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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
I brew a pot of coffee every morning.
(electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) George H. |
#2
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
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#3
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On 5/8/2017 9:10 PM, Rheilly Phoull wrote:
On 9/5/17 8:54 am, wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) George H. Theres cold brew but it's a lot more messing about. Freaking delicious though. -- Rick C |
#5
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On 5/10/2017 11:03 AM, Phil Hobbs wrote:
On 05/08/2017 09:10 PM, Rheilly Phoull wrote: On 9/5/17 8:54 am, wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) George H. Theres cold brew but it's a lot more messing about. I have a couple of Gevalia-branded ones that have lasted for years and years. Ebay is your friend. I took a look and there are a number of different Gevalia models. In fact, it is amazing the proliferation of coffee makers. There may be more types of coffee makers than there are types of coffee! -- Rick C |
#6
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
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#7
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 9:44:53 PM UTC-4, rickman wrote:
On 5/8/2017 8:54 PM, wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) Isn't the failure usually the thermal fuse? Sometimes yeah... I've 'fixed' maybe 3 of these now. This time not. Last night I was thinking it could be something in the micro processor, But I couldn't (didn't work very long) get into it. Hmm maybe I can ditch the uP and just put voltages on the wires to turn the relays on and off.. there's ~6-8 wires coming from the uP area. George H. A friend has a $600 coffee maker, more like an expresso machine really and it might be a lot more than $600, I don't recall, a fancy German unit. It crapped out and they found a video showing the likely culprit to be a power transistor. They got me in the loop and I confirmed that was the likely failure and ordered a new part and put it in when it came. Worked like a charm! It was quite a piece of work and made the standard drip brewers look like total junk which is what they are. I use the drip and don't mind waiting the 90 seconds it takes to heat the water on the stove. A friend has a small water heater that works just as fast as the stove if not faster and doesn't lose as much heat to the room while doing it. I have no idea where she found it, maybe at an Asian food store, the construction reminds me of a small rice maker, which I want to buy. I guess I need to check ebay. -- Rick C |
#8
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On 5/9/2017 10:49 AM, wrote:
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 9:44:53 PM UTC-4, rickman wrote: On 5/8/2017 8:54 PM, wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) Isn't the failure usually the thermal fuse? Sometimes yeah... I've 'fixed' maybe 3 of these now. This time not. Last night I was thinking it could be something in the micro processor, But I couldn't (didn't work very long) get into it. Hmm maybe I can ditch the uP and just put voltages on the wires to turn the relays on and off.. there's ~6-8 wires coming from the uP area. What is most likely bad? Switches or connectors. I don't think I would bother trying to fix the MCU. If you are convinced it's not a fuse or contact, I would suggest buying a new one this time. These things can start house fires. Have you considered a French press? I guess you still have to boil the water. Maybe you should complain to the coffee machine maker? I had a shower head from Water Pic once and the collar broke after a couple years. I wrote them complaining about the collar being made of plastic and they sent me a metal one. Maybe Mr. Coffee makes a decent unit that won't go bad a month after the warranty is up. -- Rick C |
#9
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
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#10
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 1:18:19 AM UTC-4, mike wrote:
On 5/8/2017 5:54 PM, wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them out? Another solution? I'll use a hand poured drip tomorrow, heat water on stove pour through, let drip, add more hot water. But I really like the convenience of pushing a button, going off for the morning ablution, and coming back to a cuppa. (Is cuppa only for a cup of tea.. in Oz?) George H. You can make the situation 3-4 times better by buying the cheap coffee makers when they are on sale for $9.99. I've never had one fail. One had the on/off switch right on the front begging for you to spill coffee on it. I taped a piece of plastic over that to protect it. A switch I can fix. All the ones I see around here (amazon) have timer's and other bells and whistles I don't need (or want.) I was thinking I might find an old used simple coffee maker on ebay. My mother in law has an old drip maker that must be ~10-20 years old. An electric kettle to boil water and a French Press makes pretty good coffee, but it's a PITA to use. Funnel with paper filter is easier to toss. I made about a gallon at a session and stuck it in the fridge. Obviously, I'm not a connoisseur. My latest venture is into Keurig Gen 1. You can find them for cheap to free at garage sales and thrift stores. They're broke, no matter what they say. Buy two. Take the good solenoid from one and replace the always bad solenoid in the other one. Put a switch on the plug, cuz that solenoid is always engaged, even when you think you turned the power off. And it sits right next to the water heater. Use the DIY K-cups. No sending plastic to the landfill and the cup of coffee costs about 10% of what you'd pay for the real thing. But it's still a PITA to empty/refill the cups. Keep a few of the real K-cups on hand so you can impress visitors with your extravagance and wanton disregard for the environment. ;-) No Kerig! I know they are all the rage, but I like to grind my own beans and then make one big pot. (I'm an old fart and I don't want change. :^) And what's the average lifetime of a Kerig? George H. |
