West Bend Coffee Urn Highly-Polished Aluminum Features Automatic Temperature Control with Cup Per Minute Brewing and Easy Clean Up Includes In-Basket Measuring Guide and Ready Light, 42-Cup, Silver

I am pretty particular about coffee. I like to gind my own beans and have never used a perc coffee pot in the past. But we were having a huge family gathering and I needed a lot of coffee. I ordered this Party Perk machine and when it came in I almost returned it because it seemed so flimsy, but I figured I'd give it a chance. I'm glad I did. All the information I read on the Internet about coffee said that perc'd coffee is not very good because the water is boiled and constantly recirculated through the grounds and this does not equate to how to achieve the best tasting coffee. Well, while this was not the BEST coffee I have ever had, the coffee was none-the-less very good. I used Berkley and Jensen ground coffee (available at BJ's Wholesale club)and I could not have been more pleased with the results from this Party Perk. I used a little more than 2-1/2 cups of ground coffee for the full 42 cups and the information I read about expecting the pot to brew the coffee at one cup per minute seemed pretty accurate. There were a lot of compliments on how good the coffee tasted. It did not taste burned, even after being kept warmed in the pot for a few hours. I cannot comment on the durability of the machine as I haven't had it that long. My parents saw this pot and remarked that they had the same one for many many years before they gave it away and never had the first bit of trouble with it.

We were in a bind - our wedding was in a week and it seemed impossible to rent coffee urns for less than we could buy them. After reading encouraging reviews here, I bought two of these urns. First, they make a fantastic cup of coffee, work very simply, are easy to clean, are really inexpensive, and are MADE IN THE USA!!! What's not to like. Seriously, use a coarse ground coffee (I used Community Coffee Medium Roast) and good clean water and you will have great results. The only tiny complaint I have is that it could come with a longer power cord. The one supplied with the unit is like 18", so plan on having an extension cord nearby if you are using this at an event.

My spouse and i drink tons of coffee all day every day, originally felt the little 12-cup-size ones weren't making enough coffee, so now we buy urns. Great product, bought two of these and one of another brand over about 12+ years. Had a ton of issues with the one that wasn't this brand and product, so of course we went back to this product a couple weeks ago, after about a month of nonsense from the other one. This one works great. It's quiet once it's done, does what it's supposed to, doesn't randomly turn on and off, doesn't rebrew the coffee. Works great, very happy with it.

The machine itself works fine, it’s easy and simple. The spout for the water is very low and you can barely fit an 8 oz cup under to fill it up. You have to put the machine on a box or platform so it’s raised from the counter.

Coffee urns are almost all the same. Some look better, some not so much. I would put the west bend’s looks on the more drab side, but the polished aluminum is ok. It’s industrial but easily recognized by anyone in the room as the dispenser of sweet caffeine in a meeting environment. What I like about this unit is the capacity, the valve mechanism and the quality of the coffee (if you get the right coffee). The capacity was just the right amount for a brunch with 20 people, not all coffee drinkers. I ended up making a second pot for late coffee drinkers. The dispensing valve is a simple toggle, not a “cup push the valve open” version. I think that a simple toggle valve is far superior even though it can require two hands if you hold the cup versus place it on the surface. People can get confused by the “use the cup to push the valve” versions, and the mechanism can collapse foam and paper cups when you press against the mechanism, very messy. Finally, I use Costco Columbia’s coffee, preground, in this machine and it tastes great. Note that I don’t like this coffee in my drip machine, only in this percolator. I think Folgers would also be good, but recommend the Colombian from Costco or alike.

We had a West Bend Urn for years (nobody seems to remember how long for sure), so I knew that it would be a good brand to look at for a replacement. Just like another reviewer commented, this is REALLY light-weight. I was actually pretty concerned that they wouldn't hold up with the two warehouse crews that I was getting them for. No problem. Whatever this is made of is great. It's working fantastic... the guys love that they can choose the level of coffee they need (we never have the same number of guys on the crews each day). The guys rave about the taste and the fact that it doesn't have a scorched flavor even later in the day. The cost is not that much more than a small pot (and now I'm thinking that my office needs one.)

So far everyone at church seems to love this coffee pot. It makes coffee quickly and the coffee stays hot. Simple design and spigot is everyone's favorite. UPDATE: This coffee urn just stopped working after 100 days of use. Won't heat up/turn on. I contacted Amazon but was over their 90 day warranty. Sent me to the manufacturer. I have had no response after contacting them twice! Beware! This pot had limited use. Very disappointed with Amazon and the especially West Bend. Don't waste your money buying this product.

I purchased this for my daughter’s baby shower. I made hot chocolate and it stayed hot all night long. It didn’t leak at all. Cord is short but that can be fixed with an extension cord. Good price, great product.