Review by steve turner:
This company was bought out several years ago by a Far East company. The quality is not the same; the warranty is worthless; the 18/10 gauge steel is not truly 18/10 guage and the handles are made of cheap plastic. If one takes the time to look at the positive reviews, most of them are from people who have the original sets manufactured ten to twenty years ago. The company no longer exists, and its successor makes cheap knockoffs of the original. Do not waste your money

Review by :
I purchased the non-stick set a few years ago. Within a year, the nonstick finish was wearing off. I worked a long time on getting this problem taken care of – seems Farberware was bought by another company a few years back, and no one wanted to take responsibility (a LIFETIME GUARANTEE) for my falling-apart cookware. Finally, they said they would resurface my pans. I sent them all ( in shipping!) in to a company in Pennsylvania…….who had them for SIX MONTHS!!!!! They wouldn’t return calls, they totally disregarded my plea’s for information about my cookware, they didn’t care. I had to buy a couple of peices of inexpensive cookware, just so I could put meals on the table. I thought it would possibly take 3 to 4 weeks, but they kept me hanging the whole time. Finally, after I waited for those 6 months, my cookware arrived, without my large frying pan. Of course, 3 weeks of phone calls back to them, got me no where. I still don’t have my pan. That was 2 years ago, and the nonstick surface of the resurfaced pans are wearing off again. My advice would be to never buy nonstick surfaces from Farberware. Actually, I would never buy ANY Farberware. They may be “classic” but they don’t stand behind their products.All-Clad…..all the way!!

Review by Marco Polo:
I love the farberware cookware. the pots are perfect. some lightweight pots my wife purchased actually warped and thus rattled on the stovetop. since i am the cook, it drove me crazy. i threw them out in less than a month. the only “problem” and the reason for 4 not 5 stars is the non-stick pans. I hate the non stick surface because they scratch and can leave toxins in the food . cant convince my wife that you must use wooden utensils, so i just threw them out

Review by resham52:
I have always liked the Farberware cookware for over 30 years. The steel pots are perfect. I am not crazy about the non-stick ones, wish they had covers too, and a bit heavier. Besides, I don’t care for non-stick surface as much because it could leave toxins after a scratch. I like the glass lids, they are easier to clean. The size of most pots in this set is fairly small which you may not realize from the size provided in quarts, but appropriate for a small household’s kitchen. Overall, it’s a pretty good quality set for the price compared to all those other brands with highly inflated prices.

Review by Momma Murphy:
For the price of this product, the Farberware Classic line cannot be beat! The variety of pot and skillet sizes available, along with interchangeable lids, is a real plus in my kitchen. Clean up is easy and required storage space is minimal. The first set I owned for 23 years. This new set was a treat to myself since my oldest is moving out to set up his own household…with my old Farberware!

Review by Emily Rich:
I had put these on my wish list as a future splurge and was surprised and pleased when my hubbie bought them for me for my birthday last month! (LOVE that other folks can see my wish list!) I have owned Farberware before, but, only one or two pans…after twenty years or so, a handle had loosened, a pan lid was missing, etc. but they were still going strong! I don’t think you can get a better quality of cookware at this price! (I had looked at other brands of aluminum clad stainless steel cookware and found they were HUNDREDS of dollars!) I have a ceramic cooktop and have found that many of the pots and pans I’ve tried have warped immediately and were instantly useless on the ceramic top (where things have to be perfectly flat to work). Not so with these pots and pans! They stay flat and heat up quickly. This set has a nice variety of sizes (my only complaint is that it doesn’t contain a 6 quart stock pot). The lids fit well and the pots and pans have wonderful rings on the handles that allow hanging on any pot rack! The skillets are small, but, really good (the non-stick surface is thick and the pans heat up well and clean up easily). The set also came with three stainless bowls with plastic covers (perfect for chilling cookie dough), also with rings for hanging. I am pleasantly surprised as well by the baking pan. I usually use glass, but, my lemon bars baked up very nicely in this pan. The cookie sheet, though extremely small, is also impressive. It doesn’t warp under high heat and I have used it for making garlic toast and as a pan under pies and breads with no problem. In fact, I plan to put Farberware cookie sheets on my wish list next! If you a looking to replace pots and pans, or, want to give someone you love a much appreciated gift that will last for years and years, I recommend this wonderful set!

