The coffee pot is very straightforward. Push the "On" button once to brew a pot of coffee. There is a second button for iced coffee (haven't used) and instructions for pressing both buttons for another hot brewing method. I didn't notice a difference in taste for either hot brew (both bold and delicious)
I wanted this percolator because it heats the water to near boiling before brewing. The only component that I still have to get used to, is the coffee grounds being housed inside the coffee pot. The handle is also a bit cumbersome, ie my thumb doesn't naturally cover the tab on the lid to raise it up, so it feels bulky. It is a very large pot considering the amount of water that can be filled into it- 8 cups max/6 for iced coffee. But this does make sense because of it's design, it just is different than