#11
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
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#12
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On 5/9/2017 1:16 AM, mike wrote:
An electric kettle to boil water and a French Press makes pretty good coffee, but it's a PITA to use. Funnel with paper filter is easier to toss. I made about a gallon at a session and stuck it in the fridge. Obviously, I'm not a connoisseur. Brewed coffee keeps perfectly fine in the fridge. But tossing all those coffee grounds is such a waste. They are excellent for compost and vermiculture. My roommate would have a cup every day and the worms love both the filter and the grounds. But he is living with his girlfriend and the worms are suffering caffeine withdrawal. My latest venture is into Keurig Gen 1. You can find them for cheap to free at garage sales and thrift stores. They're broke, no matter what they say. Buy two. Take the good solenoid from one and replace the always bad solenoid in the other one. Put a switch on the plug, cuz that solenoid is always engaged, even when you think you turned the power off. And it sits right next to the water heater. Use the DIY K-cups. No sending plastic to the landfill and the cup of coffee costs about 10% of what you'd pay for the real thing. But it's still a PITA to empty/refill the cups. Keep a few of the real K-cups on hand so you can impress visitors with your extravagance and wanton disregard for the environment. ;-) Indeed! -- Rick C |
#13
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
wrote:
I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them I dunno which one you are using but around here, the basic "just a switch" Mr.Coffee 12 cup is only around $15 not including tax. I've never had the base unit go bad, we're on our 3rd one in 15 years and they are only replaced when we break the glass pot. Sounds stupid (and it is) but they (Target) wants $14.99 for the replacement pot alone and a penny less ($14.98) for the whole thing. So I have a couple spare base units under the counter. Like you, it's in use at least once a day. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, something like this: http://www.target.com/p/copco-carafe...l/-/A-16547936 and right after it's done brewing, pour the pot into it and shut off the base unit. So the base just brews and we don't use it to keep the coffee warmed. I suppose if the base is left on for hours at a time it'll shorten the life span quite a bit. So I guess if you picked up a decanter and get into the habit of using it, the Mr.Coffee will probably outlive you. -bruce |
#14
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote:
wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. Often I can take 'em apart and find the bad bit. This limps them along for another 6-12 months. (I wasn't able to find the bad bit in the latest Mr coffee that failed... grumble. (And the f'ing security bits.)) A new one is ~$30-40. Do I just keep throwing them I dunno which one you are using but around here, the basic "just a switch" Mr.Coffee 12 cup is only around $15 not including tax. I've never had the base unit go bad, we're on our 3rd one in 15 years and they are only replaced when we break the glass pot. Sounds stupid (and it is) but they (Target) wants $14.99 for the replacement pot alone and a penny less ($14.98) for the whole thing. So I have a couple spare base units under the counter. Like you, it's in use at least once a day. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, something like this: http://www.target.com/p/copco-carafe...l/-/A-16547936 and right after it's done brewing, pour the pot into it and shut off the base unit. So the base just brews and we don't use it to keep the coffee warmed. I suppose if the base is left on for hours at a time it'll shorten the life span quite a bit. Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something. I've also lost a number of glass carafes.. I'm very cautious with the carafe. I wash and dry it and put it right back into the machine. (most breakage seems to happen when the pot is left next to or in the sink and something else bumps it. A stainless steel pot is one answer. So I guess if you picked up a decanter and get into the habit of using it, the Mr.Coffee will probably outlive you. Thanks Bruce, George H. -bruce |
#15
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 7:59:36 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote: wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something. The 'gold cup' SCAA coffee standard is 45 minutes. A local restaurant a few years ago had timers and signs, and always had great coffee, presumably partly because they followed that rule. There are brewers that don't have a warmer at all, just brew directly into a Dewar flask. I'm sold on that. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Optimal-Thermal-Stainless/dp/B010SN80UK But if you really want good coffee... read this http://gizmodo.com/5642561/seeking-mojo-chasing-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee-through-science |
#16
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 8:18:11 PM UTC-4, whit3rd wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 7:59:36 AM UTC-7, wrote: On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote: wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something. The 'gold cup' SCAA coffee standard is 45 minutes. A local restaurant a few years ago had timers and signs, and always had great coffee, presumably partly because they followed that rule. Right during the week it's only on for ~10-15 minutes. During the weekend it may be longer, but as you say the coffee slowly goes from coffee to Java to Joe. (my terms). You can stand the spoon up in Joe. :^) George H. There are brewers that don't have a warmer at all, just brew directly into a Dewar flask. I'm sold on that. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Optimal-Thermal-Stainless/dp/B010SN80UK But if you really want good coffee... read this http://gizmodo.com/5642561/seeking-mojo-chasing-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee-through-science |
#17
