This stainless steel percolator is by West Bend, a Wisconsin company that are celebrating their 100th year.

It is an electric coffee percolator with a detachable cord, so you can carry the jug to the table once the coffee is perked.

Both the base and the handle are made from heat resistant materials so they stay cool to touch.

It also has a “keep warm” function so that it stays warm after percolating, as long as it is plugged in.

It has an indicator on the outside of the pot to let you know the level of water in the pot and comes with a stainless steel coffee basket plus a stainless steel hollow stem that performs the percolating function.

What happens is that as the electric heater heats the water, the water forces itself up the tube (creating that burbling percolating sound), to emerge at the top and sprinkle itself onto the basket. The water falls through the basket back into the pot, and the process repeats itself. During the process the water warms and gets hotter – but just before boiling point is reached, the percolator switches off.

This is the main reason why percolated coffee is never bitter – for most of the percolating process cool and then warm water passes through the grounds, and they never get burnt (unlike in drip machines).

Always use coarse ground beans when making percolated coffee (as you don’t want the grounds to fall out of the basket), and to keep this percolator in tip-top condition, use a soft brush when cleaning the basket and tube to make sure they don’t get clogged up. (West Bend do sell replacement parts should you need them).

This percolator is being retailed with free delivery – see below:

Coffee Percolators used to be big in the 1950′s and 1960′s, and Presto has brought back this classic product, complete with retro styling.

My parents used to have a percolator when I was growing up, and I still recall it burbling away on Sunday mornings (because back then coffee was a treat to be served at Sunday breakfast), filling the house with a delicious aroma. Percolators produce some of the best coffee scents of all the types of coffee machines.

This percolator has the traditional electric base that you plug in, together with the stainless steel basket that stands on top of the tube (also stainless steel) that allows the water to bubble up into the coffee, and a stainless steel jug to hold the water and then the brewed coffee. The cord is detachable, so that you can unplug and carry the jug to the table when it has finished percolating.

It produces up to twelve cups, with an indicator light at the bottom to tell you when the coffee is ready – brewing time is about a minute a cup, and you need to instruct it beforehand how many cups you are brewing. If you are using a large mug, then assume about two Presto cups equals one mug. Cleaning is straightforward – as you can’t immerse the entire jug in water because of the electric base, you have to hold it under the tap and rinse with a soft brush and soapy water. The basket and tube are detachable and also benefit from a gentle scrub with a soft brush to prevent clogging.

Percolators make coffee that is smoother and less bitter than drip machines (mainly because the percolation action means the coffee has no chance of getting burnt). You need to be careful and ensure your coffee grinder is set to “percolator” when grinding, or buy coarse grounds – if it is too fine, it will fall out of the basket into the jug.

Amazon are selling this model with free shipping – see below: