China Made?

Good Morning,

DCC-2000FR

As I tossed our third, $100, two-year-old Cuisinart DCC-2000FR coffee maker in the garbage can, it occurred to me that this is becoming a routine.  It seems that just about every two years, sometimes more and sometimes a little less, that I am tossing a coffee maker in the trash.

They seem to last just long enough to have survived the “Manufacturer’s Warranty” and so that I am not disturbed enough to seek compensation for a faulty product or post a blog about how poor the product is.  Then again, I ask myself, “Have I been conditioned to accept products with a shorter usable life by manufacturers bent on pumping up sales at our expense and that of our landfills?”

With the advances and improvements in technology in the last 20 years, I have to believe that the electronics and other components in a coffee maker could be made to last for years at no greater expense to manufacturing.  So, at least in my mind, it then becomes a marketing ploy to sell more products.  We, and I am including most “Americans” with myself, when I say, have allowed ourselves to accept poor quality, because of a cheap price.  Actually, a $100 coffee maker isn’t that cheap really, but I suppose you have to pay for the features.

Shopping for a new coffee maker on the Internet and elsewhere, I soon discovered that it is virtually impossible to find a coffee maker “Made in America”.  Most coffee makers sold in the United States are “Made in China” or “P.R.C.” (People’s Republic of China).  A few are made in Europe, but even then you will find some listed as “European Style” which is a sure sign they are also “Made in China”.

I want to state here that I have nothing against the Chinese people in general.  The oppression they are under by their government is another story, but I am pretty sure your average Chinese citizen is much like us in their daily personal interactions with family and friends.  The immense and growing economy in China in the last 20 years has fostered a generation of “consumers” and I suspect as human nature plays a part, they will start to expect more of the things we take for granted in the U.S.A.  This is something we should not ignore here in the U.S.A. and realize there can be opportunities to sell “American Quality” to China.  Something we were once known for and hopefully haven’t lost completely.

DCC-3000

I believe that I am part of a growing number of Americans that pause to first shop “American” before making a purchase.  We look for value for our dollar and do not mind paying a little more to support our fellow Americans.  That being said and having done my due diligence, I am once again either relegated to boiling water on the stove to make coffee in a French Press, or purchase another China made Cuisinart Coffee Maker for $100 that has the features I want.  Funny how “Cuisinart” sounds French to me…good marketing ploy I suspect.

My expectation, albeit optimistic, is that this one may last for at least 3 years.  This time I put a label on it with the date of purchase so on that fateful day I may verify my findings.  When it dies, and I know it will, I will once again shop “American” hoping to find a company that has risen to the occasion, but for now, the choices are slim.

Love, Dad

Images: DCC-2000 & DCC-3000 were taken from Overstock.com

Once again I am grateful to Wikipedia for the definitions links on this page.