Classic Stainless Steel Yosemite 12-Cup Coffee Percolator, Percolator Coffee Pot

I was lucky enough to be born in an earlier time – when things worked and lasted. Except for the Corvair and the Ford Pinto, that is. I find as I have matured into middle age that much modern “technology” such as the latest high-tech pots and pans, cookware, and coffee apparatus tend to complicate the obvious instead of improving the original. They are designed to take my money and not much else. For years, I would keep an open mind, spend a lot more money for a “better mousetrap” that overcomplicates but doesn’t do the job any better, and many times, worse than the original concept. For instance, I rediscovered cast iron cookware that my folks used when I was younger, which when treated properly, is ten times better than any Teflon non-stick gadgetry that only lasts a year or two and sends cooked chemical remnants into your body. Yes, cast iron is non-stick – the best. And it cleans up so quickly. Properly cared for (which is easy) cast iron never sticks and lasts forever and will outlast me. So when I got tired of lukewarm, luke-brewed coffee from machines that are terribly expensive and last just a couple of years, and all plastic, I again went back to my roots. I have an expensive Keurig and a $1700.00 combo expresso machine. But I can’t get a decent cup of coffee that I am fortunate enough to remember from earlier days. That is until I again went back to the basics, which has never failed me. They all have their uses and none of them are “wrong”. If I want a cup of coffee as I’m running out the door, Keurig fits the bill. I want an expresso after dinner, my Italian combo machine that cost a fortune works for me. Not judging. Have there been improvements and innovation? Certainly yes. Electric percolators of today do a much better job of regulating heat and brew time, for instance. That controls bitterness and overbrewing. But many of them don’t last longer than a couple of years. With a stove top percolator, you are in total control, you are back to basics and back to the best cup of coffee you will ever have if you like a full-flavored and slightly robust (not burnt or bitter) cup of coffee. Sadly, many people don’t know how good it can be. If you like your coffee apparatus now and what it does for you, fantastic, you are in the sweet spot, but don’t be afraid to try what has worked for decades. You might be pleasantly surprised. You may not know what you’re missing. This stove top percolator is top quality, never fails and will last for decades if cared for properly. It doesn’t take much. But if you just want to press a button and have “instant coffee”, or coffee instantly with no care or time involved, If you want a brew where the water barely touches the coffee before it touches your cup, If you want to pay a lot of money for things that never make it into your cup (k-cups, pods, filters, cleaners, etc), if you want to “clean” parts of your “apparatus” you will never see, and trust that, if you want to replace that thing every few years, if you like lots of buttons, lights, beeps, timers, scrolling LED readouts, warning after warning to clean this and replace that, If you want coffee out of a Star Trek replicator, don’t buy this. But if you just want the best cup of Joe on the planet, enjoy the brewing experience, slow it down and enjoy…this Faberware piece of simple magic can be yours, forever. Take the pace down a little bit, get the plastic and chemicals out of your life, save a whole bunch of bucks and don’t let your coffee pot order you around…and get back to basic mountain grown fresh HOT coffee, and I do mean HOT. My advice for what it’s worth, you will never go back, save a ton of money, and really, really enjoy coffee as it was meant to be. Whatever you decide, take your time to enjoy your coffee experience. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. Enjoy what you have left. I’ve never had to replace anything on this pot, and it is certain to outlast me! So simple, so good.

