Although "drip" and "press" coffee makers have largely supplanted percolators in recent years, the percolating coffee maker continues to have a devoted following among those who believe that it produces a hotter, more flavorful extraction. The Farberware percolator is considered a classic. Operate it with care, and you may find that you agree with its many devoted aficionados.
Open the percolator and remove the parts that you see inside, including the basket, the basket cover, and the metal tube that goes down to the bottom of the unit.
Fill the unit with cold water according to the amount of coffee that you would like to brew, then add a little water to the basket to help prevent coffee grounds from getting into your brewed coffee. Replace the metal tube and basket inside the unit.
Put coffee grounds into the basket according to your desired brew strength. As a general rule, you should add a little under two scoops of coffee for each cup of water. One coffee scoop is roughly equal to two tablespoons. Replace the basket cover.
Plug the percolator into a wall outlet. It will begin brewing your coffee immediately. For every cup of water, approximately one minute of brewing time will be needed. The unit will stop brewing when the coffee is ready to drink, and will keep the brew warm for you.
Open the unit and remove the basket and metal tube to prevent over-extraction when brewing is complete. Do this carefully because the metal parts will be extremely hot.
Pour out any remaining coffee when you are finished enjoying your brew. Rinse the inside of the percolator and basket with cool water and put the unit away with the cover removed to allow it to dry.