I figured out a trick when our electricity was off for a week... we had to have coffee!! I boiled the amount of water we usually used for 2 mugs on the gas stove... put the coffee in the Mr. Coffee as usual. Mine has a lid that opens up on top, so I poured the hot water directly onto the coffee in the filter. It takes a little longer to do it that way, but gravity pulls the water through the coffee grounds and it drips into the pot.