On Mar 8, 11:46*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> About two *years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. *It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. *I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. *That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. *I sent it
> to the authorized service center. *I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. *I suggested they sell me a
> new *unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. *.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. *If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

Now that's some crappy customer service! WHat did you end up getting?

About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.

About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.

I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .

So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
years.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

My $80 Mr. Coffee pump espresso machine has been doing well for probably
5 years now...

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

That's sad. I've used a Krups coffee grinder for years now. It still works
but makes a noise like it might stop sometime.. However, that noise has
been happening for over a year now. So far so good.

I don't even use it for coffee beans now. It's a dedicated ferret food
grinder to powder their dry food so I can feed them warm gravy meal. They
are totally spoiled. arrghhhhh@

As with you, if mine goes out, I probably will not buy Krups again.

On 08/03/2012 2:46 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead.

That is one of the reasons I go for bare bones single purpose kitchen
appliances. I figure that the more electronics there are in a machine
the more things can go wrong.

> I sent it
> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.

That is problem with a lot of espresso machines. We have a local
appliance repair shop that is authorized to do work for a number of
major manufacturers. One time when I was in there with a non
functioning and unrepairable espresso maker I asked him about reliable
machines. He showed me a machine that someone else had brought it for
repair. The owner had paid something like $3000 for it. The parts were
not available.



>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .


FWIW... I had a Krups espresso maker and it made pretty good coffee for
a long time before it died.


I now have a Breville espresso maker and it has been making good coffee
for years.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.
>
>

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:59:57 -0600, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>
>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
>> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
>> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>>
>> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
>> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
>> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
>> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
>> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>>
>> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
>> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
>> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>>
>> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
>> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
>> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
>> years.
>
>My $80 Mr. Coffee pump espresso machine has been doing well for probably
>5 years now...

I had very good service from my last Krups ADC, lasted more than 10
years before the water heater burned out. Thqt was a few years ago
and I replaced it with a Cuisinart ADC, works fine but I'm not
thrilled with the water fill design, too small an opening. I would
never buy a combo espresso-ADC machine, I've never had luck with
multipurpose appliances and/or attachments... those things are always
pricey and if one part goes the entire thing becomes scrap. If I
wanted an espresso machine I'd buy an espresso machine, one that only
brews espresso and does nothing else, not grind beans either.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in
:

> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It
> was rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups
> had a good reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about
> $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I
> sent it to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in
> the $100 range. What I got was a notice that parts were no longer
> available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell
> me a new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They
> offered to send me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on
> the dollar. .
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy
> Krups again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never
> think about it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced
> units for a few years.
>
>


I started with 'Max'...........

http://www.appliancist.com/espresso_...ghi-magnifica-
espresso-machine.html


and he worked like a Trojan for about 4 years before he started to make
some funny noises, so we packed him off to the coffee machine doctors
who gave him a heart transplant. He's now working just as he did when we
first adopted him...... but I got bored with him.

So we adopted 'Sunny'...... we actually adopted Sunny and Sam, twins.
One lives here with us, the other lives at work.


http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em6910/


and they both came with a grinder........


http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em0480/


Max is sitting all forlorn on the floor, waiting for someone to adopt
him again.



--
Peter
Tasmania
Australia

On Thu, 8 Mar 2012 11:42:49 -0800 (PST), merryb >
wrote:


>
>Now that's some crappy customer service! WHat did you end up getting?

A Gaggia Baby from Whole Latte Love. Only used it twice so far, seems
to be good.

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:24:16 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 08/03/2012 2:46 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
>> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
>> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>>
>> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
>> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
>> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead.
>
>That is one of the reasons I go for bare bones single purpose kitchen
>appliances. I figure that the more electronics there are in a machine
>the more things can go wrong.



Right, I should have figured that when I bought it, but my wife really
liked it so I gave in. Won't do that again. Combo units never work
out.

On Thu, 8 Mar 2012 14:46:24 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
>rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
>reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
>About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
>working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
>shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
>to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
>What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
>I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
>new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
>me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>
>So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
>again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
>it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
>years.

Unless you spend approx. $1000 or more, you're not going to get a
truly decent and long lasting espresso machine.

