Glass Rod - NW Glass Says No

[BozemanEric]

I finally took the plung to use a glass rod with my Yama. Unfortunately, when I put the Cory in the drain tube it did not fit. After closer inspection, I noticed that there was a lip on the top of the tube rod. I called NW Glass and they told my Yama was defective. They Offered to get me a new upper at a discount until I told them I was using a glass rod. At that point they withdrew their offer and told me that I should never use a glass rod with a Yama. They said the pressure can build up and explode the unit. First, I am a little pissed that they take the offer back even though they admitted that my Yama is defective. In my eyes, if it is defective, it should be replaced regardless of how I want to use it. If I break it through my misuse, that is on me, but they told me I had a defective vac pot.

Second, has anyone had an issue using a glass rod with the Yama?  Is this just one of those one in a million incidents that legal makes them restrict?

I know people are using these and I would like to hear some wisdom.

[blzrfn]

I have a Yama 8 cup that I use with the cory rod that B|Siphon sold me and the results are much better than with the cloth filter supplied with the brewer.  You could always e-mail them with your complaint, leaving out the bit about the glass rod and see if you get the same offer.

[Tex]

Wow, it's defective depending on how you use it? That's enough reason to strike them from my vendors list.

[John F]

I don't use it very often but have used glass rod with Yama... never had a problem.

[peter]

I don't use it very often but have used glass rod with Yama... never had a problem.

Same here.  I use the Yama maybe once a week w/ the Cory glass rod, and zero problems.


I'd think about calling them again on Monday.  Chances are you'll get a different CS person and now you know what not to tell them.

[BozemanEric]

I was going to give them a call in a couple days and not mention the rod. It is good to hear others do not have problems with them. I figured it was a liability thing probably from someone that left it on the stove for a hour or something.

[jspain]

I use a cory rod in my Yama everyday of the week. It's my "go yo" method! Never have had an explosion but I have had "a few" stalls. Very seldomn a stall and I can't remember the last time. Good luck! Love my vac pot!

[headchange4u]

I've heard that a glass rod can cause an implosion if the brewer stalls and the vaccum is strong enough, but after making 100's of vac pots I've never had it happen.

[BoldJava]

I was going to give them a call in a couple days and not mention the rod. It is good to hear others do not have problems with them. I figured it was a liability thing probably from someone that left it on the stove for a hour or something.

Couple of thoughts - if you end up needing to give up on the rod, I will take it back and refund you the cost minus the shipping to Montana.  I believe that Yama may have built a glass lip to ensure that people are not using the standard Cory rod.  If so, both a New Cory (that is it's patent name, doesn't need to be a new one) and Cornings will circumvent Yama's design work-a-round.

Second, there are reports of the pot imploding.  I speculate that it occurs when someone uses a poor grinder that throws fines.  The fines clog the filter, heat is continued to be applied and boom.

I don't have any issues -- have had about 3-4 stalls in 4 years.  Would not leave home without my glass filter.

B|Java

[Tex]

I've had many stalls over the years and never had a bowl implosion. I also grew up watching grandma make coffee every day with her Silex, and she never had a bowl implode. I've heard of bottom bowl implosions, but usually in the older vac pots. I'd be willing to bet the implosions were due to scratches on the glass surface more than the stalls themselves.

If you've ever seen Blue Bottle Coffee in SF make vac pot coffee you'll recall they use a cold wet cloth to lower pressure quickly in the bottom bowls. I asked one of the employees if they'd ever had implosions, and he said never. They recommend a cold wet cloth, and knowing lawyers as I do (Mrs T¹), they wouldn't have that in their instructions if there was any liability attached: http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guide/siphon/

[BozemanEric]

if you end up needing to give up on the rod, I will take it back and refund you the cost minus the shipping to Montana.
B|Java

Thank you for the offer.  You are a stand-up guy and I have been 100% satisfied with everything you have sent me, including the Cory and especially the Colombia.  I will probably keep the rod and replace the Yama if I cannot fix the issue with another upper.

[BozemanEric]

If you've ever seen Blue Bottle Coffee in SF make vac pot coffee you'll recall they use a cold wet cloth to lower pressure quickly in the bottom bowls. I asked one of the employees if they'd ever had implosions, and he said never. They recommend a cold wet cloth, and  http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guide/siphon/

The Blue Bottle on Mint Street is what got me started on the vac pot in the first place.

This is the best lip picture I could get.   It was not an easy task.  I think this was picture eight or nine.  It looks to me like it was just a factory mistake.  Maybe my Yama was made on a Friday.

[Tex]

I'm assuming the 5-cup Yama used wasn't the tabletop model? I just bought a new one for my niece and the Cory rod works perfectly.


I use a Silex "Lox-In" glass filter with my vintage Silex vac pots (It seems to stall a lot in a Yama?). It's the same filter grandma used for decades - in fact it's the same Silex Lido grandma used for decades.

[Tex]

I used to use the Silex Lox-in with my Yama 8 with no stall issues, but had to use something to snag the chain since it didn't go all the way to the bottom of the tube.  Now I use the longer lock in Pyrex rod and paired the Silex rod with a Silex pot wich has some gasket issues.

Orphan Espresso has Silex rods with longer springs (that's where I got the picture shown). I don't know if they're longer than the one that came with grandma's Silex or not?

[Warrior372]

Does Yama send out warrantied and non-warrantied usage rules with their vac pot? If there is nothing stating you should not be using a glass rod in the units, I would call BS on NW Glass. If there is something in print sent out with the machines advising against it then that is a different story, but without knowing my assumption is that there is probably not.