Krups - Never Again!

[whirlcool]

Over the past several years we have had several Krups Coffee pots and toasters. None have them have lasted more than 18 months!
The coffee pots usually have the heater plate which keeps the coffee warm or the water just doesn't get hot enough. These appliances were not cheap (Over $100.00 for the coffee pots and $50. for the toaster).
Last week our Krups Toaster went out (the handle wouldn't stay down to toast and the elements wouldn't turn on).
So another Krups appliance bites the dust in our house. Has anyone else had similar experiences with Krups appliances?

On a more positive note, we bought an Oster Toaster. It works much better than the Krups ever did, it toasts very evenly! It also has the stay cool exterior. It was $29.95 at Target. So far we really like it. We hope it lasts longer than the Krups did.

 

[whirlcool]

Plus it has cool blue light up controls!
I didn't even know that Oster even made toasters!

 

[DADoES]

I bought that exact Oster toaster for my grandmother last year. Or maybe it was earlier this year.

 

[foraloysius]

Actually I am very happy with my Krups handmixer and handblender. And my parents have a Krups coffeemaker that is older now than many other coffeemakers (they never descale it although they have very hard water). Perhaps the 110V appliances are different than the 230V ones overhere.

 

[whirlcool]

It seems all the Krups we have here are made in Mexico. Are the ones you have over in NL German or Mexican made?

 

[rp2813]

Allen, I agree about Krups where coffee makers are concerned. I had a Krups combo espresso/coffee maker and even using filtered water with freshly ground beans from my local independent roaster, the coffee tasted terrible, like it was either over-brewed or had been sitting for 2 hours. I dumped that machine for a simple Braun Aromaster and what a difference. I felt validated recently when I saw the same machine on the Barefoot Contessa's countertop. I replaced the Aromat with another Braun, a FlavorSelect model and was impressed with that one too. Got tired of the "grind" with whole bean every time I brewed up a pot so bought myself a Capresso that grinds & brews automatically. It's OK, but not very user friendly and I think the Brauns produce a better tasting cup of coffee.

As far as toasters go, we've alternated between toasters and actual toaster ovens. Had a cool-touch 4-slice (with two long slots) Bosch that was just OK, replaced that with a B&D toaster oven which didn't toast very well, got a KA cool touch toaster that bore a resemblance to the Bosch when we got our KA fridge, it was a very poor performer, tried a small Hamilton Beach toaster/oven combo and it didn't cut it. Now we've got a big Villa-Ware fan oven/toaster that doesn't toast all that well and takes forever to do it. One of these days I'm pulling out my 60's Sunbeam that automatically lowers the bread. If you're just doing plain white bread, it can't be beat, but it's limited to your traditional slice size. Best toasting ever, though, and Consumer Reports felt the same way.
Ralph

 

[petek]

Those automatic Sunbeams and the most inexpensive Proctor Silex toasters are probably the best conventional toasters on the market. A lot of the new ones are pretty iffy. I do have a Krups single wide slot with the quartz element instead of the wires.. it works so so. Hasn't broken tho.
Probably the fastest and one of the most even toaster ovens is the Panasonic Flash Xpress. I bought one for my mother. Uses infra red and UV or something to heat and toast. Extremely fast and it's the only toaster oven I've ever used that actually can toast bread evenly and faster than any toaster.

 

[hydralique]

I had a Krups toaster that did just the same thing, Whirlcool. The element burned out and so the locking mechanism wouldn't lock the toast in the down position - not that it matters once the element (in this case a halogen tube) is gone. My problem is that I really like long thin toasters with one slot which takes either a long slice or two regular slices end to end, since we use breadmaker and it produces loafs larger than standard size. The selection in this size toaster is awful. I now use a George Forman by Salton model that tends to burn edges while undertoasting the middle. It sucks but was the only thing I could get my hands on when the previous Braun bit the dust. The Braun lasted longer than the Krups, however.

Why is it that modern toasters never ever last more than two years??

 

[whirlcool]

I wonder if we had the same model Krups? The one we had went out with the trash the other day, but I found the original box in the attic.
I didn't know it had a halogen tube for heating. It never did toast very evenly. The bottom 1/3 of the item being toasted would be considerably darker than the middle, and the top would be hardly toasted at all. What we ended up doing was about 1/2 thru the toasting cycle was we would flip the toast upside down and continue toasting.
This Oster Toaster does a very even job of toasting each piece.

 

[hydralique]

Not the same model as mine - mine was the long thin single-slot design I prefer. Worked OK when it worked, just didn't work for long.

 

[foraloysius]

Allen,

The handmixer was made in Germany, the handblender in the E.E.C.

 

[tolivac]

I have a Krups blender in my blender collection-bought it at the Dept store here on cloesout sale-the store was closing.the unit is HORRIBLE!Makes the LOUDEST plastic on plastic sound(cheap plastic at that)but it does blend(Will It Blend?)Won't buy another.this was an expensive machine originally-was to sell for $85.00.The machine was built in Mexico.Also the pushbuttons are loose and sloppy.I have written Krups machines off my list-Are the German or European ones better?We don't have those in the US.

 

[maytagbear]

My Krups coffee pot has been good,

but it's only been lightly used in the last five years...live alone, and rarely entertain. It was made in Germany.

My Krups citrus juicer is so-so, and made in Ireland.

Certainly would not get another Krups product. Or Braun, for that matter.

At the moment, I don't think I'd get new counter top appliances at all.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[foraloysius]

Went to Germany today for some shopping. At Galeria Kaufhof (a German department store) I had a look at some Krups appliances. Most of them are made in China these days. I saw the handmixers are made in Brazil though.

 

[whirlcool]

I will admit that the Cuisinart coffee pot we purchased to replace the Krups came with a three year warranty, and we are holding on to the receipt. It's a timer model and we got it on sale for $59.95. It makes great coffee. So if it goes out it won't be as bad as the $115.00 Krups equivilent!

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Louis. Sorry to hear that Krups are not made in Germany. I have a Bosch tankless hot water heater that is made in
Portugal. I guess German companies, like American companies are moving manufacturing to other countries where it can be done cheaper and also perhaps with less quality.

Ross

 

[foraloysius]

Ross,

Not only German companies, but our own (Dutch) Philips company is moving manufacturing to other countries too. I guess they just have to in order to be able to stay competitive.

 

[westyslantfront]

I am wondering when our Whirlpools will be made in a third world country. I do not like it when I call somewhere and get someone on the phone in India with an accent that is difficult to understand. All part of today's "globalization".

Ross

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Louis,
In my 26 years of working for Lufthansa German Airlines in the US, my counterparts in Germany had much better benefits. I guess that now, it is more economical for Lufthansa to have opened a big center in the Czech Republic. German labor always had excellent benefits, perhaps the same holds true for the
Netherlands.

Ross