Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This enamel coffee percolator is a really well thought out and built item. The pot and lid is constructed of enameled steel and the stem and basket is aluminium. The perc knob is clear glass, sealed with a gasket in the lid allowing one to easily see the color of the coffee as it percs to determine when your perference of coffee strength is reached. I have used mine for years with only one very minor problem. The aluminium stem that holds the coffee grind basket got slightly bent, but I successfully bent it back into place without damage. As noted by another reviewer... these aluminium items are weak. However, what are these items designed to do, and what strength holding a basket of perking coffee grinds might be required? I bent the stem trying to stuff a small bag of coffee grinds and the bag of filters into the pot with the stem in place, for storage. That was 100% my fault, not that of the product. I quickly learned that the coffee pot is NOT for storage, but for percolating coffee. Go figure, uh? Aside from me slightly bending the perc stem, the coffee percolator has performed flawlessly and has produced quality tasting coffee. The coffee easily loads into the coffee grind basket for perc-ing. Being a 14 cup perc, it out produces other 12 cup percs. The handle is large enough for a gloved hand or a pot holder to easily fit into so as to hold/pour the coffee. The item is very easy to clean, including removing and re-installing the glass knob and seal. Have not had a problem with chipping the enamel under normal use, which chipping can easily happen via abuse. Nor has the glass knob cracked or chipped, or any damage to the knob seal. Both the knob and seal are readily available at sporting goods stores should they need replacement. Should you be searching for a coffee percolator that produces quality coffee, ease in use (large pot handle, clear glass knob, ease in loading coffee basket), ease in clean up, ease in storage, and manufactured of quality materials that will be around for years to come... then the Coleman 14-Cup Coffee Enamelware Percolator is the unit you're looking for. A few tips: Do not fill the pot with water high enough to touch the coffee grind basket. If you do, grinds will float out of the basket and you will end up with coffee full of coffee grinds. Be sure that the water level is below the bottom of the coffee grind basket before you start to perc. For a faster made and better tasting coffee, before placing the loaded coffee basket/stem into the pot turn your stove on full bore and rapidly bring the water in the pot to a rolling boil. THEN... turn off the stove, place the loaded coffee basket/stem into the pot and turn on the stove to LOW for the perc process. Doing this quickly heats the water but will not boil over into the coffee basket getting coffee grinds in the coffee. Secondly, slightly dampen the bottom of the basket with water prior to putting in the filter paper. That way when the filter paper is placed in the basket it will immediately stick/seal to the basket's bottom. This way the filter paper can not slip or pull up allowing grinds to get in between the filter paper and the basket. Should that happen, those coffee grinds will escape into the coffee. UPDATE... MARCH 2013 UPDATE: On March 17, 2013 (Yes, St Patrick's Day...lol)I received an email alert that someone had commented on this 2007 review. Out of curiosity I opted to review the 1 and 2 star reviews to see what their complaints were. As expected there were several reviewers that complained about receiving their item damaged (People, really? The product deserves a low score because the bull in the China shop carrier damaged the item? Such reviews cloud a reader's process with your mental junk). One reviewer even complained about the handle coming off the very first time they lifted it from the stove with their first brewed pot. UGH...that would suck, and I too would be really upset. Nonetheless I want to say that such an event was a flaw in that specific perc's manufacturing which is not reflected in the vast majority of the items. There are even some comments about how cheaply the aluminum strainer basket and stem are. As I noted in my 2007 review those items are a tad on the cheap side, but they are designed to hold a small amount of coffee and focus hot water up the stem tube into the glass knob falling back down into and percolating through the coffee filled strainer/basket(hence the name). The basket/strainer/stem was not designed for nor has the purpose of withstanding a user's gorilla grip and/or other absent minded dunder headed and/or air headed ignorant duffus actions. For these mental lackeys they should stay with an electric perc and hope they do not electrocute themselves. With care mine has lasted hundreds of perc'd pots of coffee over many years of camping, and still is running strong (I still camp 4-5 times a year with 6-10 perc'd pots per trip). HOWEVER...there are numerous (and I mean a lot) of comments about the glass knob cracking/breaking/etc and Coleman no longer able to provide a replacement. NOW THAT'S A PROBLEM !!! When I wrote my review in 2007 I easily found numerous glass knob/gasket replacements at REI, Sport Chalet and Sports Authority right on the shelf, and purchased a spare just in case mine broke while in camp. And to date I'm still using the original glass perc knob. SO WHY ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR GLASS KNOBS BREAKING? Then I noticed the dates on these really bad reviews. Almost all the negative reviews with regard to the glass knob breaking started around March 2011 and continued up to the present date (March 2013). HMMMMMMmmm...interesting. I count on other users' reviews to make my purchase decisions, and therefor offer mine as well. What I'm thinking here is how can a product go from being top of the line, such as the one that I have - to one having so many issues? It is possible that the manufacturing process has changed since I purchased mine, over 8 years ago. It is possible that the glass knob is not made as well as it was once made. But what causes me the most concern is the reports that Coleman continues to sell new/complete units but can not supply replacement parts. THAT IS AN ISSUE WITH ME...and so it should be also to anyone considering to purchase Coleman products. MY ADVISE...(in that you're reading this review you are taking special care to spend your hard earned money on a quality product and want to research as best as possible)...before purchasing this coffee perc take a trip to your local sporting goods store - either in person or via their webpage (REI, Mountain Gear, Dicks, Big 5, Sport Chalet, Sports Authority, etc) and see if they have replacement parts available (glass knob/gasket/etc). Call Coleman's "customer support," and try to order a replacement - as if you have already purchased the item and are experiencing problems. With the glass knob having so many reported failures starting around March 2011, and if spare/replacement items can not be purchased...I would not buy this item. These newer items very well may not be made to the same standards as the one that I originally reviewed in 2007. I still stand behind by my original review as that Coleman product was, is and continues to be outstanding. However, I can not comment on what manufacturing changes may or may not have occurred between then and now that possibly may be the source of the flood of negative comments. And I can also say that if I cannot purchase a replacement/spare part for a new off the shelf product... Personally, I would not purchase it.