1st: updating this review after 6 yrs, still using this percolator. 2nd: This coffee percolator makes the BEST coffee- better than the single drip cheap crap coffee makers being sold today. I threw away my 100- Programmable coffee pot after 1 month bec the coffee wasn’t hot, and was tired of drinking coffee piss every morning brewed in a machine full of plastic. No matter what you buy, unless it’s a BUNN, ($300), they all have plastic internals. So your coffee gets laced w plastic..pass. At $25-or 35- this percolator costs, it’s a better investment than any other coffee maker being offered for sale ANYWHERE. Get yourself a replacement glass top from the company. Just be prepared. My 1st pot lasted 6 mo before the glass knob top cracked but the replacement knob top is blue and for 3yrs has been great. 3rd: aside from my grandmothers 1960’s electric percolator, this stovetop percolator has been reliable and if you jump in the shower while it’s brewing the pleasant smell of coffee will lure you into the day. Every month or so per directions rinse it, fill it w clean water & a teaspoon of liquid cascade dishwashing detgt, let it percolate ~15min, let it cool & scrub every part off. All the oil & coffee stains come off and you have a clean pot for another month. 4th: Coarse ground works best but I’ve used fineground, regular store bought Folgers, Peet’s, even specialty coffee I’ve ground up at home and it all works. Brews and tastes great! Last, use the round coffee filters in the basket to avoid grinds floating in your morning Joe. I also bought the bigger (8-12 cup) version when company comes over and it likewise has been 7 yrs with no issues. Same round filters. It’s aluminum. No plastic chemicals to seep into your morning coffee. It’s worth the investment. Last, my friend bought a Mr Coffee maker for his morning coffee, refusing to deal with the nightly cleaning/setup… he’s on his 10th or 11th coffee machine. I lost count after the 9th one arrived. They keep breaking, the heating element keeps dying or it leaks, or one started to rust where the pot sits… anyway he doesn’t care but at 28.00/machine, x 10 or 11 - well let’s just say it’s not very financially sound. And he finally agreed to splurge for a USA made BUNN coffee maker! Anyway you get the point.. this percolator makes great coffee.

I've had this little percolator since early December and LOVE it. It's true, you really can't get a better tasting cup of coffee than from a percolator (just like grandma and great-grandma used to make!). There's no burnt or bitter taste and the temp is super hot (as coffee should be)! Yes, a percolator takes a little more time and effort but the results are SO enjoyable! I take my coffee black, so I can really taste the difference since I'm not adding creamer and flavors which can help mask any bitter/burnt taste. After pouring the first cup, I transfer the coffee from the percolator into a thermal carafe for my next cup of fresh, hot coffee. Seriously, better taste than Keurig or Mr. Coffee. Years ago, I was loyal to the original Mr. Coffee style brewer but the 'warmer' cooked the coffee after that first cup. I was happy when Keurig came around because I could get a fresh cup of coffee at any time .... UNTIL .... my Keurig stopped working ... just as the warranty expired!!! Keurig customer service would not replace my unit even though they admitted to the known issue of water not pumping ??? Keurig was only interested in offering a $20 coupon to purchase another of their products. Sorry Keurig, your machines are not cheap and I've been a loyal customer for many years but no more. In fairness, this was my 3rd Keurig, previous 2 units worked fine. The 3rd unit was an upgrade to a slim version for brewing either a pod or a pot (no bells & whistles). I want a coffee appliance that will NOT fail and this percolator is IT! I percolate my coffee on an electric stove since my appliances are not gas, and the coffee is perfect if you follow the included directions. I have a whole house generator so even without a gas stove, I can make good coffee. As another reviewer suggested, I emptied my unused coffee pods into my coffee container, so no waste there. And I'm SAVING MONEY by not buying coffee pods. Suppose I should thank Keurig for not backing their product and pushing me over the edge .... otherwise, I wouldn't have this fabulous percolator!! If you're sitting on the fence, jump, and buy the percolator! The icing on the cake is the stainless steel is beautiful ... so shiny and elegant!

