Works the same without the lid? My neighbors let me borrow theirs, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it in action.
Discussion
I keep the lid open most of the time.
Usually preheat the water first to speed things up and lets me use lower heat so it doesn’t sputter everywhere.
Only reason I keep the lid open is to make sure the heat is low enough so coffee comes out slowly. Not necessary but to me the result comes out tasting less burnt.