sick and tired of new scrap appliances.

[Shangas]

Our beaters are solid steel with wooden handles. Quite fun to play with, I admit it. But a pain to clean.

 

[Undertow]

For a time, I'd been looking for a hand beater like the one just pictured. Only thing I can find anywhere is an electric beater that costs $25 and doesn't do what I want. I guess I should have held on to my Kitchen Aid, which I also got rid of because it wasn't worth all the hype (although it was fairly handy).

As previously noted (months back now) there is something to be said about variety - it sounds really nice. Yet, when you're purchasing a toaster, you don't need variety, you need toast. When you're purchasing a drip coffee machine, hot coffee is the primary concern, right? So why do you need an alarm clock and various darkness settings?

There's a reason I use cast iron pans and steel cooking utensils. And there are reasons the missus and I use a 70 year old toaster, a steel oven-top percolator, pyrex, etc,. Keep your variety and feed it to the goats, I just want a hot breakfast and dinner, and I don't need some cheap piece of plastic-covered-teflon-enhanced-computer-run crap to screw that up for me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm still using the same cheap Woolworth's egg beater my grandmother bought in 1933. The paint is flaked off the handle, but it still whips the eggs to a nice froth. What more do I need?

 

[jamespowers]

As previously noted (months back now) there is something to be said about variety - it sounds really nice. Yet, when you're purchasing a toaster, you don't need variety, you need toast. When you're purchasing a drip coffee machine, hot coffee is the primary concern, right? So why do you need an alarm clock and various darkness settings?

There's a reason I use cast iron pans and steel cooking utensils. And there are reasons the missus and I use a 70 year old toaster, a steel oven-top percolator, pyrex, etc,. Keep your variety and feed it to the goats, I just want a hot breakfast and dinner, and I don't need some cheap piece of plastic-covered-teflon-enhanced-computer-run crap to screw that up for me.

You know, I often wonder about those complex appliances. You spend more time setting the darned thing and learning how it works than actually getting any use out of them.:eusa_doh:[huh]

 

[jamespowers]

I'm still using the same cheap Woolworth's egg beater my grandmother bought in 1933. The paint is flaked off the handle, but it still whips the eggs to a nice froth. What more do I need?

What about the Sunbeam mix master?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I use that for cake batter. Scrambled eggs don't need that much firepower.

 

[jamespowers]

I use that for cake batter. Scrambled eggs don't need that much firepower.

lol lol lol You have a point there.

 

[Undertow]

You know, I often wonder about those complex appliances. You spend more time setting the darned thing and learning how it works than actually getting any use out of them.:eusa_doh:[huh]

Exactly. My stepdad purchased a new drip machine a few years back for Xmas. His Mr.Coffee had broken and since the family ingests copious amounts of coffee during the holidays, it made sense to pick up a nice new machine.

Yeah. No one, and I mean no one, has figured it out in the last two years. There are buttons, a control panel, dials, lights - we've managed to get it to make coffee, but it always tastes off. We think it has something to do with the "color" settings, but it's hard to tell.

One shouldn't have to retain the novella sized manual to brew some coffee. [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

Exactly. My stepdad purchased a new drip machine a few years back for Xmas. His Mr.Coffee had broken and since the family ingests copious amounts of coffee during the holidays, it made sense to pick up a nice new machine.

Yeah. No one, and I mean no one, has figured it out in the last two years. There are buttons, a control panel, dials, lights - we've managed to get it to make coffee, but it always tastes off. We think it has something to do with the "color" settings, but it's hard to tell.

One shouldn't have to retain the novella sized manual to brew some coffee. [huh]

I know what you mean. My boss bought a new coffee machine and screwed it up royally. lol lol lol
It has the screen and all that stuff too. Fortunately, it was kind of intuitive and I got it working normal now. I love the two filters and one more filter for the water you use. lol lol You are boiling the water. Come on now! lol lol

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

One shouldn't have to retain the novella sized manual to brew some coffee. [huh]

Not only that but the people who write these manuals need to remember that not all of us went to M.I.T.

 

[jamespowers]

Not only that but the people who write these manuals need to remember that not all of us went to M.I.T.

Yeah, you have to look up the terms they use just to be sure they mean the dial on the left. I like it when they have lots of pictures. Then again, I am someone who actually reads the owners manual---most of the time.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

That's why I love vintage technical books. They were very well-written. Quite often they were written for someone with an eighth grade education who wanted to enter some kind of trade. But an eighth grade education back then was equivalent to two years of college today.

 

[jamespowers]

That's why I love vintage technical books. They were very well-written. Quite often they were written for someone with an eighth grade education who wanted to enter some kind of trade. But an eighth grade education back then was equivalent to two years of college today.

And THAT is the problem.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

And even worse, much of the material in the old technical books that would still be relevant today you don't even start to learn until senior year of college. I've also noticed that in many modern textbooks that most of it is rehash and only the last few (thin) chapters is on something that you don't know.

 

[jamespowers]

And even worse, much of the material in the old technical books that would still be relevant today you don't even start to learn until senior year of college. I've also noticed that in many modern textbooks that most of it is rehash and only the last few (thin) chapters is on something that you don't know.

I noticed that in High School.

 

[Undertow]

Not only that but the people who write these manuals need to remember that not all of us went to M.I.T.

Oh I know it.

"Approach the Super McFord Coffee Dispensing MegaMachine facing northwards. Apply pressure to starboard lever and turn counter-clockwise to 90 degrees with 137 lbs torque. Remove upper tray from slide-rail and insert AEA-Certified cotton filter #v3566 into receptacle K with serial #xss1457-23 stamped against inside lip. Replace receptacle firmly until front slide guidance button is fully depressed. Starboard lever should turn clockwise independently. Brew coffee."

 

[jamespowers]

Oh I know it.

"Approach the Super McFord Coffee Dispensing MegaMachine facing northwards. Apply pressure to starboard lever and turn counter-clockwise to 90 degrees with 137 lbs torque. Remove upper tray from slide-rail and insert AEA-Certified cotton filter #v3566 into receptacle K with serial #xss1457-23 stamped against inside lip. Replace receptacle firmly until front slide guidance button is fully depressed. Starboard lever should turn clockwise independently. Brew coffee."

And the stupid legal warnings that are supposed to prefvent idiots from hurting themselves:
"Warning! Do not pour coffee on lap. It is hot and may burn you."

 

[Mario]

For those among you who understand German here's a great documentary on the subject of planned obsolescence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVFZ4Ocz4VA

I've watched it some time ago on ARTE and just found it again on YouTube. Worth a look.

 

[Undertow]

And the stupid legal warnings that are supposed to prefvent idiots from hurting themselves:
"Warning! Do not pour coffee on lap. It is hot and may burn you."

lol

Yes! Honestly, they could save two trees just leaving out that one novel-sized warning about boiling your head in the coffee pot, or not throwing into the bathtub with you. Argh!

 

[jamespowers]

lol

Yes! Honestly, they could save two trees just leaving out that one novel-sized warning about boiling your head in the coffee pot, or not throwing into the bathtub with you. Argh!

Or the stupid instructions they put on things like the creamer packets in restuarants. If you need instructions to open that then you need to be under lock and key and not allowed to walk around with money in your pockets.:eusa_doh: