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See the 9 tests

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

In the Box

It arrived in a nice Amazon box, but GSI’s own packaging was just plastic and stickers.

Here is everything that came in it:

• Stainless steel coffee pot
• Spreader
• Filter basket
• Stem with base
• Perking knob
• Instructions

Specifications

These are my own measurements of the 3-cup version:

• Height to the perking knob 6.0in
• Length, handle top to spout 6.25in
• Length, handle bottom to spout 7.5in
• Handle length 2.5in
• Lid diameter 4.0in
• Base diameter 4.0in
• Weight 14.8oz
• Made in China

Official Instructions

GSI’s own method didn’t work for me, and it’s worth knowing why before you buy.

• GSI’s fill line The cup markings, without overfilling
• GSI’s heat setting Highest
• GSI’s perk time No more than 3 minutes

I tried their method and my coffee came out tasting burnt.

How to Use

Here is the recipe I use instead:

• 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 PercView knob on top.
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.
6. Pour, using your thumb on the cover hinge to hold the lid shut.

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
1 cup (6oz)	3 min
2.5 cups (15oz)	5 min 30 sec

Capacity

• Marketed 3 cupsGSI measures a cup as 5oz, not my usual 6oz
• Most water it holds 15ozJust below the spout holes

• Most coffee I could brew 2.5 cupsAt my 6oz per cup
• Least coffee I could brew 2 cups1 cup came out extremely diluted
• Filter basket holds 48g (1.7oz) of coarse groundsMore than enough for a full pot

• Other sizes 6-cup, 9-cup and 12-cup

The marketed 3 cups is accurate on GSI’s own 5oz measure. On my usual 6oz cup it works out at 2.5 cups.

At 1 cup my brew came out extremely diluted, because there wasn’t enough water to climb the stem and spread over the grounds.

So the real range is 2 to 2.5 cups at 6oz per cup. This is the only percolator I know of that comes in a 3-cup size at all.

Ease of Use

The pot is marked at 2 and 3 cups, readable from inside as well. There’s no 1-cup marking, and now I know why: anything under 2 cups brews watery.

• 2-cup marking 11oz
• 3-cup marking Slightly over 15ozThe water sits touching the spout holes

The silicone handle is heat-resistant and normally cool to the touch on low to medium heat. On high heat it got fairly hot, which I put down to this being a small pot with the handle sitting closer to the flame.

It’s also short at 2.5in, so watch the 2 steel plates that connect it to the pot.

The cover hinge by the handle gets hot during percolation but cools quickly. By the time the grounds have settled it’s cool enough to touch.

The transparent PercView knob shows you when the water starts boiling and how dark the coffee is getting. Its grooves don’t always line up with the lid, so sometimes it takes a couple of tries to screw in.

It sits stable on the stove, and a coarse grind kept all but a minimal amount of grounds out of my last cup.

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. GSI says this one is dishwasher safe.

Quality

• Pot and lid 18/8 stainless steelHeavy-gauge and marine grade, with marine-grade welds

• Stem, basket and spreader The same stainless steel

• PercView knob BPA-free resinThe rim measures 2.3mm
• Handle Heat-resistant siliconeWelded on, marine grade

• Warranty LifetimeAgainst manufacturing defects

The outside isn’t quite a mirror finish but it’s close, and the inside is decent with minimal staining.

The inner components are sturdy, and the spreader seats perfectly on the pot so the whole percolator sits firmly inside and barely moves when I shake it.

After weeks of use I’ve found no rust or corrosion, every component is intact, and the resin knob shows no sign of melting or working loose.

Pro Tip I don’t screw the PercView knob in tightly while perking, because a little wiggle room lets it expand as it heats. GSI sells replacement knobs in both resin and glass if you ever need one.

Pros and Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the GSI Outdoors Glacier Percolator?

A high-quality stainless steel build

The pot is heavy-gauge 18/8 marine-grade steel with marine-grade welds, and the inner percolator is the same steel.

User-friendly and feature-rich

You get:

• Cup-level markings.
• A heat-resistant silicone handle.
• A cover hinge that holds the lid shut while pouring.
• The transparent PercView knob.
• Dishwasher-safe parts.

The most capacity options of any percolator I tested

It comes in 3-cup, 6-cup, 9-cup and 12-cup sizes, and the 3-cup is the only one of its size I’ve found anywhere.

The 3-cup size has a narrow brewing range

You get 2 to 2.5 cups at 6oz per cup. I was honestly surprised that a single cup brewed diluted.

The handle is small and gets hot

At 2.5in it’s short, and on high heat or a bigger flame the silicone warms up, because the pot is small and the handle sits close to the fire.

Bonus: Must Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.