Customer Reviews

Farberware FSU236 36-Cup Coffee Urn

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Farberware FSU236 Stainless-Steel 36-Cup Coffee Urn
I purchased this urn for a party I was hosting a few weeks ago. I was totaling surprised at the quality for the price I paid . It is very elegant looking and could be used for any type of function, either casual or formal. I don't like ordering on line because sometimes the item isn't want it looks like, but this wasn't the case.

This style of Farberware urn has been around for quite some time. I wanted one for use when my regular pot didn't hold enough. This urn will pick up right where a 12-cup home pot leaves off; don't be misled by the total capacity as it will happily make much less. Unlike the other urns I've seen, this one doesn't look like a refugee from a diner. It is attractive enough to appear on anyone's buffet table. Unlike many other urns, it is all stainless. I've been reading about aluminum leaching from aluminum pots into coffee; not a worry with this one. There is a very large domed lid, as can be seen, and the equally large coffee basket resides underneath. It works like any other percolator; fill with water to the level desired, put the appropriate amount of ground coffee in the basket, and let it do its work. Farberware has always advertised its speed, and certainly this one brews at a cup-a-minute or faster. The coffee made is typically percolator coffee--strong and black, which is the way I like it. This urn will certainly keep the coffee piping hot, but doesn't seem to leave that burned odor and flavor that so many urns do in commercial establishments. Of course, I haven't kept coffee for umpteen hours in it, either. These large urns are very easy to clean, as they are of such a large diameter.

I had a MirroMatic urn before this Farberware; I definitely got the burned odor/flavor in that one. I think it had to burn its element more and hotter because the walls of the urn were so thin and lost heat very quickly. This Farberware is much more substantial. Stand it next to a less expensive urn and you will see why it costs more. With this item, you indeed get what you pay for!

I purchased this coffee pot a few weeks ago for my daughter's graduation party. Not only did it look great (loved the contemporary shape rather than the old upright style), the coffee was perfect, not bitter and stayed hot for hours, not minutes. Also the stout shape made it easier to clean and fill than the traditional style. You can make as little as 12 cups in this coffee urn with no problem..the markings are clear. This is a pricier coffee urn but if you really want to make a good impression and need everything to be perfect I highly recommend this model. Also it is 100% stainless, no cheap plastic parts if this is an issue. This model also comes in a larger size if you need more than 36 cups.

I will not purchase another Farberware product.

I have the FSU 236 urn, which has been used only at family gatherings. When last used, it switched to the warming mode prematurely so all we had was an urn full of tepid dark water. Things break, no big deal.

Well, it is a big deal because a replacement thermostat is not available for this unit. I could not get a hit when I googled the part number stamped on the thermostat and Farberware/Applica/Salton indicated it is not a "consumer replaceable item." Odd, since you can get a thermostat, heating element, warming element, and fuse link for older Farberware urns.

Fine customer no service, at least direct me to a repair shop that would have the part and can fix the urn. Nope.

Then please look in your UL file and tell me the approved thermostats. Nope, that information is "not available and cannot be supplied."

I could understand if this model was discontinued, but it is currently being sold new. No more Farberware for me!

On the bright side, at least I have a lovely pot to ... never mind.

Farberware Stainless Steel 36 cup coffee/water urn: I had originally purchased my first one of these about 30 years ago. I used it about once a week for 25 hours, as needed. It sprung a leak, and I called the company about the repair of this product. I learned that the Farberware company no longer fixes their products that breakdown after a year. So I donated it to the GoodWill Industries store, where they will fix it and resell it discounted. I purchased a new one from Amazon.com about two years ago. After using it for about three months, I noticed that the supposedly stainless steel washer or houser located on the bottom of the 36-cup pot, which connected to the outside spigot, had become corroded. It peeled away, with an interior colored metal showing through! I called up the Farberware company to let them know of this defect. After checking the numbers printed on the bottom underneath the urn, the company rep said that I could have a new urn sent to me, if I returned the urn before the year was up. However, they refused to send me a free mailing label and insisted that I return this item by UPS. UPS charged me over $23. to send it! (I also noticed printed on the bottom of the urn, "Made in China" and that was disappointing to see!) About six weeks later, I received a "reconditioned" 36-cup coffee/water urn, via UPS, from the Farberware co. I was disappointed that it wasn't new, as was promised me, but I used it anyway as it was needed very much. After only one month, the supposedly stainless steel washer or houser located inside the bottom part of the urn, also peeled away and became corroded and the bottom part became rusty too. When dried out, I washed the insides with a wet, soft cloth which was rinsed with baking soda to remove the rust. It helped, but the defective washer could not be helped. With a wet cotton swab, I cleaned out the inside of the washer which connected to the spigot and found a great deal of rust inside of the hole! I had asked my doctor if there is any harm in drinking hot, rusty water, and she replied that for most people, there is no problem. But since I have a lot of allergies, she told me that drinking rusty water would not be good for my health! So now I just use the urn's hot water for other purposes, other than for drinking. I am stuck with this urn! Why did I think only "my" urn had a peeling washer/houser? Obviously, it was cheaper to replace all of the manufactured stainless steel urns with washers that were of inferior quality ones! I sure miss the first urn I bought 30 years ago, which was made in the USA! [ASIN:B0000CFSGR Farberware FSU236 36-Cup Coffee Urn]

It is the perfect solution for an office. 12 Cups for small meetings and 36 cups for the large. Service was great - delivery was sooner than expected.

Farberware FSU236 Stainless-Steel 36-Cup Coffee Urn
My second urn. One for coffee, one for hot water for tea/hot chocolate. They look beautiful on my buffet. Easy to clean, heat up quickly and make great coffee.

This coffee maker is exactly as advertised. It is a beautiful shiny sleek unit that makes coffee in less than 1 minute per cup. You can make as little as 12 cups up to 36 cups.

Junk - I bought 3, and only one works. It has only been a couple of months...

It is simple, well deigned and flawlessly does the job it was designed to do.