

Need to be careful if using a 24 cup Air-pot, can easily "overwhelm" the filter basket and cause a big mess (filter basket can only hold 12 cups at a time)

No on/off button

Must learn to use by trial and error

The Pourover Airpot Coffee Brewer is very simple to use and brews coffee directly into the airpot. The design is well-thought-out and makes serving coffee to a large group of teachers and students every morning a pleasure.

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I liked the item a lot but it is pretty large. I have a small shop and this is industrial size so it looked a little out of place. But the item itself is great.

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Works good, use it a few times everyday for commercial usage, it's brews fast and makes great coffee, we have no seen any problems yet..

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Once warmed up, this machine can produce 10 litres of coffee in 20 minutes. We have used it for the past three months at large sports events with great success. I almost gave up while reading the instructions, then I found some friendly guidance on the web that goes like this:

1. Fill the system with water until a little leaks out.

2. Plug it in and wait for 20 minutes

3. Prepare the hopper with two standard bags of coffee

4. Slowly pour in 3 litres of water. The coffee comes out almost as fast as you pour the water in.

5. Unplug

Once you get the hang of the system and also the lack of power switch, you will really enjoy the system's performance.

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Briel ES62AF L'Expresso Automatic Cadiz Espresso Machine

The machine worked great for about 3 months, then it started leaking, we looked inside and a rubber gasket had melted and a silicone stopper had turned to dust. Ok so things happen. After reading the horror stories here about the service center in NJ I called the one in Canada. A very nice man that spoke French and a little broken English tried to help but said he could not honor the warranty because it was purchased in the US. So then the nightmare began. I tried calling the US center 4 days running and kept getting a busy signal.

I had overtime misplaced the 800 number so I used MSN's yellow pages and dialed long distance. I then spent 10 minutes argueing with 2 people that I indeed did not dial the 800 number and would they please give me that number. After being called a liar about that I was told it would cost approximately $60 in handling fees, and if they determined that the damage was my fault I would be paying for the parts and labor as well.

I dont really give a damn how nice the coffe is folks, if that machine breaks down and you live in the US, consider yourself owning a $200 door stop, or a $400 machine after repair. Personally, if Im going to spend $400 its going to be on a different machine and it certainly wont be made by Briel

I was happy with my Briel Cadiz at first. Nevertheless, after 4 months, the unit started excessively leaking steam and water. I sent it in to Briel's service center in New Jersey in May as of today (Sept. 21) I still don't have it back. I have called, been promised that it is shipping in a few days, more times than I can count. So, I've waited 4 months (and counting) for warranty repair of a unit that was only 4 months old. I've sent a letter to Briel's HQ in Portugal requesting that they send me a new unit, but have had no response. I am not going to purchased a Briel product again.

Maybe even more discouraging is that Amazon has been completely unwilling to help in this manner. I am very surprised that Amazon will not hold their vendors to higher standards of customer service.

So, if you buy a Briel product pray that nothing ever goes wrong.

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I have mixed feelings abut my Briel Cadiz. When I first received it, I became more popular than the local Starbucks. Everyone wanted one of my rich, creamy, foamy cappuchinos. A year and a half later, I wish I hadn't purchased this machine. It still makes excellent expresso shots, particularly since I've mastered all the little details that get it to turn out just right. However, the head of the milk foamer broke off, the button that switches the boiler heater to steam is broken, and of course the warranty is expired. I'm reduced to heating milk in the microwave and making lattes...but they still taste great!

The best part about this machine is its ability to turn out excellent expresso shots thanks to a nice little pump unit, perfect temperature regulation, and nicely engineered parts (some, not all!). The worst part is that underneath that gleaming exterior, its nothing more than a collection of rather tiny (and quite fragile) plastic parts, electric connections, a pump, and a brass boiler. Don't open it up it will destroy the illusion that you own a real Italian coffee machine!!!

Buy this if you want to turn out excellent coffees and don't want to spend more than $250...this year. Buy something with a lot more quality engineered inside if you plan on using your machine for more than twelve months.

By the way, I read all of those positive reviews before I bought my Cadiz. A year later I'm seeing a lot of negatives that weren't there a year ago. I say...buyer beware!!!

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I've had my machine for about 5 years now and I'm still getting great espresso. My Briel gets heavy use, but the only thing I've had to replace is the brew screen (and that was $5). My guess is some people don't know what they are doing. Here's a few pointers:

1. Don't leave the basket mounted after you brew.

2. Keep your steam wand clean. Clean it each time you use it!

3. After steaming milk, if you want to brew another batch, turn off the steam button and dispense some water until the temperature light turns off. It's important because if you don't do this, you'll get burnt espresso from your water being to hot.

4. Keep your machine clean. Run a few batches of vinegar/water every once in a while to get rid of any mineral build up.

5. Spend the money on a conical grinder. You won't get consistent espresso if you're using a $20 coffee grinder.

The pump has a 25 year warranty (not that I've needed it). Spend some time on the Internet if you don't know what you're doing.

