R.I. P. Electric Coffee Maker

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Proud Texan

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Our 2-year old /14-cup KitchenAid Coffee Maker passed away this morning.
cry_smile.gif

A short memorial service was held (after a brief panic and period of cussing). Fortunately, we had our old Mr. Coffee machine boxed up and handy and made it through breakfast this morning. I guess it did an O.K. job considering the amount of use it got, but I would have liked for it to last a bit longer.
Before we go out shopping for a new one, what do you use and would your recommend it? What coffee makers would you steer clear of?
FYI, we do not have a coffee station. We serve the coffee to our guests at the table.
 
Yes, it should have lasted longer than 2 years, even making several pots/day. I can give you Consumer Reports' latest top five. One thing I notice with Consumer Reports, though, is that there's often a lag between their testing and their publishing, so I often find the models they recommend have already been replaced by newer models by the time they tell me about them!
They do a nice job of testing ease of use, ease of cleaning, features, durability, etc. and building all that into a point system to arrive at their top recommendations. So the ones that cost more may have a lot more features than a cheaper one, but the lower cost of one almost as good will put it ahead in the ratings.

[tr]
Make/Model[/td]
[td]Sug. Retail Price[/td]
[td]Overall Score[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT[/td]
$40[/td]
84[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kalorik CM25282[/td]
$80[/td]
79[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Waring Pro CMS100[/td]
$60[/td]
77[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kenmore Elite 06906[/td]
$100[/td]
73[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kalorik TKM-20208[/td]
$45[/td]
73[/td]
[/tr]

[/table]
 
Unless you are using a really high end restaurant type brewer Ike those fancy barista models that do everything except milk the cow....a $15 Brewer does the same as a $100 one unless you want a grinder, timer, stainless steel pot etc .. So I would buy a reasonable "not ugly" one (or two...) as the coffee quality is determined more by the type of coffee than anything else!
2+ years is quite acceptable ep if you are using a domestic appliance for commercial use... Which technically is what we do..
 
I have 2 Farberware perk coffee pots. One is a 10-12 cup and the other is an 8 cup. They are both quick perk, have been in almost constant use since I got them, I think a minimum of 5 years ago (I am old so time breezes by). I like them a lot. I also have a 24-cup West Bend that I have had "forever" - I think I had it in Illinois and we left there in 1995. My other 2 coffee pots were $2 finds at the Penny Pincher in case I have several guests wanting different coffees. I really like the Farberware pots. They get unplugged long enough to clean them, fill with cold water, and add the basket of coffee so it can be plugged in again.
Edited to add - I got the Farberware pots on sale at Ko hl's.
 
We were looking at this fancy coffee maker.. Breville, ground the coffee and then brewed. Worried about the sound of the grinding, but it was nice that you could set how many cups you wanted to brew.
But best rated coffeemaker seems to the Bodum pour over. Which looks pretty cool.
The reality is that we generally buy a few of the $10 to $12 coffee makers because they sell for the price of the carafe. We keep a few in stock. The extra baskets mean we can set up for a second pot if we need to. And if the carafe breaks, we have extras.
 
We like the ones with stainless pots, no heating element and no burned coffee when you forget to turn it off. Also, much safer than the glass carafes and just as easy to clean. We have two Cuisinart coffee makers. Separate grinders. We had one coffee grinder for 20+ years and it still works, but DH dropped it and broke a plastic part off the trigger-button so you have to sort of hold it together to get it to work.
Anyway, we
heart.gif
our Cuisinart!
 
We have a Capresso with a built-in grinder that we love. It was a bit pricey but we've had it for years without any problems.
 
Depending on how much coffee you make, you may want to consider a Bunn. I fought DH for several years and many deaths of Mr. Coffee and the like before I conceded and have never been happier. As Barry said a pot in 3 minutes! Guests don't even know you had run out! There are many models, the cheepist commercial one is the one we have and has lasted for many years now.
Two things when thinking Bunn:
Do not buy the home model, does not last like it should as it is not made like the commerical models (yes, personal experience)
Bunns have a small hot water heater (thus the 3 min pot). If you will not be using it every day make sure to run it at least every other day (even just to run water through) or unplug. But then you have to remember to plug it back in!!!! I use it to make Ice tea too so it gets plenty of use here.
 
Yes, it should have lasted longer than 2 years, even making several pots/day. I can give you Consumer Reports' latest top five. One thing I notice with Consumer Reports, though, is that there's often a lag between their testing and their publishing, so I often find the models they recommend have already been replaced by newer models by the time they tell me about them!
They do a nice job of testing ease of use, ease of cleaning, features, durability, etc. and building all that into a point system to arrive at their top recommendations. So the ones that cost more may have a lot more features than a cheaper one, but the lower cost of one almost as good will put it ahead in the ratings.