If you really like your coffee (and I certainly do), have a look at
the Rancilio Silvia. It's the best 'budget' machine you'll find that
is actually constructed properly - that is, to a standard comparable
to commercial machines. Stainless steel and Brass internals, not
plastic. No crappy cheap pumps that wear out either (which is probably
what went wrong with your Krupps).
http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/rancilio_silvia

Ed Pawlowski > wrote in
:

> On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:24:16 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>>On 08/03/2012 2:46 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It
>>> was rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought"
>>> Krups had a good reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was
>>> about $400.
>>>
>>> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
>>> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer.
>>> Then shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was
>>> dead.
>>
>>That is one of the reasons I go for bare bones single purpose kitchen
>>appliances. I figure that the more electronics there are in a machine
>>the more things can go wrong.
>
>
>
> Right, I should have figured that when I bought it, but my wife really
> liked it so I gave in. Won't do that again. Combo units never work
> out.
>


Have a look at this for a comparison of machines in price and 'useability'.


There's a Kraps in there, too........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ku1s87sRnc



--
Peter
Tasmania
Australia

On Mar 8, 11:46*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> About two *years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. *It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. *I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. *That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. *I sent it
> to the authorized service center. *I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. *I suggested they sell me a
> new *unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. *.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. *If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

I bought a DeLonghi Nero combo coffee and espresso maker about 10
years ago and it still brews perfectly.

On Mar 8, 11:46*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> About two *years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. *It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. *I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. *That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. *I sent it
> to the authorized service center. *I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. *I suggested they sell me a
> new *unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. *.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. *If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

I remember when Braun and Krups ruled the coffeemaking world. Then
Gillette bought Braun and quit selling coffeemakers in NA. If Krups is
crap, I guess I'll have to buy a Mr. Coffee when this Braun finally
craps out.

If you want an espresso maker that should last and have replacement
parts, I would look at the La Pavoni line.

On 8/03/2012 2:46 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.
>
>

Thanks for that. I was considering a Krupps for when I returned home
but now I won't. Scratched from the list.

Jeßus wrote:

>Unless you spend approx. $1000 or more, you're not going to get a
>truly decent and long lasting espresso machine.

Do you mean in Oz bucks? In the USA, good ones can be had for $500 new
in box, less if secondhand.

spamtrap1888 wrote:

>I remember when Braun and Krups ruled the coffeemaking world. Then
>Gillette bought Braun and quit selling coffeemakers in NA. If Krups is
>crap, I guess I'll have to buy a Mr. Coffee when this Braun finally
>craps out.

What's your price range? Sounds like you're considering only low-end
ones. There are some excellent brewers in the $150-$200 range. Well
constructed, easy to use and maintain.

On Thu, 8 Mar 2012 16:52:19 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
> wrote:



>If you want an espresso maker that should last and have replacement
>parts, I would look at the La Pavoni line.

They look very nice, but the lowest price is past my budget.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> About two years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. I sent it
> to the authorized service center. I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. I suggested they sell me a
> new unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. .
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.
>
>
That's a pretty damning experience. Where was that unit made, out
of curiosity?

--
Jean B.

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:57:03 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:



>>
>That's a pretty damning experience. Where was that unit made, out
>of curiosity?

I don't recall. I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at
it.

On 08/03/2012 9:47 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
> Jeßus wrote:
>
>> Unless you spend approx. $1000 or more, you're not going to get a
>> truly decent and long lasting espresso machine.
>
> Do you mean in Oz bucks? In the USA, good ones can be had for $500 new
> in box, less if secondhand.

I don't know about a great one for $500. Here in Canada you can get a
decent one like my Breville for about $200 or you can get the same basic
type of machine with extra bells and whistles for a few hundred more. To
get a really good machine you are going to have to spend thousands. I
looked at one in a restaurant supply store that was on sale for about
$1900. It was all automatic and included a grinder. Too many things to
go wrong and espresso machines have a bad record of breaking down and
parts are hard to get. IMO it's just not worth getting a really good
machine. Save the great espresso for when you are at a coffee shop. It
takes a lot of home brewed espressos to buy one of those machines that
will make it cheaper to have at home. I figure the break even point
would be somewhere around 2000 cups.

On Mar 8, 1:46*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> About two *years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. *It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. *I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. *That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. *I sent it
> to the authorized service center. *I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. *I suggested they sell me a
> new *unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. *.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. *If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.