THE INFAMOUS PLASTIC KNOB: With roughly half the houses in the U.S. having indoor water lines made of PVC (poly vinyl chloride-"plastic"), and the other half having either copper or galvanized metal, (probably containing zinc, lead, aluminum, or something else that is scary!), I don't see the alarm over this tiny food-grade plastic knob. Can't be any worse than the plastic (vinyl) tubing they shove in your vein at the hospitals as an IV solution tube. You insist on glass?...This is America, and they have an after-market for that! I prefer glass myself, simply because I grew up with glass-topped percolators, (see Amazon, "Fitz-All", 13/16 in. to 1-1/2 in. percolator top). THE THICKNESS OF THE STAINLESS STEEL: I have been around awhile, and younger folks may never recognize the thinness and tinny feel and sound of this pot as being an issue. But for those who remember.....the gauge (thickness) of the steel on this pot, leaves something to be desired. WOULD I HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN ROLLED EDGES ON THE POT AND LID? Absolutely! A safer and sturdier idea that was once used in the metal coffee pots of old. WOULD A ONE-PIECE BODY CONSTRUCTION HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE? You bet! The crimped-on bottom of this pot makes cleaning under, and in that groove at the bottom inside, a pain! I question a two-pieced anything that is used to hold water anyway. If it was a molded one-piece pot, then it would have had a smooth, rounded edge at the bottom, easy to clean, and no invitation to leak or rust (yes, stainless steel CAN rust). If you take a white paper towel to the underside of the bottom edge on the inside of the pot, and apply some upward and then downward pressure and swipe around the bottom, you will discover a lot of jet black "gunk", which is steel residue and probably polishing compound, that sticks like glue even after your initial "hot soapy water washing". Its left there from production and tough as nails to get cleaned out of that crevice. The same can be said of the underside of the curved top opening of the pot, and it's rolled edge rim of the basket, and it's lid edge. Kind of makes you wonder what is inside that tiny pump tube. Give yours the white paper towel test...you will be surprised at what resists your hot soapy dishwater! DO I MIND THE LOOSE SPRING THAT GOES OVER THE PUMP TUBE? I certainly do! Now THERE is something just waiting to be lost down the drain or garbage disposal, or, get snagged on your dish cloth or sponge and stretching it out of usable shape. If they MUST use a spring on an old style percolator, why couldn't they have made it either permanently attached, or at least as a "snap-on" so that it isn't just sliding around loosely on that tube, waiting to be lost? I felt somewhat generous at rating this product at four stars for ease of cleaning and use. Keeping track of that spring and the initial headache to get all that black "goo-grease" out of the edges and rims, did not impress me. My over all rating of four stars is relative to what I found available on the market for this style of a coffee pot. Meaningly, for the cost vs. quality, this is as good as your likely to find, and it isn't that bad. And as for flavor, how could (did) I give it a five star rating?.....I am writing this from the "old school" reality-check perspective here folks; if you have good ground coffee beans- you can make a delicious cup of coffee with simply a small fire, a tin can, and some fresh water. I Guess maybe many of us (myself included) shouldn't be so critical of the simple things huh? Enjoy!... Because without being "seasoned" , this pot STILL made a good first pot of coffee. And as we "old-timers" know- it only gets better with age! Or, maybe not! As a follow-up to this review (5-5-19), I have only used this coffee pot for 3 days now, and I can confirm what most every other reviewer on Amazon has said: the "infamous plastic knob" DID crack on my pot, and although it is plastic, I treated it as glass, ie; never placing it in cold water from a hot stove. It room cools before I ever get around to washing my coffee pot anyway. A definite product manufacturing defect here! Farberware...you shall hear from me. This needs to stop. Its no bargain on Amazon when you have to add a $6 to $10 dollar glass knob immediately to the initial cost of the coffee pot! I am editing this review and lowering some stars here. Too bad though, it makes good coffee....just like a tin can! Am I still too critical? Not impressed. I hesitate to add to an already lengthy review, but in fairness to Farberware, here I go: About two days after this review, I did call Farberware (nice folks). I was told that they ARE transitioning over to a GLASS lid knob and the only way one may get this coffee pot with the plastic knob now, is if it is on the shelf as remaining old stock. So there you have it! Some companies do in fact, still listen to their customer base!

