Ever Wonder Why Keurigs Are So Expensive?

[LongBlade]

I have.

I recently got the opportunity to find out.

As some of you may know, my coffee maker died recently. So I called the company.

First thing I learned is you don't pronounce the name like the Germans might. I've heard it pronounced a couple of ways by company help reps. "Kerrick" seems to be the most common, but I've also heard "Currick." Either way there ya go.

Having had an issue with my dad's machine a year or so ago I figured I'd call the company rep for help. Why? weird stuff happens simply because the machine needs cleaning. Like, if it's not pouring the correct size cup. You'd think that was an electronic problem. But no, their suggestion is to clean the machine with vinegar and then lots of water. Amazingly it works.

So this time my machine won't start. Hoping against hope they have some super-secret way of resurrecting the dead I call. They take down lots of info on me. They ask insightful questions like "Is it plugged in?"

Then they pronounce judgement. "Sorry, your machine is out of warranty and it is beyond repair." Not the words you want to hear when all you want to do is

-------->

But wait! There's good news!

Really.

"We don't want you to be without coffee, so we'll let you buy a new one of the same model for $99."

Holy smokes! That's like 33% off the normal price. I have never found a place selling these at that kind of a discount. This is really good news. Also tells me that they make most of their money on selling the k-kups, but that's a different issue.

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

OK, so I have a dead coffee maker. What would any reasonable man do in my shoes? My family is gone. I'm not especially mechanically or electronically inclined. What do I do? I tear it apart to see how it works. Bonus points if I can fix it.

Flipping it over is the usual warning.



"NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE."

That sounds like an invitation if I've ever heard one. I pull out the screws. There's like a dozen.

The plate comes off. It appears to have three ground wires attached to it. OK. So I try to wiggle the outer casing of the machine off and squeeze the base plate through.

No dice. The casing doesn't want to come off at all. I try to be gentle and find the little plastic clips to the top. Nope. I try to be forceful and pull aggressively.

Nope.

So I do what any other reasonable person would do. I find a tool to fix the problem:



Perfect!

Now the case is open and I can get to the problem, fix it and have coffee again! Right? Not so fast.

Look at this thing.



How many tubes do you need to make water flow from a reservoir to a heater to your coffee cup? Apparently about fifty.

And talk about wiring!



Even to get to the brains of this thing I'm talking about pulling wires until the cows come home. This thing is crazy. Now I know why it costs so much. Think of all the time spent either programming machines to make this or to beat Chinese prison laborers to put this thing together.

I think I'm buying a new one at the discounted price. My only question is whether there are any parts inside of this thing that I can pull out to use as terrain or buildings for some sci-fi minis...

[bayonetbrant]

it looks like someone walked by the design team and said "I dare you to cram another 2 wires in there!"

[W8taminute]

Intersting.  Thanks for sharing the guts of your Keurig.  I've got one too and was always curious about what was under the hood. 

Notice the high quality solenoid actuators and the nice surgical tubing.  Plus the frame that all the parts are connected to appears to be of high quality.  What's the brand name of the solenoids if you don't mind my geeky question?

[Centurion40]

My wife bought me one for my birthday, Nov. 2010, at Costco; it died 2 weeks ago.  We took it back to Costco, at the suggestion of an acquaintance, with no receipt.  Costco keeps all sales on record; and we got a full refund!  Yep, almost 3 years later!!  So we bought a brand new one at Costco, with all the bells and whistles and 4 boxes of coffee, and pocketed $5 because the new one was less expensive than the one the Mrs. bought me in 2010!!

:)

[LongBlade]

Intersting.  Thanks for sharing the guts of your Keurig.  I've got one too and was always curious about what was under the hood. 

Notice the high quality solenoid actuators and the nice surgical tubing.  Plus the frame that all the parts are connected to appears to be of high quality.  What's the brand name of the solenoids if you don't mind my geeky question?

How's this?

[undercovergeek]

aah-ahhh! You have a woman's hand, milord! I'll wager these dainty pinkies never weighed anchor in a storm.

[W8taminute]

Thanks LB.  Unfortunately that is a cheap pump made by a chinese company:  http://www.xmconjoin.com/productdetail.asp?cat_ID=4&P_ID=13

A good name you can trust for solenoid air or liquid pumps is Asco or Parker:  http://www.ascovalve.com/Applications/Products/MiniatureSolenoidValves.aspx
http://ph.parker.com/us/12051/en/miniature-fluidics


Not sure if this is why your machine was not pouring water but there you go.  Isopropyl alcohol is what we use to clean out mini solenoid valves like these but that might not be a good idea with a coffee maker. 

[LongBlade]

Actually, this time it wouldn't even turn on. Power button just failed to work.

I suspect it's bad wiring, though a board could have gone bad. But I'm not interested in tearing this thing down to find out only to have to rebuild it. Way too much trouble getting things back where they are supposed to be.

[W8taminute]

...Way too much trouble getting things back where they are supposed to be.

Smart engineering on their part though.  Make a product that no one can easily repair and re-assemble on their own.  You're forced to spend more money on them by buying another unit. 

[bayonetbrant]

But I'm not interested in tearing this thing down to find out only to have to rebuild it.

sure you are!  you're a guy, right?!

I mean, you've already torn it down.  now put it back together as a power washer or something :)

[LongBlade]

aah-ahhh! You have a woman's hand, milord! I'll wager these dainty pinkies never weighed anchor in a storm.

You're right, it's been a while since I've weighed an anchor (my folks used to have a boat on the lake).

My family might chuckle at the comment of "tender pinkies," however...

8)

[LongBlade]

But I'm not interested in tearing this thing down to find out only to have to rebuild it.

sure you are!  you're a guy, right?!

I mean, you've already torn it down.  now put it back together as a power washer or something :)

I wish I were smart enough (or so inclined). My brain just doesn't work that way.

[airboy]

I think the Keurig craze is just nuts.  It uses ground coffee.  Do you guys know the level of allowed impurities in ground coffee?  Coffee plantations put their absolute worst coffee in ground, especially instant.  I read up on this and threw out all of the ground coffee in the house.

Bunn home coffee makers come with heated tanks of water so the brewing process is both fast and excellent.  You can use much better coffee than the ground crap they put in Keurig's. 

Get a Bunn & a good thermos and you will be drinking excellent coffee if you guy good whole bean stuff.

R. Dalton Coffee is simply excellent for example.  See: http://filadelfiacoffee.com/  Best coffee I've ever had in my life.

[bob48]

aah-ahhh! You have a woman's hand, milord! I'll wager these dainty pinkies never weighed anchor in a storm.

LOL - now I have to go and watch Blackadder again............

[GDS_Starfury]

I applaud LBs choice of tools.