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 8:18:11 PM UTC-4, whit3rd wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 7:59:36 AM UTC-7, wrote: On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote: wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something. The 'gold cup' SCAA coffee standard is 45 minutes. A local restaurant a few years ago had timers and signs, and always had great coffee, presumably partly because they followed that rule. With nothing except my own palate to go on, I'd say that 45 minutes is three times to long. 15 minutes is the absolute maximum coffee can stay on direct heat in my opinion. Decanted into a prewarmed insulated carafe, coffee will still be quite potable for many hours with no loss of flavor or gain of bitterness IMO. My wife and I both drink coffee black, which is why I believe we're particularly sensitive to overly heated coffee. BTW, the best coffee I've ever had is coffee that's reconstituted from a cold brew concentrate in a coffee machine. I've had this several times in several fine restaurants, and it's amazing - enough so that the first time I had it I had to corner the manager and ask how they "brewed" it. Strong and complex flavors without a hint of bitterness or any defects such as aftertaste. Why this hasn't become a hit in the consumer end is beyond me. BEST COFFEE EVER |
#18
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
The absolute WORST cup of coffee I've ever had was an "in
flight" cup given to me by the flight engineer while I was sitting in a jump seat behind the pilot on a Flying Tigers freight run from Los Angeles to Orlando around 1985. I swear they had to have made it with used hydraulic oil. -- Jeff-1.0 wa6fwi http://www.foxsmercantile.com --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com |
#19
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 1:43:07 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 8:18:11 PM UTC-4, whit3rd wrote: On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 7:59:36 AM UTC-7, wrote: On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote: wrote: I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, Yeah that might be part of it. I leave to warmer on and they now have timers to turn it off after 2hrs or something. The 'gold cup' SCAA coffee standard is 45 minutes. A local restaurant a few years ago had timers and signs, and always had great coffee, presumably partly because they followed that rule. With nothing except my own palate to go on, I'd say that 45 minutes is three times to long. 15 minutes is the absolute maximum coffee can stay on direct heat in my opinion. Decanted into a prewarmed insulated carafe, coffee will still be quite potable for many hours with no loss of flavor or gain of bitterness IMO. My wife and I both drink coffee black, which is why I believe we're particularly sensitive to overly heated coffee. BTW, the best coffee I've ever had is coffee that's reconstituted from a cold brew concentrate in a coffee machine. I've had this several times in several fine restaurants, and it's amazing - enough so that the first time I had it I had to corner the manager and ask how they "brewed" it. Strong and complex flavors without a hint of bitterness or any defects such as aftertaste. Why this hasn't become a hit in the consumer end is beyond me. BEST COFFEE EVER So it's warmed up after cold brewing? I could handle that, make a big pot and leave it in the frig for days. (As is I often dump 1/3 of the pot down the sink.) I'll go read about cold brewing. George H. |
#20
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 5:47:39 AM UTC-4, Bruce Esquibel wrote:
It just dawned on me, what we do that is probably different is we don't leave it running after the coffee is brewed. We always use a decanter, ..... and right after it's done brewing, pour the pot into it and shut off the base unit. So the base just brews and we don't use it to keep the coffee warmed. I suppose if the base is left on for hours at a time it'll shorten the life span quite a bit. I've always said that if you want to make Starbucks coffee at home, brew a weak pot of coffee and let it sit on the heat for 8 hours. Weak, burnt, and bitter coffee for a lot less than Starbucks charges. We do the same. As soon as the brew cycle is finished we get the pot off the built in hot plate and poor what's left (after serving our first two cups) into an insulated carafe. I was fortunate to find a vintage Thermos Coffee Butler (made in W. Germany) on ebay for $15 delivered in never used condition to replace the one we had that suffered an internal glass breakage. The generic one that we had did not keep anything hot for more than an hour. The vintage Coffee Butler will keep hot coffee HOT for 8 hours at least without imparting that burnt and bitter taste that keeping direct heat on it causes. |
#21
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
In article ,
Bruce Esquibel wrote: I dunno which one you are using but around here, the basic "just a switch" Mr.Coffee 12 cup is only around $15 not including tax. At the local Walmart they're around $20. A couple years ago, my new one stopped working. It seems that something sticky found its way into the water reservoir and gummed-up a simple ball valve in a rubber hose. That was easy to clean once I figured it out. Recently the light burned out in the on/off switch. Mr. Coffee does not sell that switch, so you have to go looking for a replacement. I found an NTE 54-525 at Newark Electronics for less than $2, but they wanted $10 for shipping! I ended up buying several items to spread out the cost of shipping. Gone are the days when you could buy such stuff in a local store. Fred |
#22
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Semi OT, drip coffee makers
On 5/8/2017 7:54 PM, wrote:
I brew a pot of coffee every morning. (electric) Drip coffee makers last about 6-12 months, before something goes bad. My parents bought one of these in the '50s. http://www.ebay.com/itm/162165262386 I still have it, it still works and I've never had to repair it. -- Jeff-1.0 wa6fwi http://www.foxsmercantile.com --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com |
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