A few months back, I read the book "A Year without Made in China." One thing that stuck with me was how impossible it was for the author to find a new coffee maker that wasn't made in China. I wondered if it were really true. Well, our cheapo 18-month-old coffee maker just died so I decided to find out for myself. I'd written about it here: http://stressless.savingadvice.com/2006/05/01/kissing-and-co...
It's not that I'm completely anti-China. I have some clothes that are extremely well-made, that I love. But I'm tired of buying appliances that die after a year or so. It's bad for the environment, and it's a hassle to have to shop again. And since we drink so much coffee, I don't want to use things made from Chinese metal, which I've read often have toxic impurities in them.
The only stand-alone, electric appliance type I could find that were made in America are by Bunn. The info I found was from 2004, so it may no longer be so. They cost $100 and up. But even American-made electronic parts fail eventually, and I'd like to reclaim some counter space.
If you can get used to boiling water on the stove to make your coffee, and don't need to make a potful, there's the Aerobie Aeropress. If you need to make it by the pot, it appears the 6-cup manual Melitta system is made in the USA. I'll know for sure, either when I hear back from customer service, or mine is delivered. I ordered mine directly from Melitta USA's website, and it came to about $15, shipped.
If you're willing to branch out to other countries, there are French press pots made in Germany, stove-top drip systems from Italy, it looks like the 10-cup manual Melitta is made in Canada, and there's the Eva coffee brewer from Denmark.
If you know of other ones, please do leave the info as a comment.
I know from past experience that the glass carafe for the Melitta isn't going to last forever--we always seem to break them eventually. So I'm still looking for a stove-top all-metal system that doesn't require ongoing filter purchases. I saw some intriguing vintage coffee pots on Ebay, and would like to get one eventually. I was excited to see a aluminum stove-top Dripolator at Vermont Country Store, very similar to some vintage ones on Ebay--but then I saw the same thing at Fantes.com, where they said it was... made in China. So I think I'll go for a vintage one to have in reserve.
Next time--kettles!
Coffee makers - not Made In China
January 30th, 2008 at 08:20 am
January 30th, 2008 at 11:21 am
January 30th, 2008 at 11:35 am
January 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am
January 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Joan's suggestion is good, too. That makes good coffee.
January 30th, 2008 at 05:23 pm
January 30th, 2008 at 09:46 pm
i have never used a plunger coffee maker (too weak!) or one of those drippy things, or even the paper cone things. i have always used either a plug-in-the-wall coffee machine (made in china, lasted 4 years and counting and only cost $60) or a stove top percolater (my one is made in italy - cost around $20 and the only thing you have to replace is the rubber ring on the inside).
my advice with coffee machines (or any appliance) is to make sure they have some sort of warranty.
anyway hope i helped.
January 31st, 2008 at 02:42 pm
Mine is the expensive thermal carafe type. Runs about $139-$149. That is, if it was in the box with all the parts. Turns out the one I bought was a display model found on the endcap of a Target store, no box, no warranty papers, and missing a few parts. Marked down to $45. So I bought it.
Knowing Bunn is one of those American companies that are proud of the products they manufacture I called them up and explained about the missing parts. All they needed were the serial numbers on the bottom of the machine and my address. Viola, parts were sent at no cost to me and I get to drink great (organic) coffee everyday.
June 1st, 2008 at 01:50 pm
July 24th, 2008 at 03:28 am
I appreciate this blog and the suggestions. I'm with ya'll. Thanks Sandie for her reasons for not buying from China. Many factories are full of 12 year old working 16 hour shifts. While some products from China are well much of the economy based on slave labor.
I have heard credible stories of intentional slip ups (lead dust sprinkled in herbs sent overseas so they weigh more/can charge more). Some of the intentional slip ups may not even be directed at the USA but in protest of the Chinese government.
Standards for metal alloys are lax too. My rule is not to buy anything I put in my mouth from China. It's getting harder and harder. I noticed that several brands of tinned Oysters are now farm-raised in China. And many kitchen appliance cords are made with Lead.
Best of Luck!
August 21st, 2008 at 10:43 am
david.organogold.com/na/biz/
September 8th, 2008 at 09:03 pm
Aero Press - U.S.
Bodum - Mostly Europe, but check individual model
Braun - Czech Republic and Germany
Bunn-O-Matic - U.S. and Canada
Chemex - Germany and Taiwan
Krups (Moka model) - France, discontinued by still widely available.
