A good quality daily use vac pot with several quirks - get around them, and you'll be happy
Positive Product Points
Good coffee, reliable, interesting to watch
Negative Product Points
Completely manual operation necessary - it requires a specific process to brew consistently. It is also a pain to clean properly, requiring several minutes on a daily basis.
Detailed Commentary
I've used this machine (branded as a Starbucks Utopia) for much of the last 5 years, on an almost daily basis at work. It has worked correctly that whole time, never breaking down, and never having a problem like so many others describe. It makes a great cup of coffee, and brews enough at one time that I can continue to enjoy a cup throughout the day. My co-workers are always complementing me on the coffee it makes too. I've developed a method where I brew for exactly 2 minutes - I only partially seat the upper chamber after the water has started heating for a few minutes. After the water all "heads north" I then let it bubble for 1 minute in the upper chamber before I fully seat it, and let it go for one minute more. I then manually switch it off and let the coffee get sucked back down through the filter.
This process produces very consistent coffee, and I don't consider it to be too much of a hassle.
Buying Experience
Got it on clearance years ago at Starbucks. It was definitely worth $50, but I don't know that I would have coughed up $100 for one.