[tr]
Make/Model[/td]
[td]Sug. Retail Price[/td]
[td]Overall Score[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT[/td]
$40[/td]
84[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kalorik CM25282[/td]
$80[/td]
79[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Waring Pro CMS100[/td]
$60[/td]
77[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kenmore Elite 06906[/td]
$100[/td]
73[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
Kalorik TKM-20208[/td]
$45[/td]
73[/td]
[/tr]

[/table].
I got rid of my bunn as it did not get the water really hot and coffee was not the best. Next one Mr Coffee VMC-PST91! it heat the water to the proper temp. It is also stainless steel pot. My oh my how wonderful stainless steel is. It keeps the water hot for some time. I never has a burnt taste coffee. It is quick and beeps when it is ready. I use a burr coffee grinder. I switch some time ago when my european coffee grinder gave up.
Love fresh ground coffee there is nothing like it. No matter what strength of coffee you like. The best coffee also depends on your water.
 
UPDATE: I called KitchenAid customer service this morning and they basically told me that we were S. O. L.
They said it would cost more to repair than to replace. I told them that I would not be replacing it with another KitchenAid appliance. Let's just say that their "Customer Retention" efforts were less than stellar.
He then had the nerve to try and sell me a KitchenAid coffee grinder. I said "Why on earth would I buy a second of your crap products since you obviously don't stand behind what you sell. You sir have lost a KitchenAid customer for life."
It didn't get me a replacement, but I felt better anyway.
 
UPDATE: I called KitchenAid customer service this morning and they basically told me that we were S. O. L.
They said it would cost more to repair than to replace. I told them that I would not be replacing it with another KitchenAid appliance. Let's just say that their "Customer Retention" efforts were less than stellar.
He then had the nerve to try and sell me a KitchenAid coffee grinder. I said "Why on earth would I buy a second of your crap products since you obviously don't stand behind what you sell. You sir have lost a KitchenAid customer for life."
It didn't get me a replacement, but I felt better anyway..
http://www.homerecalllist.com/kitchenaid-coffee-maker-recall/
Ours was recalled in Canada and they redplaced it. I don't know if it is the same one that you had. The new one is working well.
BBBBob
 
UPDATE: I called KitchenAid customer service this morning and they basically told me that we were S. O. L.
They said it would cost more to repair than to replace. I told them that I would not be replacing it with another KitchenAid appliance. Let's just say that their "Customer Retention" efforts were less than stellar.
He then had the nerve to try and sell me a KitchenAid coffee grinder. I said "Why on earth would I buy a second of your crap products since you obviously don't stand behind what you sell. You sir have lost a KitchenAid customer for life."
It didn't get me a replacement, but I felt better anyway..
http://www.homerecalllist.com/kitchenaid-coffee-maker-recall/
Ours was recalled in Canada and they redplaced it. I don't know if it is the same one that you had. The new one is working well.
BBBBob
.
Apparently not. Kitchenaid's customer service was next to none. They basically told us it would cost more to buy a new one than to repair the one we have.
We bought a new one....it wasn't a Kitchenaid. They've lost a customer for life.
 
Depending on how much coffee you make, you may want to consider a Bunn. I fought DH for several years and many deaths of Mr. Coffee and the like before I conceded and have never been happier. As Barry said a pot in 3 minutes! Guests don't even know you had run out! There are many models, the cheepist commercial one is the one we have and has lasted for many years now.
Two things when thinking Bunn:
Do not buy the home model, does not last like it should as it is not made like the commerical models (yes, personal experience)
Bunns have a small hot water heater (thus the 3 min pot). If you will not be using it every day make sure to run it at least every other day (even just to run water through) or unplug. But then you have to remember to plug it back in!!!! I use it to make Ice tea too so it gets plenty of use here..
copperhead said:
Bunns have a small hot water heater (thus the 3 min pot). If you will not be using it every day make sure to run it at least every other day (even just to run water through) or unplug. But then you have to remember to plug it back in!!!! I use it to make Ice tea too so it gets plenty of use here.
Put it on a timer rather than turning it off for a couple of quiet days. Ours shuts off at 10 AM and turns back on at 5 AM. If we're closed or going away we unplug the timer and the coffee machine with it. Saves a LOT to not be heating and reheating that water all day long.
 
Depending on how much coffee you make, you may want to consider a Bunn. I fought DH for several years and many deaths of Mr. Coffee and the like before I conceded and have never been happier. As Barry said a pot in 3 minutes! Guests don't even know you had run out! There are many models, the cheepist commercial one is the one we have and has lasted for many years now.
Two things when thinking Bunn:
Do not buy the home model, does not last like it should as it is not made like the commerical models (yes, personal experience)
Bunns have a small hot water heater (thus the 3 min pot). If you will not be using it every day make sure to run it at least every other day (even just to run water through) or unplug. But then you have to remember to plug it back in!!!! I use it to make Ice tea too so it gets plenty of use here..
We also have a commercial Bunn. It chiefly gets used when we do coffee for local events. Great because once you have it set up, it is so easy to use, and makes coffee fast. We use the Capresso Coffee Team machine for our daily grind and for guests.
 
We, like another responder, have the Capresso. About 5 years ago, the grinder became severely clogged. We had to send it back for repair. The company said since it was such an old model, that they would replace rather than repair it. We paid 40 dollars plus shipping for 'the repair'. The replacement is on five years running now, and when it finally goes, you bet it will be replaced with another Capresso Coffee Team machine. They are spendy, but have burr grinders, and make great coffee. The bean holder is also large enough that you aren't continually refilling it. Just a darn good machine and in our experience, a company that more than stands behind its products.
 
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