Sunbeam C30A Help Needed

[whirlcool]

I have a Sunbeam C30A that I bought on Ebay awhile back. After reading the posts here in the Sunbeam thread I decided to use this unit. I plan on using a few layers of cheesecloth as a filter til I can find some on Ebay. BTW, this coffeemaker is in like new shape.
The problem is that the conical tube and gasket that are normally attatched to the top vessel are stuck to the bottom vessel very tightly. I tried running hot water on the outside of the pot to see if I can remove the gasket and water tube, but it won't budge! I even tried putting water in the bottom and heating it, and it still won't come out. There is really nothing to grab on to to pull it out. Now I have a bunch of water stuck in the bottom vessel I can't get out!
What can I do to separate the gasket and water thingy from the bottom vessle?
The instructions don't say anything at all about this (bottom of link).

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www.oldcoffeeroasters.com

 

[retromom]

C-30 Woes!

Allen:

Could you post a picture of your C-30 in it's current condition? I have a couple of them, and I just can't picture the gasket and cone being stuck on the bottom (serving) portion of the coffeemaker. It's almost as if someone put it on the wrong end!

Calling Tom Turbomatic (our resident coffeemaker expert)! Any suggestions for Allen?

 

[whirlcool]

You are right, a picture says a thousand words:

Here is the bottom vessel with the gasket and water tower STUCK:

 

[whirlcool]

And here is a photo of the bottom of the top vessel.

Shouldn't the gasket be somehow glued/stuck to the bottom of the top vessel? Can this be repaired? As you can see this unit is in fantastic condition, I don't think it was ever used more than a time or two. Even the bottom plate and power cordlooks like new!
The power cord still has the yellow UL tag attatched!

 

[retromom]

Oh Crap!

Allen:

I'm going to have to think about this one! You have tried soaking this thing (upside down, I presume) in hot water. Maybe you could try something else. Since cold contracts, perhaps you could put the pot in the freezer for a little while. Maybe the cold would contract the gasket enough to get it out. Based on me peeking into my C-30, there isn't anything holding the cone on the bottom. It's just the gasket that's stuck on the pot.

I will rack my brain for more solutions.

Venus

 

[whirlcool]

What concerns me is that...

Even if I get the gasket/seal out and I use the coffee pot, I'm going to have the same problem again when the coffee is finished brewing and not have anyway to pour the coffee out of the bottom. From what I've seen on the instructions, using the handles, you kind of pull the top from the bottom with an upward and forward motion and the gasket is susposed to stay with the top vessel.

Retromom, on your C-30's does the gasket stick with the top vessel? If so, how do I "reattatch" the gasket to the top vessel?

 

[retromom]

No brew for you?

Allen:

Yes, the gasket and cone are attached to the top of my C-30. How is the condition of your gasket? Is it pliable or does it feel like bakelite? It's supposed to be pretty pliable. Sometimes if the coffeemaker hasn't been used in a long time, or stored in a hot place (like an attic) it becomes hard and brittle. From your description, this C-30 may not have been used at all (or at least just a few times).

Tom Turbomatic told me that the best way to attach or detach the top portion of the pot from the bottom is to move the top handle to the 3:00 position and lift; or place the top to the bottom and the 3:00 position, press down gently, and rotate the handles so that they line up.

As far as reattaching the gasket....oy! This would be about the time I would soak it in hot water to make it more pliable, then try to slip it back on around the edges. I'm not sure about the cone though. I appears to be welded on.

There are some threads (probably in the archives) that address Sunbeam vacuum coffeemakers. I will try to see if I can find out which ones they are.

Venus

 

[jetcone]

Allen

Your gasket has turned to plastic which alot of the C-30's did after use. Especially when people left the pot on all morning.

The only way I know to get that off there is to assemble the top back onto it,fill the bottom with water and cycle the pot. As it heats the gasket will become alittle pliable and you can pry it off.
But you won't be able to use that for making coffee as it won't pop off like it should and it will no longer seal to a vacuum like it should.

