# Average lifespan of your coffeemaker?



## MACenstein'sMonster (Aug 21, 2008)

Just lost another one. It was a Cuisinart 12 Cup Programmable with a retro look. Lasted over 3 years and was used almost daily every morning and sometimes in the evening when we had company. She had a good life. A moment of drip free silence please....

Now I have a new Cuisinart! Hopefully better than whatshername. This model has an insulated carafe so that when it's done brewing it shuts off completely. No hot plate that continues heating/scorching my morning Joe long after it cooks. I'm thinking this could help with longevity since it's only running for that short duration during the brew cycle. I hope there's merit to my theory because I paid a fair schilling for 'er. 

What's the average lifespan of your drip coffeemaker? How often do you use it? How often do you clean it? Does she/he have a name and do you find yourself growing attached?


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## MLeh (Dec 23, 2005)

Our last coffee maker lasted over 20 years, and then just before Christmas last year I accidentally broke the carafe (granite counters 1, carafe 0) and it was cheaper to buy a new coffee maker than to buy a replacement carafe. What's with that?

The new one is junk, by the way - I expect it won't last nearly as long as the old one.

I'm finding most new stuff is junk. We got a lot of new small appliances last year when we gave our old ones to our daughter when she moved out. 

Our recently purchased kettle broke after about a year. My husband disassembled it, found the too thin gauge wire that had burned through, replaced the wire, and now it's back up and running just like new. If he wasn't fixer guy we'd have had to buy a new one - all because of a cheap wire.

Disposable society, I guess, with built in obsolescence.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Not a drip coffee maker, but I've gone through innumerable french presses (Bodums). Glass has often shattered as I stir prior to pressing.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Mine has sat in the back of my cupboard unused for nearly 5 years.... I finally broke it out and used it this weekend because I had some people over for brunch and I know at least one of them would want some reasonably decent coffee. 

It worked fine. In fact, it sounds like a similar model to what you have.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Dunno, never owned one.

Only coffee in the house is a little jar of instant I use in a chocolate mousse recipe...


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

chasMac said:


> Not a drip coffee maker, but I've gone through innumerable french presses (Bodums). Glass has often shattered as I stir prior to pressing.


Wow - that must have been a mess!
Did you ever talk to the manufacturer about that? That really should never happen.

I use French Presses for about half the coffee I make, never had one break on me.
The other times I use a single cone filter directly into a single cup.
Nothing to break there either mechanically or electrically ever.

I gave up on drip coffee makers years ago, I find coffee made using a French Press tastes better.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

shoot, I have a cuisinart 12 cup with a retro look, about 2ish years old... and yours only lasted 3 years???


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

chasMac said:


> Not a drip coffee maker, but I've gone through innumerable french presses (Bodums). Glass has often shattered as I stir prior to pressing.


I switched to Plexiglas--not an aesthetically pleasing choice, but it's lasted three years already. Electric coffee makers are junk.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

krs said:


> Wow - that must have been a mess!
> Did you ever talk to the manufacturer about that? That really should never happen.
> 
> I gave up on drip coffee makers years ago, I find coffee made using a French Press tastes better.


Maybe I stir too aggressively? It is a huge mess, especially when the concoction runs into drawers and all over the cutlery.

I also find that coffee made with a french press tastes better. Can't say why, stronger? Definitely feels thicker.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

chasMac said:


> Maybe I stir too aggressively? It is a huge mess, especially when the concoction runs into drawers and all over the cutlery.


Aggressive plunging is the real culprit here.


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## johnb1 (Aug 6, 2006)

*hm*

yep-aggressive plunging would do it. just physics there- try to compress a liquid that has nowheres to go, and....../didn't like french presses, myself. Liked the idea, sure, but that 
darn glass thing is a bit too fragile for my taste, and then there's the cleanup afterwards
still, it does make a darn good cup of coffee. So, I went with a stovetop Moka pot. Pretty
much idiot proof and only 1 part to replace (a bonus in my book). Lasts darn near forever

JB


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## Rps (May 2, 2009)

I have three. A Tassimo, which has lasted three years and a new Keurig which is only a couple of months old [ located in two different homes and the Keurig was on sale at a substantially lower price than the Tassimo ]. However I have had a French Press for 12 years. It's messy but it makes the best coffee, IMHO, and costs a fraction of the the other machines.
WIth coffee, I am beginning to think "low-tech" is the way to go.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

Rps said:


> ............ and costs a fraction of the the other machines.
> WIth coffee, I am beginning to think "low-tech" is the way to go.