Review by Daisy:
Am returning these pans. No matter what temperature or oil I used, I ended up with fried eggs stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cleanup was horrible even after soaking. The effort and mess is not worth keeping them. My previous 4 star rating was based on the one success that I did have and have not been able to duplicate in a month!

Amazon service, as always, was superb!

Review by Lorraine Sheehan:
My daughter had put on her Christmas gift request list that she needed skillets. I already had 2 Farberware frying pans, so decided to buy her the same 2 I had. I had a Farberware frying pan before, but the handle came loose after 20 years of wear and tear. I have dealt with Teflon coatings before, and I really prefer stainless steel. The coating comes off, and doesn’t work like it should. Even though the directions say not to use brillo or sos, I still do, and the pans still shine, and hold up in the dishwasher, and I expect them to last for years. The frying pans might be shinier if I never used brillo or sos, but what the heck, it is a frying pan. I expect mine to last me the rest of my life, but my daughter might have to replace hers 20 years down the road. I also liked the fact that I could buy one or two pieces without buying a whole set. Reverware is also very good quality, but I found it difficult to find individual pieces.

Review by Geo:
We’re happy with our 20-year-old Farberware stainless steel cookware, pre-dating the stainless steel capped base. The interiors are still like new. The lids are shiny and dent-free. The handles are faded, but remain tight with an occasional turn of a screw. We use it everyday.

We are equally pleased with the newer “Classic” pieces, especially with the added weight and improved appearance of the capped bases. We bought the 15-piece set, giving us some redundant pieces but at a better price than buying fewer pieces individually.

We like stainless steel for several reasons: It cooks well. We can use metal utensils. It lasts for decades. It’s dishwasher safe without consequence. It looks good. It’s heavy enough. It cleans up easily. (For occasional stuck on food, we simply blot out what’s loose, add water, and bring to a boil. After a few seconds, the stuck on food wipes off easily.)

There’s pricier cookware available, some with aluminum cores that extend up the sides of the pan, some with copper clad bases, some with handles rated to 500 degrees, some made of anodized aluminum, and some so heavy you can use it as part of your fitness program. After years of no-complaints with our Farberware Classic stainless steel, we can’t see paying the premium prices for anything else. We don’t use our cookware in the oven, so we’re okay with our 350-degree handles.

One complaint with the set: The non-stick skillets are 100% ALUMINUM with a PLAIN exterior and NO heavy base cap. Per Farberware’s own website (caps added for emphasis): “Aluminum stains easily and reacts with certain foods. A nonstick interior and PORCELAIN OR NONSTICK EXTERIOR prevents staining and food reaction. Nonstick aluminum is dishwasher safe. A PLAIN AUMINUM EXTERIOR may discolor in the dishwasher.”

We use stainless steel for most of our cooking, but still prefer non-stick skillets for some things. We’d like the skillets in this set better if they at least had an exterior finish on them.

Follow-up: We gave away the aluminum skillets from this set and bought a set of Cuisinart stainless steel non-stick skillets to use alongside our collection of Farberware stainless steel.

Review by john:
I am reviewing this cookware set having owned & used it for ~6 months. At first glance, this set seems to be very well reviewed; however if you read the reviews closely, it will become apparent that many of them are for older versions of Farberware sets (e.g. “I’ve owned mine for 27 years…”, etc. (!)) Such reviews are very helpful in giving us a concept of the quality of Farberware from 1980, but they are unfortunately irrelevant to the quality of this set. I bought this set aware of said discrepancy, but was hoping that quality had been maintained, a good manufacturer in the past probably being a good one now, etc. etc. This was an error. As it has been noted, the pans’ bases are not stainless steel, but rather aluminum that is quite far from stainless. The nonstick coating on said pans is beginning to separate from the pan in several small but spreading points (as I only use plastic spatulas/spoons/etc. to cook with, this is not an issue of user error). I have no complaint with the pots, but at the current rate I will require new pans after about one year of ownership. Whether such an investment is wise I leave as an exercise for the reader, but in my opinion it would be better to spend more initial money on a better quality, wholly stainless steel cookware set.