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Oggi EZ Grip Tea Canister, Black

It's pretty much what I expected, and will suffice for storing my tea, but the hinge is VERY weak. It will probably break before too many uses, and doesn't guide the lid down easily for sealing.

First, the product description says that canister is supposed to be attractive and keeps tea dry and safe from air.

In the canister that I got, the back hinge of the lid was angled wrong (wasn't symmetric), preventing the lid from closing down completely. I noticed this only after putting in my loose tea and flipping the canister upside down tea leaves came falling out. Not only is it not air tight, it's not even tea tight.

The white "T-E-A" letters were also carelessly printed on the canister, with the "E" aligned above the "T" and the "A", and with the "A" slightly on an angle. It was one of the first things that my coworkers noticed, and I imagine that's not something one would want anyone noticing in their first impression of the canister.

Since I couldn't use it to hold my tea, or even keep it around for people to see, I chose to return it immediately after finding these defects.

I did like the spoon holder that is built into the canister. It was a nice touch.

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First, while the inside is not quite big enough to hold a full pound of coffee, this canister is very large outside. This is due to the handle design. So don't be fooled into thinking this is a small canister that won't take up much space on your counter.

Second, the decal is obviously put on by hand by someone who is not concerned with getting the letters straight or even. The letters in the word TEA are at varying heights and spaces and angles.

And last but certainly not least, the latch to close the canister has already come apart after only two weeks of use, which pretty much makes an airtight canister useless.

I would NOT recommend this to anyone. These canisters look good in the pictures, but they won't look good on your counter and they won't work for you (at least not for long).

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I have looked at my local stores for a sealed container of this type and only found clear. This works great and handle makes it very convenient to use.

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The only thing that could improve in my opinion is the amount of space that is lost to the handle. I can't fit a pound of tea into this container because of the giant handle space. I like the scoop and how fresh the seal keeps my tea.

BonJour Stove Top Espresso Maker 3-Cup Caf? Milano, Polished Aluminum

My son gave me this 3 cup BonJour espresso maker for Christmas. I was not expecting much but was actually pleasantly surprised. First let me address the previous poor reviews. First, the pot is small and yes avoid putting the handle directly over the flame or heating element. I am fortunate as my gas stove has 5 burners (4 different sizes). The smallest size is meant to be a warming burner. It is perfect for the espresso maker as the heat is directed to the bottom of the pot. The handle stays cool throughout the 4-5 minutes it takes to brew the coffee. Secondly, I have not yet had a bad pot of coffee from this simple device. I suspect that one of the reviewers either had a defective gasket between the upper and lower portion of the pot or just did not tighten it enough.

With my old Mr. Coffee electric coffee pot I always used to steal the first cup of coffee from the brew before the process was complete. The rest of the pot, of course, was never as good as the first cup. This espresso maker makes every cup like the first cup of the old Mr. Coffee and takes less time to brew. This espresso pot makes 3 cups of espresso. Be warned that this is no more than 5 oz of very strong coffee without being bitter. One cup of espresso coffee is only about 50 ml (1 2/3 oz). I usually put the whole amount (5 oz) into my stainless steel travel mug and top off with hot water from my tea pot. I am told this is the "Caffè Americano" way of preparing coffee. I just love it. I have a pot at home and one in my travel trailer.

Pros:

Coffee tastes great. Rich and flavorful without bitterness.

Simple design, simple to use.

No paper filters.

Takes only minutes to brew.

Easy to clean.

Low cost.

Less waste. I never throw away coffee because I made too much.

Cons:

May not really be a con but must use a different size pot to make more or less than the 3 cups of espresso this pot was designed to make. These types of espresso makers come in a range of sizes. I have seen 1,2,3,4,6,9 and 12 cup sizes (some are different brands).

If you start a pot and walk away and forget you may come back to a mess. This is not an automatic coffee maker and you should not leave the area for more than a couple of minutes. After a while you can tell when the coffee is done by the sound. The coffee is done brewing when most of the coffee has been pushed up into the upper chamber. Towards the end of the process the pot begins to gurgle as it pushes out the last of the coffee. The pot should be removed from the heat shortly after the gurgling starts, within a minute or two. Do not leave the pot on the heat after the gurgling has stopped. The bottom chamber will be empty of water and you will only be heating the metal.

Additional comments: It is now 6 months later with daily use of this espresso maker. Still works perfectly. I have found that this pot also makes a great Thai tea! I fill the brew cup with the tea, brew and pour the rich crimson liquid into my stainless steel travel mug. I then add sweetener (I use saccharin tabs), a shot of sugar free liquid creamer, milk and ice. As a diabetic, I can still enjoy one of my favorite beverages!

What a piece of garbage.

