Is the Farberware Coffee Maker Truly 100% Plastic-Free? the Honest Truth
The Farberware Yosemite 8-cup stovetop coffee percolator is frequently recommended across internet wellness forums as the quintessential budget alternative to modern plastic drip machines. At a retail cost fluctuating between $25 and $35, it promises rugged simplicity: no printed circuit boards, no electronics, and a heavy-gauge 18/8 stainless steel housing that works over direct flame, electric coils, or induction plates equipped with an adapter.
Lift the lid, and the internal design reinforces that impression. The central pump tube stem, the grounds basket, and the perforated spreader cover are stamped entirely from polished stainless steel. Water boils in the base of the chamber, travels up the narrow vertical stem under steam pressure, and cascades over the grounds without touching a single plastic pipe.
The compromise sits directly at the apex of the pot. The transparent dome knob on the lid, the viewing bubble that lets you monitor the brew's color, is molded from clear polycarbonate resin, not glass. Because ascending steam condenses directly against this knob before dripping back onto the coffee bed, hot liquid continuously washes over synthetic resin during the entire brew cycle. For strict purists seeking absolute avoidance of plastic-contact surfaces, the Yosemite fails the baseline test out of the box.
Fortunately, fixing the Yosemite is remarkably simple. Thousands of home baristas routinely buy an aftermarket glass knob replacement, commonly manufactured by Fitz-All or specialty borosilicate makers for under $8. Screwing a tempered glass knob into the stainless lid transforms the Yosemite into a genuine 100% plastic-free vessel.