You will need a new gasket/top from a pot on ebay. Before you bid ask the seller if the rubber gasket is "nice and pliable to the fingers". Otherwise move on to another auction.
You'll find a gasket that works as Sunbeam changed their rubber compounding later on and those gaskets are still soft to the squeeze.

There must be 50 a week on ebay.

Jet

 

[whirlcool]

No Coffee For Me?

Jetcone:

Thanks for the advice, I put water in the pot and put the top on and plugged her in. Within moments there was tons of action! Water bubbling in the top vessel and lots of gurgling noises. Even a few droplets of water shooting through the cover on the top. Both vessels got VERY HOT! Is that how this thing is susposed to work?
I pulled the plug before the unit switched to "Low", the action was getting almost explosive. And I then used a spoon, and the gasket popped out of the bottom quite easily, darned it, I scratched the spout.
The rubber seems pretty pliable. There is a little "give" to it. It kinda has the same consistency that a sample of a rubber tire has. If you press, it gives a little.
Maybe I should soak it in vegatable or olive oil for awile?
And how can I reattatch it to the top vessel? I think if I can get that done, it'll be just fine.

 

[launderess]

No Oil!

IIRC, the standard chemical for softening hardened gaskets is a solution of household ammonina and water. Goggle newsgroup "rec.coffee" using keywords "Sunbeam Gasket" and you should find tons of posts on this subject.

Previous posters advice is a good one, get yourself another pot. Not only will you not have to bother faffing about with bad gasket, it does pay to have spares about.

One really does not wish to go though all the trouble to grind fresh beans, brew the coffee only to have the darn thing refuse to budge open. Not to mention that pot will be quite hot and the risk of harm from messing about to save your brew can lead to nasty burns.

Launderess

 

[retromom]

You may still be able to use it.....

Laundress and Jet:

You are so right. Now I know why I see so many "orphaned" C-30 pots on ebay. Perhaps the gaskets went bad and the owners threw the tops away.

You could try to put the gasket back on and run a test brew with some water; then try to separate the units. If the top disengages without any problem, your C-30 may be salvageable!

Good luck on finding a new one Allen. May I recommend the Sunbeam C-50? It has "ears" on it instead of a handle and is much easier to deal with as far as separating the two units.

Laundress: Thanks for the tip about the ammonia on the gaskets. Hopefully, I won't have to use it any time soon!

Venus

 

[whirlcool]

Thanks Everyone!

I certainly do appreciate all the assistance ou have offered here. It is such a shame that this pot isn't usable, as it looks very nice. I'll see if the Seller will take it back, after all it can't be used....

 

[jetcone]

Allen

when looking at gaskets here is a tip:
Look at the photo of your gasket again see the lip is shiny!
A good gasket is never shiny it is a dull black/charcoal the duller the better that means it hasn't turned to plastic.
Your gasket will harden up again once it cools and each time it will get harder and harder.

Yes see if the seller will take it back if he/she advertised it as usable.
Good luck gaskets are still avaiable off other pots!!

jet

 

[whirlcool]

Jon:

The reason the gasket is shiny is because it was still wet after I took it out of the coffee pot by cycling a pot of water through it. Normally the gasket is very dull.
Since we know that we can get the gasket easily out when the unit is hot, we are going to give it a try in the morning, wearing oven mits and protective clothing (think down ski jacket) We want to see if we like the type of coffee it makes before we pursue these type of coffee pots any further. I'd hate to have to go thru all the trouble of acquiring a new one only to find we don't like the coffee it makes.
I searched the news groups according to Lauderess' suggestion and it seems that there really is no cure for this problem. And it is a very common problem. After all these units are around 50 years old and I am sure that they were never designed to be used for that period of time. It appears that these pots are very popular and jillions of them were made.
If we find we don't like the coffee it makes, I am involved in a 1940's Air Terminal Restoration project and we can always send the pot down there to put in a room that will be set up as a typical office space of the late 1940's. It wouldn't be used, but it would be in there as a 1940's artifact.
In an interesting side note, I mentioned the fact that we were messing around with one of these Sunbeam vacuum pots to my cousin in the 'burbs of Chicago and she told me that her Mother worked at the Sunbeam plant on Roosevelt Road in Chicago/Cicero in the late 40's, early 50's assembling these things. They also made the T-9 toaster there. So, conceivably this pot could have been one that my aunt worked on!
What are the chances!