I had a Krups coffeemaker about 20 years ago, and when the timer
stopped working, I shipped it to the center, and they not only sent me
a brand-new one, but they paid shipping both ways. I like my Krups
small appliances.

N.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>"Jean B." wrote:
>
>>That's a pretty damning experience. Where was that unit made, out
>>of curiosity?
>
>I don't recall.
>I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.

You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. My little aluminum
espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.
http://i39.tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
frother. It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. I think I previously
mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
zipped up. I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
cheap.

On Mar 9, 8:51*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >"Jean B." wrote:
>
> >>That's a pretty damning experience. *Where was that unit made, out
> >>of curiosity?
>
> >I don't recall.
> >I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.
>
> You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
> who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
> machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
> It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
> that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
> but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.http://i39.tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
> Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
> aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
> frother. *It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
> pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
> died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. *I think I previously
> mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
> makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
> zipped up. *I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
> about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
> cheap.

I have 2 of those Moka pots- nice to take camping...

On Mar 9, 8:57*am, merryb > wrote:
> On Mar 9, 8:51*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> > >"Jean B." wrote:
>
> > >>That's a pretty damning experience. *Where was that unit made, out
> > >>of curiosity?
>
> > >I don't recall.
> > >I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.
>
> > You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> > buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> > espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> > machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
> > who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
> > machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
> > It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
> > that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
> > but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.http://i39.tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
> > Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
> > aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
> > frother. *It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
> > pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
> > died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. *I think I previously
> > mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
> > makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
> > zipped up. *I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
> > about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
> > cheap.
>
> I have 2 of those Moka pots- nice to take camping...

We've had one of those for years -- it doesn't have the pressure of a
real espresso maker of course. A couple of years ago we found their
cappuccino maker in a discount shop: about a third of the price quoted
here.

http://www.bialettishop.com/MukkaMain.htm

The cap is more enjoyable than the coffee.

Camping we take a french press -- cleaning a Bialetti is too annoying,
while the French press cleans like a mug. (The plunger with screen I
just slosh through the soapy water, or you could use a brush on it.)

On Mar 8, 2:46*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> About two *years ago I bought a Krups coffee and espresso maker. *It was
> rather pricey, but looked like good quality and I "thought" Krups had a good
> reputation. *I forget the exact price, but it was about $400.
>
> About a week after the warranty ran out, the clock and timer stopped
> working. *That was not a big deal since we never used the timer. Then
> shortly after, the electronics stopped and the machine was dead. *I sent it
> to the authorized service center. *I expected an estimate in the $100 range.
> What I got was a notice that parts were no longer available.
>
> I wrote to Krups and they confirmed no parts. *I suggested they sell me a
> new *unit for the cost of repairs, but they declined. They offered to send
> me a rebate on a new product, but that was pennies on the dollar. *.
>
> So, I bought another brand of espresso machine and vowed never to buy Krups
> again. *If it was a cheap appliance, I'd just toss it and never think about
> it again, but I expect to be able to repair higher priced units for a few
> years.
Thanks for the warning. I'll add Krups to my Cuisinart boycott list
(you've all heard my waffle iron saga, I'm sure). I'll becha it was
made in China?

I wouldn't buy anything that expensive in the first place -
thankfully, my frugal bone has protected me from such items.

In case anybody was still in doubt, here's a stark revelation of
Snotlyn's food chops.

>You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
>buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. My little aluminum
>espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
>machine...

The sad thing is you don't know the difference between real espresso
and the half-assed swill your toy machine squirts out.

Kalmia wrote:

>Thanks for the warning. I'll add Krups to my Cuisinart boycott list
>(you've all heard my waffle iron saga, I'm sure).

I haven't, but I've never encountered a defective Cuisinart product.
(Banging on wooden desk...)

On Mar 9, 9:44*am, George M. Middius > wrote:
> Kalmia wrote:
> >Thanks for the warning. I'll add Krups to my Cuisinart boycott list
> >(you've all heard my waffle iron saga, I'm sure).
>
> I haven't, but I've never encountered a defective Cuisinart product.
> (Banging on wooden desk...)

