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Discontinued Stanley has discontinued the Camp Percolator, so you can’t buy the pot I tested here any more. I’m leaving this review up as a record of my testing. Stanley has replaced it with the Hold Tight Percolator, which is the same 1.1qt six-cup size but a different pot. I haven’t tested it, so none of my numbers below apply to it. If you’re shopping for a camping percolator today, take a look at my Best Camping Percolators. The Coletti Bozeman Percolator is my top pick.

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 nothing but thin Amazon plastic packaging, which was disappointing for a percolator.

Here is everything that came in it:

• Stainless steel coffee pot
• Stem with base
• Filter basket
• Perking knob
• Removable silicone grip

Note There should have been a spreader that sits on top of the filter basket, and mine was missing. Missing parts look like a common issue with this percolator.

Specifications

These are my own measurements:

• Height to the perking knob 8.5in
• Length, handle to spout 8.0in
• Handle length 4.25in
• Lid diameter 4.5in
• Base diameter 4.0in
• Weight 19.8oz
• Made in China

Note The lid is wider than the base, which is where this percolator’s stability and brew-time problems come from.

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. Take the silicone grip off and put the pot on the stove.
4. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat, and you can see it perking through the knob on top.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and percolate for 7 minutes, then turn it off.
6. Let it sit a few minutes so the basket drains and the grounds settle.

Pro Tip My spreader was missing, so I used the one from my Farberware Yosemite percolator. It fits perfectly.

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)	7 min 45 sec
6 cups (36oz)	10 min

That 3-cup time is the slowest of all my percolators, and the narrow base is why.

Capacity

• Marketed 6 cups
• Most water it holds 36oz (6 cups)Any more and it boils over
• Most coffee I could brew 6 cupsThe marketed figure is accurate
• Least coffee I could brew 3 cups (18oz)Below this the brew comes out watery
• Filter basket holds 80g (2.8oz) of coarse groundsMore than enough for a full 6-cup brew
• Other sizes None

36oz sits just below the spout holes, and the marketed 6 cups turned out to be accurate at 6oz per cup. It almost boiled over at that level, but it still percolated properly for the full 7 minutes.

At the other extreme, 1 cup came out as water with grounds in it, because there wasn’t enough water to climb the stem. At 2 cups the brew tasted diluted.

So the real range is 3 to 6 cups, and an accurate capacity is genuinely rare in this category.

Ease of Use

There are 2 markings on the pot, visible from inside as well. They don’t tell you how many cups they are, so I measured them:

• Bottom marking 17ozSlightly under 3 cups
• Top marking 34ozSlightly under 6 cups

What I love most is the removable silicone grip. You can pull it off and use this over an open flame or campfire without worrying about the handle melting.

It also comes off before washing, which makes cleaning easier. The grip is heat-resistant and always cool to the touch, and the handle is generously sized, so bigger hands won’t catch on the 2 steel plates.

The transparent perking knob shows you when the water starts boiling and how dark the coffee is getting.

The base is small and narrow at 4.0in. My burner is small and fit under it neatly, but a bigger burner will send the flame up the sides instead.

It isn’t wobbly if you place it right, but it’s the least stable percolator I own, so I wouldn’t trust it on uneven ground.

The lid isn’t a tight fit either, so hold it down while you pour. A coarse grind kept all but a minimal amount of grounds out of my last cup.

Clean Up

I toss the grounds, pull off the silicone grip and run water through every component. 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. This one is also dishwasher safe.

Quality

• Pot and lid 18/8 stainless steelFood-grade and BPA-free
• Stem and filter basket The same stainless steel

• Perking knob Plastic, 2mm thick
• Grip Removable silicone
• Warranty LifetimeStanley covers all their products

The finish is great inside and out, and I see almost no staining.

The stem and filter basket are sturdy, though they do rattle inside the pot when I shake it.

The silicone grip is thick, flexible and comfortable, and it clips on and off the metal handle easily. The metal handle itself is firmly welded to the pot.

The lid is still intact, I’ve found no rust, and the plastic knob is in great shape.

The one disappointment was the missing spreader, and that seems to be a common complaint. Stanley’s lifetime warranty covers it, so I’m sending mine back for a replacement.

Pros and Cons

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

A lifetime warranty from Stanley

The biggest benefit is a trusted brand standing behind it forever, which is what makes the missing spreader a non-issue.

The removable silicone grip

It’s genius. Pull it off and you can brew over an open flame or campfire, and washing gets easier too.

The capacity is accurate

I brewed a genuine 3 to 6 cups, which is rare in this category. Most percolators fall well short of their marketed figure.

High-quality stainless steel

The 18/8 build has a good finish inside and out, with no staining and no rust.

User-friendly and feature-rich

You get the cup-level markings, the removable handle and the transparent perking knob.

Mine arrived with a missing part

I never got the spreader, and reviews suggest missing parts are a common problem here.

The narrow base causes three problems

The 4.0in base is narrower than the lid, and that means:

• The brew time is the slowest of all my percolators, at 7 min 45 sec for 3 cups.
• It won’t sit properly on a bigger burner, because the flame goes up the sides.
• It’s the least stable percolator I own, so it’s poor on uneven ground.

Bonus: Must Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.