 

[kenmore1978]

hard gasket

I've heard that soaking the gasket in glycerine will soften it up

 

[whirlcool]

Well, we made our coffee..

this morning. It is a little strong, but still very good. I guess this is what 1940's coffee tasted like?
This coffee pot did quite well. We went for broke, filled it up to the top water mark and added the same amount of coffee we would for 8 cups of drip coffee in our Braun Coffeemaker. We also used 4 layers of cheesecloth, each layer turned 90 degrees to the other layer for maximum filtration. We buy our coffee at one of those places that roasts on site, we used a Guatmalan Antigua bean for this pot, and we did a very fine grind on it before making.
The action wasn't as violent as it was without a filter, but all the water did move "upstairs". You could actually see the water level rise as I took the lid off to observe the action. Of course all those hiccuping and gurgling sounds just add to the fun. There wasn't any hissing around the seal.
Finally, the coffee began to go back downstairs after being upstairs for about 2-3 minutes, then "pop!" the switch moved from High to Low. 12 minutes after starting we started to disassemble the top part and then using a pot holder against the lip of the bottom part,so we don't scratch the lip again, we used a spoon to pry upwards to get the seal out. It popped out easily.
The coffee is a little strong, we'll use a little less next time.
Plus, there were NO coffee grounds in the bottom part. So we seem to have that filtration issue taken care of until Ebay offers up some replacements.
So now that we know we like this kind of coffee maker, we will keep looking for another one like it. If only I could find a way to bond the seal to the top vessel......?

 

[ironrite]

Another Option

If you like that type of Sunbeam coffee pot, look for one of the later ones made, I think, in the early 1960s and a Model C50. They have the same look, but use a large "O" ring to seal the pots and two lifting "ears" to remove the upper pot. And the switch from Hi to Lo is round instead of square. I had one of these and the "O" ring was bad. A trip to my local auto parts house solved that problem.

In your travels you might also check with appliance parts stores. In the mid-1980s I was still able to find NOS gaskets for the older pots. Though again, you still have to make sure they are pliable.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Guys, the pot is not assembled correctly. The gasket with the metal plate, BUT NOT THE FUNNEL, is supposed to fit against the bottom of the top bowl. You will notice that the hole in the metal plate has threads. Make sure that the metal plate is inserted into the gasket with the raised rim up into its pocket in the gasket and the inner bottom edge of the gasket rides over onto the bottom of the metal plate. Then the tube is dropped down through the top of the upper bowl into the hole at the bottom. You will notice that the upper part of the funnel/tube has threads. Hold the upper bowl steady and twist the funnel until the bowl & gasket are held together tightly. It's a wonder you have not suffered scalds & burns from the hot water squirting between the bowls.

Once this is assembled correctly, ALWAYS have the gasket wet before you assemble the bowls for brewing (smear a couple of drops of water with a finger around the outside of the gasket). The water makes them slide together easier and the moisture between the hot metal neck of the lower bowl and the gasket helps to buffer the heat; makes it more like steaming than baking. Follow what Venus said about twisting the bowls together.

 

[whirlcool]

The gasket with the metal plate IS resting against the bottom of the top bowl when brewing. I listened for any hissing noises coming from the gasket between the bowls and didn't hear a thing.
I did wet the seal with hot water before using it as it then can be easily placed in the top of the bottom part.
I think if I could just find a way to attatch the seal to the bottom of the top pot, we would be ok. Was it originally glued on?
Does anyone know what the main differences between the C-30 and C-50 are?