I've mentioned this before, but one of the heating rods broke in a
friend's stylish Cuisinart toaster, after a few years of use. I looked
into trying to repair it, but the product was discontinued and no
repair parts were available, so it had to be junked. My feeling is
that, if products are disposable, buy a $12 Proctor-Silex toaster
instead of a $120 Cuisinart.

On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:14:32 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>On Mar 9, 8:57*am, merryb > wrote:
>> On Mar 9, 8:51*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> > Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> > >"Jean B." wrote:
>>
>> > >>That's a pretty damning experience. *Where was that unit made, out
>> > >>of curiosity?
>>
>> > >I don't recall.
>> > >I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.
>>
>> > You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
>> > buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
>> > espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
>> > machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
>> > who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
>> > machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
>> > It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
>> > that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
>> > but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.http://i39.tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
>> > Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
>> > aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
>> > frother. *It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
>> > pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
>> > died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. *I think I previously
>> > mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
>> > makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
>> > zipped up. *I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
>> > about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
>> > cheap.
>>
>> I have 2 of those Moka pots- nice to take camping...
>
>We've had one of those for years -- it doesn't have the pressure of a
>real espresso maker of course. A couple of years ago we found their
>cappuccino maker in a discount shop: about a third of the price quoted
>here.
>
>http://www.bialettishop.com/MukkaMain.htm
>
>The cap is more enjoyable than the coffee.
>
>Camping we take a french press -- cleaning a Bialetti is too annoying,
>while the French press cleans like a mug. (The plunger with screen I
>just slosh through the soapy water, or you could use a brush on it.)

I used to camp on my own lakeside property in Washington, New
Hampshire, I'd cook on a coleman gasolene stove and wash pots in the
lake... any cooking crud got rubbed off with sand, no soap. That was
40 years ago, since any camping is at a hotel... I'm no longer into
tents, sleeping bags, bugs, and a tree in the woods for a latrine. I
have photographs in an album, I really should take the time to scan
them... too bad they didn't have digital cameras back then or I'd have
a lot more pictures. With film cameras people were frugal, film and
developing was expensive and a lot of shots didn't come out.

On Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:47:21 -0500, George M. Middius
> wrote:

>Jeßus wrote:
>
>>Unless you spend approx. $1000 or more, you're not going to get a
>>truly decent and long lasting espresso machine.
>
>Do you mean in Oz bucks? In the USA, good ones can be had for $500 new
>in box, less if secondhand.

If you mean the Rancilio, I haven't checked the Aus price for a couple
of years, but it was around $1000 back then. Other than that, I'd be
really surprised if they sold new for $500 anywhere. These machines
are basically a lifetime proposition in terms of build quality.

On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 10:17:18 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>On Mar 9, 9:44*am, George M. Middius > wrote:
>> Kalmia wrote:
>> >Thanks for the warning. I'll add Krups to my Cuisinart boycott list
>> >(you've all heard my waffle iron saga, I'm sure).
>>
>> I haven't, but I've never encountered a defective Cuisinart product.
>> (Banging on wooden desk...)
>
>I've mentioned this before, but one of the heating rods broke in a
>friend's stylish Cuisinart toaster, after a few years of use. I looked
>into trying to repair it, but the product was discontinued and no
>repair parts were available, so it had to be junked. My feeling is
>that, if products are disposable, buy a $12 Proctor-Silex toaster
>instead of a $120 Cuisinart.

I'd agree with you but I like the bagel function. One set of slots
toasts the inside of the bagel and just warms the outside.

We have this. For 38.99 it's a decent value. It's been around for
eight yeas and works just fine.

http://tinyurl.com/7ldaz94

Lou

On Mar 9, 9:14*am, spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> On Mar 9, 8:57*am, merryb > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mar 9, 8:51*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
> > > Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> > > >"Jean B." wrote:
>
> > > >>That's a pretty damning experience. *Where was that unit made, out
> > > >>of curiosity?
>
> > > >I don't recall.
> > > >I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.
>
> > > You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> > > buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> > > espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> > > machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
> > > who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
> > > machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
> > > It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
> > > that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
> > > but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.http://i39..tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
> > > Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
> > > aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
> > > frother. *It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
> > > pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
> > > died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. *I think I previously
> > > mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
> > > makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
> > > zipped up. *I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
> > > about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
> > > cheap.
>
> > I have 2 of those Moka pots- nice to take camping...
>
> We've had one of those for years -- it doesn't have the pressure of a
> real espresso maker of course. A couple of years ago we found their
> cappuccino maker in a discount shop: about a third of the price quoted
> here.
>
> http://www.bialettishop.com/MukkaMain.htm
>
> The cap is more enjoyable than the coffee.
>
> Camping we take a french press -- cleaning a Bialetti is too annoying,
> while the French press cleans like a mug. (The plunger with screen I
> just slosh through the soapy water, or you could use a brush on it.)