Hi. I leave very few reviews due primarily to laziness and skepticism (do folks really take these to heart, given the wide range of griping?). But, I have found myself shopping for a number of items online lately, and relying on reviews, so here is my paying it forward. And no, I do not work for any coffee company. I am a bit of a stovetop percolator fanatic. Simply put, nothing beats percolator coffee. Drips aren't hot enough, take up crazy amounts of counter space, and the coffee is subpar. French presses produce gritty coffee and don't keep heat, and electric percolators have gone down the tube in quality since grandma bought hers (I have one from the 60s that I bought on ebay, and after using daily, it STILL outperforms my previous standard, the 2008 Farberware electric percolator). That said, I have tested a bunch of stovetop percolators for various uses, like camping, power outages, and general "getting off the grid" living. I have had several Colemans, the Italian-style caffeteria, the french press, a few electric percs, and this Farberware. Trust, this is a fantastic product. But how can one tell? The things to look for in stovetop percolators are: 1. Quality of the construction. Stainless steel is best. Looks for a sturdy build with a nice balance of weight, a large enough size for your needs, and [very important!] the placement of the handle. It should be easy to clutch, be far enough to NOT be above the heat source, and sturdy enough to handle the weight of a full pot. Screwed on means it can easily be tightened, which is good, and the material of this percolator stays cool and has a nice, tactile grip. 2. Solid/durable interior parts (stem, basket). This was a major downer for the Colemans. Too many complaints of people finding theirs bent upon arrival! Plus, the stem and pot shouldn't ever look dried our or "rusted" in that stainless steel way. I used my Colemans only a few times, and the stem/pot looked scary to drink out of. I can't help but wonder if there is a residue or something entering my coffee. This percolator looks as great on the inside as it does on the outside. Just look at the pictures. No hiding anything there! 3. A plastic knob. While the glass knobs are more aesthetically pleasing, the entire structure of a percolator means that the knob WILL break at some point. The difference is that glass expands/contracts when the percolator is heating, and then shards from the threads end up in your coffee even if the knob hasn't visibly or entirely broken off. This is dangerous. The plastic is just as effective for viewing the strength of your coffee, without the terrifying possibility of swallowing glass. The plastic won't shred and cut your throat. Complaints about the plastic knobs breaking are ridiculous; ALL PERCOLATORS will have broken knobs at some point. Accept it. 4. Does it clean easily? Exterior: Especially if you take this camping, you will be on a open flame, so will the material tarnish? This one stays clean, and can easily be polished, if you are the polishing kind, if you are exacting in how mirror-like you wish it to be. Interior: there are no sharp crevices, lips, awkward pouring spouts here to cut you or your sponge as you move on in to clean up. Pieces (including the lid) are removed with ease and without the nails-on-the-chalkboard sound of cheap, flimsy metal material. The other common complaint is that the coffee isn't right. That is not the perc, that's your method. Try varying your coffee/water ratio, your boiling time vs your simmering time. Be patient; stovetops take longer but they produce infinitely better coffee. From a practical/frugal standpoint, after removing the stem and basket, this pot doubles very nicely (with style!) as a kettle. You can't go wrong. Plus, it is quite a lot bigger than it looks online. You can get at least 10 cups. Although I alternate between electric and stovetop for my daily use, this baby is one thing that I shamelessly refuse to lend out, refuse to really even hail its praises for fear of the inevitable "Can I borrow it?" that happens. I have had it for 3 years now and nothing has broken, nothing has taken a nose-dive in terms of quality, and I am actively excited/grateful/proud/vain about it EVERY time I use it. If you buy one of the Coleman enamel ones, or the odd camping specific ones with a D-ring for a handle, you'll just end up buying another one after you get mad at its ineptitude. I would even recommend this one over the majority of electric percolators, since the rest on the market currently are just crap. Get yourself some good coffee beans, some good water, and this baby, and you'll be a coffee addict! Cheers!

I have never really liked coffee. I would drink it at parties just to be sociable and only if I could have just half a cup of coffee with half a cup of whipped cream on top. I loved the smell of it. Not so much the taste. Until this week. I have had for the very longest time a Faberware electric percolator that I would use when company was here. The pot had one big thing in its favor: It made coffee in just three minutes. Two problems with this pot: it only made four cups and I was always in the kitchen dumping out hot grounds and making the second and third pots. And then there was the lid. You had to be Hercules to get the darn thing off. So I went shopping - on amazon.com where I found lots of possibilities. The one that fascinated me was also by Faberware. It was not electric. It was their stove-top version. The copy said that stove top percolated coffee would be the BEST coffee you have ever tasted - fully, richer, deeper. This pot made 4-8 cups. Reviews said the lid came off with no problem. It was a beautiful stainless steel. Said it would look good in any kitchen but would fit right in on a camp fire too. It was completely dishwasher safe or fully immersible - unlike the electric version. The basket that holds the coffee is specially made so that you don’t need a paper filter. I could foresee only one problem. I was accustomed to having coffee ready in three minutes. Using this pot would mean I’d have to wait for the water to boil (15 minutes) and for the brew to percolate (seven minutes). Would it be worth the wait? Yes, indeed it is worth the wait. I never knew that coffee could taste so good. Heavenly. I could become addicted. It was not bitter like every other cup of coffee I have had in my entire life. This coffee was smooooooth. Silky smooth. It said for best results to remove the grounds’ basket before pouring to avoid getting some in the brew. But on my test brewing I poured immediately and not one grain of coffee escaped. In other testings I found it was easy to remove the basket and stem if I wish - without getting burned. The other thing about this new way of making coffee - my entire house smells like coffee most of the day. It was so great coming in after a walk to the aroma wafting through the house. The list price is $50 but I got it on sale at amazon for just $20. Best $20 I have spent in a while. This pot makes a minimum of four cups or a maximum of eight. There are bigger stove top percolators available. To have success in making coffee, five things are necessary: 1. A stove top percolator like this one. 2. A very clean pot. 3. Good water or filtered water. 4. Good quality coffee - I always use Maxwell House - 2 Tbsps. for every 6 ounces of water. 5. Patience: keep the stove top heat on medium. When the percolating begins, lower the heat a little. In about 20 minutes you will have a wonderful cup of coffee.

