25 years of marriage, 6 coffee makers!
Black & Decker, under counter 12 years
Black & Decker, under counter 7 years
Mr. Coffee, 5 years
Mr. Coffee, 11 months 1 week
Mr. Coffee, 2 days
GE newest purchase 2 days ago, so far so good
2 day pot
Has anyone besides me noticed that the merchandise we buy today doesn't last as long as what we bought years ago? do you think that is by design? do the manufacturers make them short lived on purpose? Or is it poor workmanship? Is it because our merchandise used to be Made In the USA? and now it is not?
What's up with this is my question. My mother bought a Maytag Washer and it lasted 17 years. I bought a Maytag and it had to be repaired in 4th year.
2 days and counting Coffee Maker purchased Thursday of this week.
Monday AM this week: while cleaning glass pot, sun streaming in window highlighted a big crack in the glass pot. I knew I had done NOTHING to break it, I checked the heat plate it sits on and it was melted in spots with metal showing through. We had purchased this pot 11 months 1 week ago. Not only did it last less than a year it was a nightmare to operate from day 1 and why I did not return it the week I bought it, I have no idea.
Monday AM same day, buy new Mr Coffee, set the auto timer with ease, wake up Tuesday, no coffee! Push manual and wait 15 minutes impatiently for my first cup.
(husband states "user error setting up pot," I say "I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IT"S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!!!)" can you hear the tone of my voice??
Wednesday 4 AM, no coffee AGAIN! Push manual ON/OFF and NOTHING happens, nothing works, it will not even TURN OFF! I jerk plug out of wall, use old pot to make coffee (this is a 10 dollar jobby that we take with us when traveling and we have used it for 20 years and it still works)
Now we have a new one, I switched to GE and we shall see what we shall SEE!
so far I love, love, love it. Easy to set, has gourmet button, has auto button, has 4 cup button, has little button to push that says how long it's been ready, AND the coffee is delish and ready when my feet hit the floor.
What Think ye on this subject???
12 comments:
What do I think? I think you're absolutely right about things not lasting as long as they used to. And I think I sure am glad you finally got your coffee when you wanted it!
I don't think there is much doubt that the workmanship of appliances, and everything else, is inferior since our noble manufacturers moved everything over to the land of cheap labor. Nothing lasts very long, and most of the time, just after the warranty runs out, it conks out.
Then they want you to send it back to some other country at your expense. Outrageous.
I imagine that a lot of people have had the same experience with small appliances. I know that we have. Many of the old American brand names are now meaningless. Janice
I had one I bought in 1990 when I lived in Alaska. It finally died about 2005. We are on coffee maker number 4 since that one. They aren't made as well and don't last. Our back-up is one my husband bought in Alaska before we met, early nineties. It doesn't have a timer but it always works if we need it.
Well, it is prettier than the last one of just a few days, but I'm now wonedering what the gourmet button is. Of course things are not made near as good as they used to be! Cheaper materials are used to save money, overseas outsourcing means no pride in making something for your country anymore. I'm glad you showed pictures of each pot. The last one we had before our present one was a Cuisanart because it had a stainless steel pot, so I didn't have to worry about the glass cracking from temp changes, or sitting in a cold wet sink if it was hot. I could never own a glass pot, it would be cracked or broken within a week.
Hi There, I don't know how many coffee pots I have had through the years--because I didn't drink much coffee when I was younger. Silly me!!!!
I do agree that NOTHING is made as good as it used to be---NOTHING.. And it costs more now!!!! Irritating, isn't it????
We do have a Mr. Coffee --that we've had about a year. We had used my old travel one (cheap one --about $10) for a long time --until it finally died.
Our Mr. Coffee is basic --without all of the bells and whistles--but it works fine. All I wanted was a timer so that, like you, our coffee would be ready for us when we stepped out of bed each morning. We've had no problems --knock on wood.
I hope your new GE continues to work well... I don't think even GE is made in the USA anymore. Nothing is!!!
Have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy
My parents bought a refrigerator (right now I can't recall the brand but I think it is Frigidaire) shortly after they got married in 1940. They still use it. I really don't think things are made as well as they used to be.
I don't think they make anything like they used to. It's not that companies don't have the ability to make something long lasting but if they do, they'd never sell new things. We had a Maytag washer and dryer in the family for over 25 years. I replaced it with new Maytag and eventhough they are well built, they will never last that lenghth of time.
I've lost count of the coffee makers we've been through. The last one I bought was a Mr.Coffee with a stainless pot, that has lasted the longest. Of course by saying that I've given it the kiss of death! LOL!
Sunny :)
The more technology in the machines, the easier they break. It's also not in the interest of the producers to make things last too long...
I acatually never owned a coffee machine! I don't drink coffee (I drink tea) and when I have guests who don't like instant I brew it manually.
Yes, I agree....things don't last as long as they used to. I also had a washer that lasted for 20 years....and the next one I bought had to be repaired within a month.
I like the blog, it prompts a lot of interesting comments.
Dawn Treader is correct. Companies specify the quality they are prepared to pay for which is, in turn, dependant upon what the consumer is prepared to pay. We want cheaper goods. If we were prepared to pay the prices caused by using expensive material and expensive labour there would be no problem. We could have our goods made in the US or UK or New Zealand. But we want inexpensive prices. So we get cheap goods. The US has created a global economy. Like all empires they come, they flourish, they die. Quad erat demonstrandum
My M-I-L got me the same coffee pot for Christmas! So far I love it. But I don't have a clue how long it will last. You are right about things not lasting as long-and most of the time it costs almost as much to fix an appliance as it does to just go buy a new one.
I had a percolator for so many years. When we moved here 2 1/2 years ago I bought a Mr. Coffee (el cheap-o) and so far its done the job. Of course I have kept the perk pot, just in case...
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