Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 00:39 -0600
From: <dawog@xxx.net>
Subject: RE: KitchenAid Ultra 12-Cup Coffee Maker
To: <KitchenAid_Denise214@xxx.whirlpool.com>Hi Denise...
Thanks for your quick response! I'm amused that you thanked me for being truthful. I guess you haven't seen just how many pieces the coffee maker is in, eh? Has anybody ever done this before, and if so, have they given you some other excuse? -- like, uh, the coffee maker exploded on the counter top, spewing coffee, grounds & coffee maker pieces everywhere!
In consideration of the options you gave me -- you (KitchenAid) do not owe me anything. You didn't make me take the coffee maker out and throw it on to the concrete. I did that all by my little self and I deserve to forfeit any consideration from KitchenAid for replacement or buyback. Besides, your Instruction Manual states that KitchenAid does not pay for damage resulting from abuse. Gee, I don't know, but I would imagine that throwing the coffee maker off your front porch might qualify as abuse, no?
I got to thinking after I had already boxed up all the pieces, that I should have checked to see if there were any adjustments I could have made (inside) that would slow down the brew cycle. I believe that it cycles water into the filter assembly faster than it can handle it. Both of the KitchenAid coffee makers brewed a full pot in approx. 7-8 minutes. That's fast! All the coffee makers we've owned previously have averaged a minimum of 12-15 minutes and a maximum of 20-25 minutes per 12-cup pot. In addition, I did not use the charcoal water filter, which I assume might also have "slowed" down the brew cycle a bit (if I had used it). Don't get me wrong -- I like the fast brew cycle, for it pretty much eliminates the need for a programmable timer -- but not at the expense of an overflowing filter assembly.
Now, if after reading the above you STILL want to offer me the options below, the only one I'd accept would be the Total Replacement option. The "Buy Back" option is "out" because I can't allow you to reimburse me for what I did to the "late" KitchenAid Ultra. With regards to "Total Replacement", I would prefer to wait (even a year or more) until you have a different carafe design, and I'd be more than happy to pay the difference if it costs more. I've put the Mr. Coffee coffee maker that we purchased last January back into service, and it makes the usual "Mr. Coffee Crappy Coffee", but I've yet to have one last for more than 8-12 months (both at home & at work).
Except for the dripping carafe and occasionally overflowing filter assembly, I REALLY like your coffee maker design! It's been a long time since I've seen one that impressed me so. I especially like the fact that it uses two heating elements and that it has a commercial rating (not to mention that it makes the best coffee I've tasted from of an electric drip coffee maker). Unfortunately, I didn't realize just how well it was crafted until I was picking up the pieces from the front lawn -- sorry :-(
I apologize for making a big deal out of the dripping carafe, but it really gets to be irritating over a ten month period. I've mentioned in all my letters about it dripping when we pour our cups of coffee. Well, we also use the carafe to fill the reservoir each night, and it drips all over the counter when we do that, too. That makes two messes we have to clean up -- one when we go to bed each night, and then every morning when we pour the coffee (or even worse if the filter assembly overflows). That's why I'd prefer to wait until you truly have a "No Spill" carafe (and that hopefully doesn't overflow the filter assembly either).
Thank you again for your quick response, and for still offering to either replace or buy back the coffee maker. I certainly don't deserve it. Feel free to change your mind after reading the above.
Sincerely,
Bill