The entire thing becomes molten hot! Do not touch after using it without a good oven mitt
If making coffee for more than 2 people, you end up making a few batches
Expensive
Bakelite handle can get hot depending on the type of burner you have
Detailed Commentary
I love this thing! I found it at the Goodwill for 3$, it was missing the porta filter, and the pitcher. I found these items plus new gaskets through Bon Trading. We use it every morning. Ours is a 1970's model with the orange finish. The pressure gauge doesn't work and I've been lazy about replacing it. My only two issues with it are, if its hot its HOT, all over! Be careful moving it. If making coffee for the whole family it can be time consuming because you need to make several batches. On the other hand this is part of our weekend morning ritual.
Buying Experience
Great! It didn't have a price tag on it and when I asked the Goodwill employee how much, she said " it is missing parts", I assured her that if she let me have it for cheap, I'd find a way to make it work. We agreed on 2.99$
