Sarah:

Put the water in the coffee pot when it is cold.

Put the same amount of coffee grounds in the perk basket as you would for drip coffee. The perk basket should have a top to put on it when you put it in the coffee pot.

Put the top on the coffee pot and plug it in. Sarah, leave the pot plugged in until it stops perking by itself.

You can leave the pot plugged in after it stops perking to keep the coffee hot, however, it is a good idea to remove the perk basket (et al) from inside the pot. Leaving the coffee in the perk backed after the coffee stops perking can cause your pot of coffee to turn bitter.

Hope this helps, Have fun!