I gave it every chance. I experimented with different grinds running the gamut from coarse to fine, different amounts of coffee in the basket, different water levels in the lower chamber, different flame levels on my gas stove ... 1/4 of the time, it would very quickly brew a batch of really strong, delicious coffee. The REST of the time it would make boiling noises and blow steam out the pour spout, but all I'd get in the top of the pot would be a thimbleful of undrinkable sludge. I thought this meant pressure was escaping from the base, but I could never figure out where the leak was. The gasket was new with no cracks in it, the parts were screwed together as tight as they would go, and I never heard any hissing nor saw steam escaping from anywhere except the pour spout where it is SUPPOSED to come out. After each failure I'd have to wait for the pot to cool off, then take it apart and find the bottom chamber full of a dark liquid that looked a lot like (lukewarm, metallic-tasting) coffee ... but why didn't it squirt up into the top? There's no way to pour coffee out of the bottom! After wasting uncounted amounts of time and coffee beans trying to get this thing to work, I had to give it up as a lost cause. Into the recycling bin with this worthless hunk of metal!

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I purchased this item because I needed a cheap espresso maker for the summer and didn't want to pay for starbucks. Not only did the espresso taste absolutely dreadful (there were grounds consistently in the bottom of the cup), but the plastic handle started melting within one week of use, and by three weeks of use, the entire handle had completely melted off, causing a smelly mess for my stove. I knew this was going to be a cheap espresso maker, but there's a big difference between cheap and completely unusable.

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I have 5 (3 cup),2 (6 cups)and 1 (9 cup) espresso makers. Out of those, one 3 cup and one 6 cup are Bonjour. I use the 3 cups almost every morning, when the husband wants espresso I use a 6 cup one and when we have company I use the biggest one. I have many because I don't run the dishwasher daily. Out of all of them, the best ones are my 3 cup Bonjour and my 6 cup Bonjour. I just love them! The coffee always turns out aromatic and flavorful. I use them in a regular glass electric stove and when we loose power, in the burner of the turkey fryer and even though the 3 cup is small, I have never had any issues.

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I confess I bought my BonJour Stove Top Espresso Maker at the Goodwill for $2. It'd be worth paying full price, however, because the coffee it makes is delicious. It's much, much better than my electric espresso maker; sweet, smooth, and not sour or bitter. It took a little experimenting to learn how to use it, but it's not that hard to figure out.

1. Place the pot at the edge of the burner, so that the handle stays cool.

2. Try about two coffee scoops per batch, about 5-6 oz of water. The water doesn't fill the bottom chamber. I put in a little more than I expect to get out.

3. Turn the heat on HI until the water boils, then turn it down to MED or whatever temp will maintain the boil/perking.

4. When the perking stops, take it off the heat.

I get a few dregs in the cup but not enough to bother about.

Rapid Brew Stainless Steel Stovetop Coffee Percolator, 2-6 cup

Positives:

This coffee maker has no plastic parts (which can be poisonous).

It appears to be made of chromium steel. A very strong magnet was able to stick to all of the metal parts except for the percolator tube. I was afraid it might be aluminum, so I partially submerged it into bleach for an hour and I didn't find any corrosion. If you submerge half a piece of aluminum foil into bleach for an hour you'll see it has corroded. The percolator tube might be nickel chromium steel, which isn't magnetic. I wish there was an easy way to determine what type of metal something is made of.

Negatives:

1. Made in China. I'll have to test it for lead.

2. The lid will swing open while you're pouring your coffee. This is a major design flaw. The glass lid is really hot. If you try to use it to hold the lid shut while you're pouring coffee, you'll get burned. You'll either have to hold it shut with a cloth or waste some coffee and not tip the pot over enough for the lid to open.

3. The metal is weak. A slight bump into a bowl left the coffee maker dented.

I'm giving it 3 stars because it appears to be non-toxic. No plastic or aluminum.

Don't personally use this product, I purchased it for my mom who was used to a heavy-gauge aluminum old-school percolator. According to her, this new one makes a decent cup of coffee. As for the item itself, it is well constructed of stainless steel (although thin) with a heavy glass viewing bubble. The basket & stem are adequate but could've been machined better to fit more precisely in the decanter. The handle is made of a "permawood" material which I assume will not split or crack and helps the unit to "look" old-school. Dishwasher safe according to the description.

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I was not liking my morning coffee. Drip machines and K-cups were not doing it for me. This makes me two large mugs on the 4 cup setting. They are hot, smooth, and fantastic. If you set a timer after the perking starts, and lower the heat, it is always delicious!

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If you want a percolater, this is the one. purchased for father-in-law. He adised me that this is the best one he has ever had. high qulity Stainless steel, with Glass cover knob. (Not plastic like other percs)

Want Rapid Brew Stainless Steel Stovetop Coffee Percolator, 2-6 cup Discount?

A bit pricey, but worth it since it is stainless throughout. I have had the smaller (3 cup) model for several years. I have dropped and kicked it several times. It has a few dents and dings but it is still doing its job making great coffee. I needed more joe-to-go in the morning so I got the 6 cup model. It appears to be the same quality construction as the 3 cup model. The only difference other than size is that the 6 cup has a glass bubble rather a plastic one. If a few grounds in your cup bother you Ooh my pristine gut use a filter with it. Ya Heard!

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