Yes, I have a french press for camping also. That's the "wake up"
coffee, and the moka pot is for the later splurge

On Mar 9, 9:42*am, George M. Middius > wrote:
> In case anybody was still in doubt, here's a stark revelation of
> Snotlyn's food chops.
>
> >You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> >buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> >espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> >machine...
>
> The sad thing is you don't know the difference between real espresso
> and the half-assed swill your toy machine squirts out.

You are right- there is a difference, but I sure wouldn't call it
swill.

On Mar 9, 10:20*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:14:32 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> >On Mar 9, 8:57*am, merryb > wrote:
> >> On Mar 9, 8:51*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
> >> > Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >> > >"Jean B." wrote:
>
> >> > >>That's a pretty damning experience. *Where was that unit made, out
> >> > >>of curiosity?
>
> >> > >I don't recall.
> >> > >I did not have the unit returned so I can't look at it.
>
> >> > You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> >> > buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> >> > espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> >> > machine... been using it some 40 years without incident, and no one
> >> > who has tasted a cup could tell it wasn't made with some mega-bux
> >> > machine... mine makes one mugful, you can get a much larger model.
> >> > It's the pot I used when the power went out during Irene, so I bought
> >> > that Farberware percolater, makes better coffee than my Cuisinart ADC
> >> > but is more hassle to clean otherwise I'd use it every day.http://i39.tinypic.com/ke9t0x.jpg
> >> > Years ago someone gave me a fancy Italian espresso maker, all cast
> >> > aluminum and brass with lots of copper plumbing, and with a built in
> >> > frother. *It was very heavy, took a lot of counter space, and was a
> >> > pain to use, made one tiny cup at a time, and when one day it up and
> >> > died I couldn't find anyone who would repair it. *I think I previously
> >> > mentioned that I once had my own coffee business, I used Bunn coffee
> >> > makers (all SS), some used Cory... they had the entire ADC market all
> >> > zipped up. *I made a lot of money selling coffee to businesses for
> >> > about five years up until Mr Coffee machines became available for
> >> > cheap.
>
> >> I have 2 of those Moka pots- nice to take camping...
>
> >We've had one of those for years -- it doesn't have the pressure of a
> >real espresso maker of course. A couple of years ago we found their
> >cappuccino maker in a discount shop: about a third of the price quoted
> >here.
>
> >http://www.bialettishop.com/MukkaMain.htm
>
> >The cap is more enjoyable than the coffee.
>
> >Camping we take a french press -- cleaning a Bialetti is too annoying,
> >while the French press cleans like a mug. (The plunger with screen I
> >just slosh through the soapy water, or you could use a brush on it.)
>
> I used to camp on my own lakeside property in Washington, New
> Hampshire, I'd cook on a coleman gasolene stove and wash pots in the
> lake... any cooking crud got rubbed off with sand, no soap. *That was
> 40 years ago, since any camping is at a hotel... I'm no longer into
> tents, sleeping bags, bugs, and a tree in the woods for a latrine. *I
> have photographs in an album, I really should take the time to scan
> them... too bad they didn't have digital cameras back then or I'd have
> a lot more pictures. *With film cameras people were frugal, film and
> developing was expensive and a lot of shots didn't come out.

No tents for me anymore- we have a nice tent trailer. Last time I
slept on the ground, I was so achey I could hardly move...

Jeßus wrote:

>>>Unless you spend approx. $1000 or more, you're not going to get a
>>>truly decent and long lasting espresso machine.
>>
>>Do you mean in Oz bucks? In the USA, good ones can be had for $500 new
>>in box, less if secondhand.
>
>If you mean the Rancilio, I haven't checked the Aus price for a couple
>of years, but it was around $1000 back then. Other than that, I'd be
>really surprised if they sold new for $500 anywhere. These machines
>are basically a lifetime proposition in terms of build quality.

