Sometimes people tell me that I have an interesting life. It seems that weird things happen to me. I thought everyone had experiences like mine. Would that be called—normal? Well, sometimes, that word definitely does not apply. Let me tell you my coffee maker story. Definitely ABnormal.

For a period of time, I was buying a new coffee maker every year. On their one-year anniversaries, they bit the dust. This was very, very annoying to me. You have to realize that I am a coffee snob. A coffee-aholic. A great fan of excellent coffee. (I am NOT addicted!! Take it back!) I don’t just run out and buy a $14 coffee maker. When one bites the dust, it’s over. That brand is toast—no more chances. I have tried Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker, West Bend, Braun, Senseo (blech!), and countless others. I spend a great deal of time researching, handling, and thinking, before I buy a new one.

I finally got fed up with this annual foray to the department stores and decided it was time to look at the higher-end coffee makers. For quite a while I had coveted the new Kitchen Aid product–their first journey into coffee makers. I saved my pennies, watched for sales, and finally got my new KA–a beautiful $100 model. The main reason I chose it was the electric plug. It didn’t have a weasely little ordinary cord. This puppy was 3-pronged. Heavy duty. Fat. Industrial strength. THAT was what I needed.

I bought it. No timer, but it did have auto shut-off and a water filter. And, it made great coffee. That is really the only important thing other than durability. This coffee maker and I had a great relationship for 5 years. (If I had paid full price, that would amount to $20 per year!) It served me very well. However, it was starting to get past the point of decalcification. I was beginning to look around for its replacement. Coffee makers these days can be very complex with lots of bells and whistles. But where was the heavy-duty plug? Not to be found. And, KA did not have a product on the market.

I was about to resign myself to spending an even greater fortune on the next one, when KA sent me a letter. These words jumped off the envelope–Notification of Recall. What? I have a KA mixer. I had ordered my daughter a KA mixer. My first thoughts were full of dread that one of us had a problem. I pulled out the letter, and imagine my surprise to find that my 5-year-old coffee maker had been recalled! All I had to do was call or mail the form telling them if I wanted the black or white version of their brand new product loaded with features—and a heavy duty cord! Whoa! Hold me back! Am I dreaming?

I ran to the phone and called the 1-800 number. Unfortunately, the lines were so busy, they were no longer accepting calls. Poking around online, I found the KA message board, contacted a moderator, and Voila! The deed was done. Because so many people were receiving new coffee makers, there was a production shortage. Shipment would take 6 weeks. No problem! I sure didn’t mind waiting for my new free $100 coffee maker!

Surprise, surprise! It came in 2 weeks. Oh, how excited I was to see it sitting on my front porch when I pulled into the driveway. Wait. There was a picture of the appliance on the outside of the box. Oh dear. It wasn’t in a shipping carton, just the regular cardboard box. Please…please…. My fears were completely founded. As I reached the porch, I could see that one whole side of the box was caved in and crunched. Well, maybe the coffee maker is ok. Nope. It wasn’t. It was in pieces. I got a birds eye view of how these things are put together. Back to the KA forum, and my replacement was in process.

This one took longer. I had to wait several weeks for its arrival. Holding my breath, I checked my new machine, and it appeared to be perfect. I was like a kid in a candy shop. Woo hoo! The coffee was great. But then, a problem surfaced.

This is a long story. Watch for Part 2!