On another note, I would implore Amazon reviewers to refrain from writing nostalgic reviews of archaic versions of current products.

Review by Andrew Gray:
Perked coffee is old school, to be sure, but a well-made cup of percolated brew is robust and satisfying in a way that drip coffee isn’t. Not only does the percolation process provide a deeper and fuller mouth, I think, but a percolator, bubbling away, is a lovely sight and sound. If you don’t like perked coffee, don’t bother with any percolator. But if you are interested in something other than drip brew, consider this Farberware percolator. I’m not one to ooh and ahh over design, but this is a darned handsome piece of kitchen equipment. Take a look and the large picture and I will spare you the adjectives. The stainless steel construction makes it sturdier and heftier than thin-metal percolators you might buy in the camping gear section of a chain store. While the name “Yosemite” evokes coffee bubbling over a campfire, I’d probably not use this on a wood fire to avoid blackening. I mean, this thing really is shiny and pretty. But as heavy-duty as it is, perhaps it would clean up well.It’s a capacious pot, making eight cups of coffee. The interior basket and rod are well made, fitting tightly together and clamping in place with the lock-down lid. It makes more coffee than my old electric percolator, but it does take up a burner on the stove-top.Lastly, should you buy this unit, remember: Perked coffe may be good, but it’s a danged sight hotter than drip brew. Of course, you’ll probably figure that out for yourself…

Review by P. Watkins:
I have never had a percolator before I bought this Farberware percolator. I have always had drip coffee makers, which were ok, but expensive and I was trying to get away from plastic in the kitchen. I read all the reviews here and decided at this price I couldn’t really go wrong and I was right. The Yosemite percolator makes a very smooth cup of coffee.A few things I have learned:Coarser ground coffee leaves less residue in the pot.I use a regular coffee filter and just poke a hole through the middle to stop any grounds from getting into the coffee.I turn my burner on high until it starts percolating, then down to med-low for approximately 7 minutes.I make sure my handle is not on top of the burner, but rather, just over the edge and it has never gotten hot. I have a smooth top range.After the coffee is done brewing, I pour it into a stainless steel thermos to drink throughout the day.I hand wash my percolator and have had no discoloration or scratching to the surface. You really can’t go wrong with this purchase and it is really pretty sitting on the stove, too. I bought another one for camping.

Review by Keith Bell:
When I first bought this pan I was replacing a pan from a moderately priced set from Costco. That pan lasted about 3 years and I got my money’s worth.

The positive review from America’s Test Kitchen is what pointed me in this direction. The Farberware pan was a joy to use when I first bought it and I loved the even heat. All of the positive comments are accurate at first.

The problem is it only lasted 3 months before it lost it’s nonstick properties almost completely. I never used spray on oil or subjected it to high heat. I was always very meticilous about the way I cleaned it and never touched the surface with anything but plastic. I even bought a special soft plastic cleaning brush so as to be very delicate with the surface.

I have been using nonstick skillets since they first came out many years ago. With the exception of one ultra cheapo model I have NEVER had a nonstick that had its nonstick go bad so quickly. Of course I can send this back to Farberware but it seems clear that if it has lost it’s nonstick properties they only have to say it was my fault. Why waste in shipping costs? This is my last Farberware product.

After writing this first part of the review I thought it would only be fair to email Farberware to let them respond. After doing some googling I have found that there is no email. It is also basically impossible to get someone on the phone. They sold their warranty service to a different company, All American Lighting in Berwick, PA. As it turns out this company gets terrible feedback for their service. If this isn’t really Farberware what exactly is their incentive to provide good service? You can check on consumeraffairs dot com and other places and you’ll get an eyeful. BUYER BEWARE!

