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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 an Amazon box with a second cardboard box inside.

Here is everything that came in it:

• Aluminum coffee pot
• Lid with perking knob
• Filter basket
• Stem
• Spreader
• Instructions

Standard percolator stuff.

Specifications

These are my own measurements:

• Height to the perking knob 8.0in
• Length, handle to spout 8.0in
• Width 5.0in
• Weight 11.6ozThe lightest percolator I own
• Made in China

Official Instructions

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

• Primula’s fill line The bottom of the lowest row of 3 holesI measured that at 46.5oz, about 7.5 cups
• Primula’s heat setting Low
• Primula’s perk time No more than 3 minutes

I gave up after 20 minutes waiting for the water to boil on low heat and switched to medium. A 3-minute perk also left the coffee tasting under-extracted to me.

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 — you can see it perking through the 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.

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)	4 min 45 sec
6 cups (36oz)	8 min 45 sec

Capacity

• Marketed 9 cups
• Most coffee I could brew 6 cups (36oz)It boiled over at this level after about 8 minutes
• Least coffee I could brew 4 cups (24oz)At 3 cups there isn’t enough water to climb the stem
• Filter basket holds 120g (4.2oz) of coarse groundsThe biggest basket of any percolator I own
• Other sizes None

It is sold as a 9-cup percolator. At 36oz, which reaches the second spout hole, it boiled over after roughly 8 minutes on medium-low and I had to kill the heat.

5 cups and 4 cups brewed fine. At 3 cups my brew was water with grounds in it, and my 32g (1.1oz) of grounds went almost untouched.

So the real range is 4 to 6 cups, which is a narrow window for a percolator sold as a 9-cup.

Ease of Use

There are no markings or scale anywhere on the pot, inside or out, which is inconvenient when you’re trying to hit a specific number of cups.

It does have a transparent perking knob, so you can see when the water starts boiling and how dark the coffee is getting.

The horizontal part of the handle gets hot, but the vertical part stays cool and the handle is sturdy to hold.

It sits stable on the stove. 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 works well too. I hand-wash mine rather than risk the dishwasher — Primula gives no guidance either way.

Quality

• Pot, stem, basket and spreader Aluminum
• Handle and perking knob Plastic
• Warranty None statedI could find no warranty information at all

The holes in the spreader and filter basket aren’t cut cleanly and feel rough against the skin. The finish is lacking too — here are the water marks inside the pot and the coffee stains on the basket.

My stem arrived bent, and neither it nor the filter basket sits firmly inside the pot, so the whole thing rattles when I shake it.

Overall quality is not great.

Pros and Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Primula Today Aluminum Percolator?

The lightest percolator I own

At 11.6oz the aluminum build is far lighter than any of my stainless steel percolators, which matters if you’re carrying it.

A very big filter basket

It holds 120g (4.2oz) of grounds, so there’s plenty of room if you like your coffee strong.

The least expensive percolator I tested

Nothing else in my lineup costs less.

It is not a 9-cup percolator

My usable range is 4 to 6 cups — it boils over above that and won’t brew properly below it.

No cup-level markings at all

There’s no scale inside or out, so you’re guessing at how much water you’ve put in.

The quality and finish are poor

The basket holes are roughly cut, the pot and basket stain, my stem arrived bent, and the components rattle inside the pot.

Bonus – MUST Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing — measured by hand, bought with my own money.