Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator
by Hamilton Beach
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Hamilton BeachBrand: Hamilton Beach
Model: 40616
Color: Silver
Product features:
- Quick-brewing electric percolator makes 12 cups of coffee in minutes
- Housed in heavyweight stainless steel with attractive chrome mirror finish
- Automatic "keep warm" temperature; ready-to-serve indicator light
- Stainless-steel permanent filter basket; detachable cord; drip-free spout
- Measures 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 by 12-3/4 inches
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator
Customer Review: So Far, So Good
Summary: 4 Stars
For those of us who came of age drinking coffee pre-Mr. Coffee, most of us were weaned on percolator coffee. My parents were real GE diehards. I've owned percolators, dripolators, electric drippers, really everything but one of those vacuum units. I just keep drifting back to percolators.
I've been using the 4-cup Farberware for the past few years, as it's perfect for just me and very fast. It died recently and after reading all the complaints at this site, I decided to look around. I have the smallest Farberware urn for larger (12-22 cup) needs. So few people seem to want percolators now that I found this Hamilton Beach but none of its competitors, locally. I might say I have already had the Cuisinart/Farberware percolator that detaches from the base with a timer. Trouble with that unit is that it cuts off after an hour, and I can't drink 12 cups in an hour. You go back to cold coffee.
This H-B is made in China as it would appear half our goods are now. It is quite attractive in its stainless steel construction. A quick comparison with a vintage percolator from my little collection reveals that the s.s. in the new pot doesn't hold a candle to a 60's pot. It's thinner and lighter. Looking inside the pot, the difference in construction between my little Farberware and this one is noticeable--and my little Farberware was Chinese, too! The join between the sides and bottom of the pot has considerable room for grounds and rancid oil. It requires more washing than a completely smooth carafe. The stainless steel basket, lid and stem all seem of adequate quality. It is so much easier to keep the s.s. steel basket clean than the aluminum ones--even the vintage cheaper pots had aluminum.
I've read somewhere around here that this is supposed to have a 'retro' look. That's a laugh! Go back 40 years and everyone was trying to make these look like spaceships! I've got an Oster from the mid sixties with a basket several inches wide and shallow because of the goofy shape of the pot. This narrow, deep basket is more efficient. I will say the handle on this pot is one of the most comfortable I've ever used. It's thick, unlike even the Farberwares, a real grip. One doesn't feel like it will tip sideways when serving from a whole pot. The advantage to the type of spout on this H-B is that it takes the perked coffee from down in the reservoir. Many, many pots over the years have either simply had a pouring lip formed into the top rim, or like the Farberwares, have a little spout very near the top of the pot. The problem with that type of spout is that if you don't take the basket out right after perking, then every time you pour coffee you're pouring through those grounds! Look at a Farberware and you will see what I mean.
A prior reviewer complained and downgraded this machine because there is no strength adjuster. He/she actually said the vintage pots all had one. This isn't true; tests from the time showed that those strength selectors were more a marketing feature than anything else, designed for people who wanted to overperk their coffee to save a few cents on grounds. Just like with drip coffeemakers, if you want stronger coffee, put more in! The basket on this machine does have markings indicating how much coffee to put in, and it seems fairly consistent with most people's use. Incidentally, the markings for water level are quite easy to see on the inside of the reservoir when filling it. If anyone here is old enough to remember those silly GE/Presto pots with that tube on the handle to show the water level, and how quickly those discolored with coffee, they know that this method is preferred.
There is a little orange-red light on the side of the machine to indicate when the coffee is ready. I suppose this may be for people who are deaf and can't hear when the coffee is made. On the other hand, my pot is across a large kitchen and the light can be handy for visual confirmation. Farberware has always advertised cup-a-minute perking and this pot perks in roughly the same amount. If that's too long to wait, get a Bunn drip; I've had 2 and currently have the one with the stainless carafe. Trouble with a Bunn unless one operates a coffee shop is that the water it uses has been in the pot since the last use. We all know what a glass of water tastes like after sitting 24 hours or so on the counter; that's the water the Bunn uses. With this percolator, the water is as fresh as when it is put in to brew.
I won't get into the pros and cons of perked coffee. Coffee snobs turn up their noses on it, saying it burns the grounds. Never mind that traditional coffee, not to mention campground coffee, just dumps the grounds in with water and boils! Having been in hospital work 30 years I lived on those great big urns of perked coffee and this is a heck of a lot better than those! There is a fullness of flavor in perked coffee, with or without paper filters, that is unique to percolators.
I didn't notice at the time I purchased this H-B, but of note is that the cord and connections are not standard coffeemaker. This pot uses a 3-prong plug and a 3-prong female connector on the pot end. I suppose this indicates the pot is not itself grounded. So, it is not easy to replace this cord with a standard should that become necessary.
After reading all the negative reviews for this pot, I am expecting it to die long before wearing out the cord becomes an issue. I'd like to say how disappointing it is now that we don't have local repair places to take care of thermostats and such things. I haven't thrown my little Farberware away yet, as I hate throwing such a nice appliance in the trash for its thermostat. In the meantime, I'm happy to use this H-B.
Description of Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator
Housed in heavyweight stainless steel with an attractive chrome mirror finish, this quick-brewing electric percolator makes 12 cups of coffee with super-fast, cup-a-minute speed. When brewing is complete, it automatically switches to a "keep warm" temperature to ensure each cup is as warm as the first. Great for entertaining, the percolator has a ready-to-serve light that indicates when coffee is ready to enjoy, and its detachable cord provides the ability to serve fresh perked coffee right at the table without any hassle. Other useful features include a drip-free spout, an easy-grip knob on the unit's lid, a stay-cool handle, and a stainless-steel permanent filter basket that minimizes grounds in brewed coffee. The unit combines present-day technology with the retro look of a '50s kitchen for creating a perfect compliment to any kitchen decor. The percolator, which should be washed by hand, measures 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 by 12-3/4 inches.Percolators & Urns
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