Review by Practical Gourmet:
This is a great pan. I have had this pan for a couple of weeks, and have used it almost daily since receiving it. It is heavy but well balanced, and I like the cushy silicone hand grip (which eliminates the need for a potholder) more than I expected to. The pan cooks *very* evenly, I was really impressed. It heats up quickly, and quickly responds to adjustments to the heat level (I have a gas range).The nonstick works well, my extra crispy eggs slide right out of the pan. It is too soon to comment on the longevity of the non-stick, but I can say this pan was considerably less expensive than the Calphalon pan it replaced, which only lasted 2 years. And it can go in the dishwasher.The pan is attractive and oven safe to 400 degrees F. All in all, I vote it a good buy.

Review by :
You don’t need to spend [price] on a tea kettle! This was an excellent buy (and I got it for the higher price of [price]!!). The price can’t be beat for the quality. The kettle sings loudly when ready and the lid comes off for easy cleaning. It’s durable and nice looking as well. I’ve bought other kettles I haven’t been nearly as happy with and they cost more. And there is no enamel to chip off like those “fancy” kettles often have. One great feature this kettle can claim is a very smooth pouring action–no dribbles and drips.

Review by :
This teakettle is just wonderful. I love how the top opens for easy cleaning. I have fairly large hands and find it easy to get my hand in there and clean. A must have for me. The lid snaps right back on nice and tight. The whistle works great. My girls just love to hear the sound. The pour spout works great. Just push the lever and it opens up for you to pour. you take your finger off and it goes right back down by itself. A geat item at a great price.

Review by Jeffrey Jotz:
I’ve happilly enjoyed Farberware’s larger 20-cup electric percolator that is still brewing some wonderful coffee after 10 years. All I had to replace was the electric cord, which petered out after 3 years.I’ve had this model for a few months and think that it will also last a long, long time (don’t know about the cord, though). This machine looks terrifically retro, is easy to clean and keeps the coffee consistenly hot for hours. After tasting coffee here, you won’t go back to your old drip machine.My advice to you is:1. Don’t overfill the basket with grinds, because it’s very easy to make a STRONG cup of coffee with this. We like strong coffee, so this is a good thing.2. Clean it w/soap & water as soon as you are finished with it to protect the pot. I also clean it out with Dip-It every 6 weeks or so to remove the coffee stains from the inside and make it shiny and new-looking.3. At most supermarkts you can buy little paper disc filters that sit in the bottom of the jar and keep the smaller grinds from falling into the water. It also filters out alleged carcinogens that are not removed by traditional percolators or coffee presses.I would actually give this 4.5 stars, because sadly, these newer models are now made in China rather than the Farberware factory in the Bronx.

Review by Sarah E. Markey:
For the coffee traditionalist AND for those who long for the taste and smell of home!

This little perc has been a presence in our family for thirty or forty years. After I left home several decades ago, I evolved into a coffee press/Peet’s fanatic myself, but when I brought my parents to live with me, the little Farberware Perc came with them, and I quickly reverted back to that fresh perked taste and smell. The coffee makes up fast and goes fast, so you never have that old perked coffee smell in your house or that syrupy brown gunk to deal with, and these chubby little Farberware droids last forever. Fortunately my folks decided they liked Maxwell House Colombian better than the Master Blend, and we brew several pots of this delicious liquid a day.

Warning: do not compare this coffee experience to your Peet’s or Zabar’s cafe presse – instead think of diners and grandma’s house!

Review by D. Palermo:
We bought both the 12 and 16 quart pots. We couldn’t be happier. We have a large family and these sizes are great for pasta, sauce, corn, chili, BBQ…you name it. They are very sturdy, and the bottom is perfectly flat…something we need because we have a ceramic cooktop. They heat evenly and food doesn’t stick. We were looking at pots that cost considerably more, but I’m glad we make the choice we did.

Review by :
This pot works nicely … heats evenly and cleans well.
I would have given it a 5, but I would be happier if it had a vent/adjustable opening to allow steam to vent somewhat without boiling over. The lid fits with a very slight bit of room, so steam comes out the edges. This is not preferred since it’s easy to get burned even when using the handles if there is a large amount of steam.