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See the 8 tests

1. In the Box
2. Specifications
3. How to Use
4. Brew Time
5. Capacity
6. Ease of Use
7. Clean Up
8. Quality

In the Box

It arrived in a nice Amazon box, though Coleman’s own packaging inside wasn’t great.

Here is everything that came in it:

• Stainless steel coffee pot
• Lid with perking knob
• Filter basket
• Spreader
• Stem with base

Specifications

These are my own measurements:

• Height to the perking knob 9.5in
• Length, handle to spout 9.0in
• Lid diameter 5.5in
• Base diameter 6.5inThe widest base of any percolator I own
• Weight 36.2oz
• Made in China

How to Use

No instructions came with mine, so here is my own recipe:

• Water per cup 6oz
• Grounds per cup 10-11g (0.35-0.39oz)
• Grind CoarseMedium roast

Then I brew it like this:

1. Pour the grounds into the filter basket.
2. Drop in the stem, filter basket and spreader, then close the lid.
3. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat, and you can see it perking through the glass knob.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and percolate for 7 minutes, then turn it off.
5. Let it sit a few minutes so the basket drains and the grounds settle.

Brew Time

For brew time I measured the time to first perk, which is how long the water takes to start boiling.

Water	Time to first perk
3 cups (18oz)	6 min
6 cups (36oz)	6 min 45 sec
64oz (to the spout holes)	11 min 45 sec

Capacity

• Marketed 12 cups
• Most water it holds 64oz (10.7 cups)It boils over at this level after about 3 minutes of percolation
• Most coffee I could brew 9 cups60oz of water doesn’t boil over, but the filter basket only holds grounds for about 9 cups
• Least coffee I could brew 6 cups (36oz)Below this there isn’t enough water to climb the stem
• Filter basket holds 111g (3.9oz) of coarse groundsI fill it to 96g (3.4oz), which is about 9 cups

• Other sizes None

It is sold as a 12-cup percolator. 64oz is the most water it holds without touching the spout holes, but it boiled over after about 3 minutes of percolation at that level.

At 10 cups (60oz) it didn’t boil over at all, so that’s the most water it takes. The filter basket is what caps it lower.

At the low end, 3 cups and 4 cups didn’t look like coffee at all and my 32g (1.1oz) of grounds went barely used. 5 cups looked right but tasted diluted.

So the real range is 6 to 9 cups.

The filter basket is a bit small for a 10-cup brew. Packed to the brim it takes 111g (3.9oz), and at that point it’s already too full for the lid to close properly.

I leave about 15g (0.5oz) of room for the water coming up the stem, so I’d put in no more than 96g (3.4oz), which is roughly 9 cups for me.

Ease of Use

There is no scale or cup-level marking anywhere on the pot, inside or out, which is inconvenient.

The handle isn’t heat-resistant, so it gets really hot after percolation, and it isn’t comfortable for a pot this heavy. Wrapping a cloth around it fixes both problems.

There’s a small notch on the lid. I line it up with the spout, which keeps the lid tightly closed while pouring. I can lift the whole pot by the knob.

Pro Tip The lid can be hard to open. Press forward towards the notch and lift from the back.

The transparent perking knob shows you when the water starts boiling and how dark the coffee is getting, and the wide base makes this the most stable percolator I own.

A coarse grind kept all but a minimal amount of grounds out of my last cup. If you do find grinds, wet the filter basket or line it with coffee filter paper.

Clean Up

I toss the grounds and run water through every component, and they all come apart easily for a proper wash.

Percolating plain water is the most effective way I’ve found to shift the coffee oils.

Quality

• Pot, lid and handle Stainless steel

• Stem, basket and spreader Stainless steelDefinitely not aluminum

• Perking knob GlassThe thickest knob of all 9 percolators I tested

• Warranty 1 yearColeman’s standard, though I could find nothing documented for this pot

The outside isn’t quite a mirror finish but it’s close, and the inside is decent too, with barely any staining after repeated use.

The inner components are sturdy, though the filter basket and stem don’t sit firmly inside the pot and rattle when I shake it.

The materials are great but the design isn’t. Every time I screw or unscrew the glass knob it scrapes against the sharp steel rim. That part of the knob is now uneven, and I sometimes find metal flakes on it.

Pro Tip Coleman says not to screw the knob in too tightly, because the glass expands when hot. An eighth to a quarter turn loose is what works for me; half a turn is too loose.

Coleman also no longer sells replacement glass knobs, which matters more than it sounds.

Pros and Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Coleman Percolator?

High-quality, thick materials

The stainless steel is thick throughout, and the glass knob is the thickest of all 9 percolators I tested.

The finish is holding up

The outside is near-mirror and the inside has barely stained, even after frequent use.

It is not a 12-cup percolator

It holds 10 cups (60oz) without boiling over, but the filter basket realistically holds grounds for only about 9 cups, so 9 is my real maximum.

Not the most user-friendly

The handle isn’t comfortable and isn’t heat-resistant, and there are no cup-level markings at all. A cloth around the handle is the workaround.

The glass knob is the weak point

It scrapes against the sharp steel rim every time you screw it on, and Coleman no longer sells replacements.

You have to brew at least 6 cups

Anything under 36oz doesn’t brew properly, so this isn’t a percolator for one or two people. If that’s you, the 3-cup GSI Glacier Percolator is the one I’d buy instead.

Bonus: Must Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.