This is a basically an eco-friendly product for guys like me who want to avoid plastic in the path of the coffee brewing. (Once bought an expensive product that had plastic taste in the coffee) So can this product be improved to make it "perfect?" Yes. The only part that is plastic is the top cover that allows one to see the coffee as it percolates. Ace Hardware sells a glass top that fits the Yosemite Percolator without modification, other than removing and replacing the old part. Now the Yosemite device is perfect and there is no chance of contamination from outgassing/leaching chemicals. The percolator makes very good tasting coffee when one uses purified water in the brew.