Yes, I like my coffee and pay extra to buy it at a local independent roaster and I grind my own beans so it's always fresh tasting. Here in the Bay Area we were into coffee way before Seattle started the fad. Peet's started up here back in the 60's so good "designer" coffee made its way into many local households long ago, and by "designer" I don't mean vanilla cream or hazelnut or any of that flavored stuff, I just mean good well-roasted beans.
I have a 2 year old Capresso grind & brew auto drip (it was not cheap and I gave it to myself as a 50th birthday present) and it's been OK but kind of a pain to work with and for sure any guest who wanted to make themselves at home early in the morning wouldn't be able to figure out what to do.
I don't see myself ever going back to an old-school coffee maker, especially never a percolator, but am curious about the old Sunbeams. This was the pot my mom had when I was born and the pot that brewed the first coffee I ever drank--with plenty of cream and sugar back in those pre-school days. I drink it black now, unless it's so awful (like my partner's mom's) that I have to doctor it up with cream & sugar to tolerate it.
So didn't these Sunbeams require a filter? If so, are those filters still available? Does anyone know why they'd abandon this brewing method? I think maybe I've seen a "Bodum" brand that's a double decker out on the market. Maybe those use this same method?
Also, when the ocassion arises that requires brewing a big pot, that's when I will use a percolator--the 30-cup West Bend that just about every mom had back in the 60's and 70's. I asked my roaster what blend would be best last time I had to do this, and the recommendation turned out to be excellent, the coffee tasted great even though it was run through that percolator for 30 cups worth. I probably could have gotten away with using canned coffee or espresso but I knew I'd be drinking it too so went for the good stuff!