I do not like press coffee at all - there always seem to be bits floating around in it and the damn things are a pain to clean and the damn things shatter at the slightest provocation.

I am the only coffee drinker in my house and over the years have drifted to a very low cost low tech solution. I have a filter holder that sits on my favourite large mug and that I have used for more than 10 years. I use quality filters and good quality coffee fresh ground very fine. Every cup is fresh and clean up is a breeze - just drop the used filter and grounds in the compost pile, rinse the mug and holder and yer dun.


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

I have had a Tim Horton's logo drip unit made by Bunn, (the restaurant coffee maker) for about 10 years. Just this year I accidentally cracked the carafe (Granite Countertops 2, Carafes 0). I was amazed that the carafe was only $10 to replace. 

I was expecting to be disappointed at the cost to replace it and ready to consider a whole new unit. Not so. 

One time a few years ago, I realized too late that the water spray distributor over the filter basket must have fallen off. I didn't notice until long after the grounds had been thrown away. 

I phoned Bunn to tell them my sad tale. They mailed me a new one - free - all the way to Texas. 

This unit makes great coffee, and super fast.


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## bsenka (Jan 27, 2009)

I've had the same Proctor Silex coffee maker for almost 18 years. It just works.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

If I like the coffee, I drink way too much of it, so a couple of years ago, I switched to no-name, bottom shelf instant - it tastes terrible but it satisfies that craving and keeps the headaches away.

Before that, I had a $12 WalMart special for about 10 years.

The secret is to use a clean glass pitcher to fill the water tank. If you use the carafe to fill the water tank, you're getting all that coffee-oil into the workings and that can't be good.

Margaret


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## fellfromtree (May 18, 2005)

About 11-12 months per. Hard water is hard on them. No dials, timers, or brew selectors. My only requirement- 1.8 litre capacity.


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## mrjimmy (Nov 8, 2003)

French press all the way! And yes, plunge slowly.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

I found the more expensive the model, the worst it is for durability.

Couldn't really vote because I'm currently using a 10+ yrs old cheap Sunbeam that was first in my basement office, then retired to the bottom of a cupboard when we moved and used a fancy SS Oster. The Oster was tossed when the heater plate failed after about a year and a half. Out came the trusty cheap Sunbeam until I got an even fancier Cuisinart for free. The Cuisinart was one of those dual function machines with a built in grinder. Good concept, poor execution. The thing would constantly clog and just plain not work. After that we used it as a regular drip brew machine and that only lasted a few months until it just totally failed. Don't think we got more than 10 months out of it. So once again, out came the Sunbeam and it's what we're still using now.

Also own a Tassimo, but I'm not crazy about the taste of the coffee and the Cappuccino is barely drinkable.


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## CamCanola (Jan 26, 2004)

We use a Melitta manual drip on the weekdays (used a Bodum for a decade) and a double shot stovetop espresso maker on weekends.

Needless to say the manual coffee maker should get us a bunch of years unless we break the pot. The espresso maker always seems to crap out when the release valves loose their spring and discharge too soon. I average about 3 or 4 years on them. Maybe if I splurge and get one of the better ones next time. 

I ran a coffee shop for a number of years and a real espresso maker is a gift from heaven with the right beans. If I win the lotto I would install a 240 volt single tank, single tap commercial espresso maker in our kitchen and forgo any of the other trappings of the rich.


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## Lichen Software (Jul 23, 2004)

*Gone back to basics*

We had a drip (Proctor and Sylex) for about 10 years. Then we bought a new Black and Decker drip. The caraf lid broke within 2 weeks. I had lost the receipt. Went looking at new pots - they were $17.00

We had been reading that plastic, food and males together were not a good thing due to false estrogens given off by some plastics. So we went out and got a steel, stove top perkolator. It takes about 20 minutes for a pot of coffee, but the coffee is good and I really do not see much to break with it. We use a wire on top of the stove element. This is a clover leaf shaped wire that separates the bottom of the perk from the element. I think we had it left over from way back when, when we had a ceramic Corningware perkolator.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Simple filter holder that sits over a single cup. Gets used maybe twice a year when guests bring their own coffee and don't want to make do with Timmies coffee.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

fellfromtree said:


> About 11-12 months per. Hard water is hard on them. No dials, timers, or brew selectors. My only requirement- 1.8 litre capacity.


+1

Although the decline in quality is a factor too. My grandparents used to have ones that would last for 10 years, then 5 years, now its about 18 months. Oddly enough the coffee makers lasted longer when used daily.


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