We, too, have a 10 cup stainless steel stove-top percolator. We've done the cowboy coffee bit, and prefer our coffee not get crunchy, so we use the basket and stem.
Actually, on a camping trip once, a neighbor turned us on to the Gormay wrap-around percolator
coffee filters. They work great, and are cheap, if hard to find. (Note please: they are 99 cents a pack at Wegman's, but I have found them on eBay and Amazon for $15-$20 a pack. What a racket!) So we bought a case of them for about $12. We're set for life!