You're right, they've gone up past $600 since the last time I checked.

<http://www.1stincoffee.com/rancilio-silvia.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparison shopping&utm_campaign=Rancilio&utm_term=Espresso%2 0MachinesM>

It's manual except for the pump, but like you say, built like a tank.

merryb wrote:

>> In case anybody was still in doubt, here's a stark revelation of
>> Snotlyn's food chops.
>>
>> >You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
>> >buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
>> >espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
>> >machine...
>>
>> The sad thing is you don't know the difference between real espresso
>> and the half-assed swill your toy machine squirts out.
>
>You are right- there is a difference, but I sure wouldn't call it
>swill.


Poetic license.

On Mar 9, 12:39*pm, George M. Middius > wrote:
> merryb wrote:
> >> In case anybody was still in doubt, here's a stark revelation of
> >> Snotlyn's food chops.
>
> >> >You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache over repairs by
> >> >buying a simple inexpensive espresso maker. *My little aluminum
> >> >espresso maker from Italy makes as good a cuppa as any $1,000
> >> >machine...
>
> >> The sad thing is you don't know the difference between real espresso
> >> and the half-assed swill your toy machine squirts out.
>
> >You are right- there is a difference, but I sure wouldn't call it
> >swill.
>
> Poetic license.

Ok, gotcha. All those Italians can't be wrong!

On Fri, 9 Mar 2012 07:58:20 -0800 (PST), Nancy2
> wrote:


>
>I had a Krups coffeemaker about 20 years ago, and when the timer
>stopped working, I shipped it to the center, and they not only sent me
>a brand-new one, but they paid shipping both ways. I like my Krups
>small appliances.
>
>N.

That was good customer service. Today, it does not work like that.
You don't ship anything to Krups, but to a service center. You pay
shipping to them, under warranty they pay shipping back, out of
warranty, you pay both ways.

On Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:29:47 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:


>
>I don't know about a great one for $500. Here in Canada you can get a
>decent one like my Breville for about $200 or you can get the same basic
>type of machine with extra bells and whistles for a few hundred more. To
>get a really good machine you are going to have to spend thousands. I
>looked at one in a restaurant supply store that was on sale for about
>$1900. It was all automatic and included a grinder. Too many things to
>go wrong and espresso machines have a bad record of breaking down and
>parts are hard to get. IMO it's just not worth getting a really good
>machine. Save the great espresso for when you are at a coffee shop. It
>takes a lot of home brewed espressos to buy one of those machines that
>will make it cheaper to have at home. I figure the break even point
>would be somewhere around 2000 cups.

What does an espresso cost at the coffee shop? If we did not have a
machine, we'd rarely drink it. Last time we stopped at a coffee shop
was last October or so. After dinner , it is nice to be able to make
one as opposed to heading out to a shop a couple of miles away. The
break even on a $250 to $400 machine is not that bad if you use it
every day.

On Mar 9, 1:13*pm, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
> On Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:29:47 -0500, Dave Smith
>
> > wrote:
>
> >I don't know about a great one for $500. Here in Canada you can get a
> >decent one like my Breville for about $200 or you can get the same basic
> >type of machine with extra bells and whistles for a few hundred more. To
> >get a really good machine you are going to have to spend thousands. *I
> >looked at one in a *restaurant supply store that was on sale for about
> >$1900. It was all automatic and included a grinder. *Too many things to
> >go wrong and espresso machines have a bad record of breaking down and
> >parts are hard to get. *IMO it's just not worth getting a really good
> >machine. Save the great espresso for when you are at a coffee shop. It
> >takes a lot of home brewed espressos to buy one of those machines that
> >will make it cheaper to have at home. I figure the break even point
> >would be somewhere around 2000 cups.
>
> What does an espresso cost at the coffee shop? *If we did not have a
> machine, we'd rarely drink it. *Last time we stopped at a coffee shop
> was last October or so. *After dinner , it is nice to be able to make
> one as opposed to heading out to a shop a couple of miles away. *The
> break even on a $250 to $400 machine is not that bad if you use it
> every day.

I believe a straight shot at Charucks runs about $1.50, not that I
would drink theirs straight up. I still like my Nespresso Pixie here
at home...