I purchased this percolator in April because I was fed up of drinking tepid filter drip coffee. I wanted a good cup of hot coffee. I've waited more than six months to review it. Before purchasing it I scouted around town in every store that I could find that sold percolators. None of them carry this brand. Many of them carry the other brands that look like this one but that sell for twice the price. As I examined those other percolators, I was not impressed by the quality of the materials or the details of those products. Simply put, for the price, they looked and felt cheap; and, one of them gave me the impression that I would burn my hand on its handle. So, I placed my order for the Farberware 50124 Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator. I figured that it couldn't be any worse than those I had seen here in the local stores. It looked like it had a good handle on it and it was half the price. A few days later it arrived. When I opened my package I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this percolator. Yes it's made in China as were all the others that I had seen locally but none compare to the quality of this one. This is built to last and keep its good looks. Except for the handle and the percolator top, all the other parts are made of quality stainless steel. In some reviews people complain about that plastic top breaking. New, mine was tight and wouldn't budge. I didn't force it. After several washings it could be turned and easily removed. I still have it and wonder if I'll ever use the spare I bought. I also purchased the Perma-Brew 3 Year Re-useable Coffee Filter Perma-Brew 3 Year Re-useable Coffee Filter, Disk to use with my percolator. Since I live alone, it works fine for me. I find it makes cleaning the coffee grinds out easier and I rarely ever get coffee grinds in my cup. This percolator sits perfectly on the small electric element of my stove. I follow the instructions that come with it to brew my coffee. Personally, I set the element at 7; as soon as it starts percolate, I set the element at 2, wait 8 minutes, pour my coffee and enjoy. It is going on eight months now and I can say that the coffee I brew this percolator beats any that I can drink in any coffee shop here in town. I wonder why I waited so long to buy one of these. Friends that sometime drop by later in the morning comment on the great coffee aroma in my apartment and, invariably, ask for a cup. They don't seem to mind the 10 minute wait. About a month ago we had a 16 hour power outage. I took out my Trangia alcohol stove that I use when I go kayak camping. Unfortunately, the percolator fits perfectly on top of it and chokes off the flame of the alcohol burner. But, I solved the problem by simply putting a small wire grill on top of the stove and sat percolator on that. In no time I had a pot of coffee and I brought a thermos full to my neighbor downstairs who uses an electric percolator. He was happy to have a great cup of coffee start off his day. I have no regrets with this percolator. I love the patina it has taken on over time. Most of all, I love the great tasting coffee I make with it.

This makes excellent coffee that is a joy to have in the morning. It heats evenly and quickly with a smooth percolation. This size allows for use with many cups of coffee, or you can just fill it partially with water as it works just as well either way. Great product!

Good product, working and looking great!

Fantastic pot

Es práctica y hace muy rico el café

It is excellent build and quality, really heavy and made from good material and this is when compared to many major ones i bought, the only thing is that it is huge, so you need to know this wgen you buy it, it is over 2 lt , i wish there was the same one but half size

Lo recomiendo, la uso todos los dias es excelente