Technivorm - Holland
December 11th, 2008 at 04:49 pm
December 26th, 2008 at 08:20 am
December 28th, 2008 at 03:12 pm
Also, I buy only American produced coffee from Hawaii. For thos interested here are but a few places that offer Hawaiian coffee:
konacoffeehawaiian.com/
kona-coffee.com/konastore/
sugaikonacoffee.com/
konacoffeeandtea.com/
December 29th, 2008 at 01:26 pm
February 24th, 2009 at 08:51 am
If, Americans would net work once a month, every month, getting the word out via the internet, ceasing all purchases of China made junk (often dangerous) we may drive our point home.
I have been looking for clothes pins not made in China for over two years. I have a friend going to Italy for the summer. She has agreed to hopfully bring back a surplus of clothes pins for me. I am also searching for a new coffee maker. I thank you for the tips.
April 26th, 2009 at 01:17 pm
May 21st, 2009 at 09:14 am
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 am
August 28th, 2009 at 05:32 pm
October 18th, 2009 at 01:38 pm
December 2nd, 2009 at 08:52 pm
1. Approximately 1% of all Chinese made products are made by prisoners, at least half of whom are political prisoners. No country in the world can compete with a salary of three bowls of rice a day and all the water you can drink.
2. China’s does not abide by accepted environmental and safety standards. Pollution is so bad, for example, that an American sales rep told me one could not see the sun rise in Shanghai. Over 1000 people were killed in mining accidents in 2004 and
approximately 1000 in 2005. In any other civilized country mines would be shut
down until safety issues were corrected.
3. The yen is tied to the dollar rather than floating independently and it is undervalued by about 40% making Chinese goods forty percent cheaper than they should be relative to the U.S. dollar. When the value of the dollar rises foreign goods (including Chinese) become cheaper but the cost of American goods to foreigners rises. The token response of the Chinese this year to correct this by about 10% is an insult.
4. The Chinese government takes about 60% of the profits of “private” Chinese companies for government use, which is primarily military. China has the capability now of delivering nuclear warheads to North America…and we are helping that cause by buying Chinese goods. If you think China’s goal of landing on the moon in 2025 is to simply put a flag there – think again.
5. The regime of Hu Jintao, China’s president, controls all media (see a CBS report re: free access of reporters in coverage of the Olympics) and controls the Internet limiting access to information sites.
6. In the past decade about 4000 prisoners were executed a year, mostly political prisoners. Since 1975 approximately 200,000 prisoners have been executed…not unlike Saddam Hussein… the difference is we invaded Iraq to liberate the country and at the same time granted China “Most Favored Nation” trading status. What’s wrong with this picture? In less than 10 years China will be our biggest competitor for Middle Eastern oil…and we will have bankrolled their military
7. China holds about 70% of our foreign debt, which means they would create havoc in our economy if they demanded payment. A Chinese owned company, by the way, operates San Diego harbor and is responsible for maintenance of the Panama Canal.
8. American manufacturer’s move to China have cost the American worker 2.7 million manufacturing jobs since 2000…replaced by “service” sector jobs. Ten of China’s Top 40 “exporters” to the US are American companies. When a big deal is made of us exporting a product (like GE locomotives) to China read the rest of the story – only part of the product is made in America. By Chinese government regulation a significant percentage of it must be produced in China. Have you wondered how trade secrets are stolen? By the way, cars identical to GM products are produced in China for Chinese people by Chinese corporations – the vehicle having been copied to the finest detail for production purposes. Wonder why GM had a cardiac arrest? And speaking of that, multiple deaths of cardiac patients in US and Europe for heparin made in China, fake anti-malarial drugs sold in third world countries, toothpaste contamination from diethylene glycol, dimethyl fumarate contamination of leather sofas in the UK resulting in a $14.3 million settlement by British retailers, etc.,etc.
These are just some of the reasons I boycott Chinese made products.
I may be drinking instant coffee for a while but thanks to the information provided above I am confident that I will eventually find a coffee maker not made in China.
January 13th, 2010 at 06:21 am
January 17th, 2010 at 02:39 pm
February 5th, 2010 at 12:25 am
By that I mean latching on to this or that latest, most innovative idea that some self styled money making guru has put out in the hope it’ll go viral and make them a lot of money off the backs of all the headless chickens who will follow them blindly down a blind alley. Its a shame but a truism nonetheless that people will follow where someone they see as an expert leads. Even if they lead them to certain disaster, which is what most of the gurus tend to do to their flocks.
The trick is to recognize a shadow when you see it!
www.onlineuniversalwork.com
February 14th, 2010 at 07:09 pm