Difference between these 2 water boilers?

Ethan Kurland
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Sun Dec 29, 2019 1:18 pm

Vanenbw wrote:
Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:15 am
It's not for tea, but my Vitamix blender, which I purchased around 10 years ago is still going strong. I use it every day, blending frozen fruit and veggies, and occasionally nuts and seeds. It's a workhorse. I'm not suggesting a well-made product should work, unimpeded, for 10+ years with no issues. All products are different, but I don't think you should have to purchase the same product three times in a seven year period either. I use my kettle every day.
I sold Vita-Mix machines from the late 70s into the mid 80s. I still have mine from then, when they were stainless steel, noisy, & a bit scary for some people. Of course, that cost about $300 then; more than electric kettle.

The computer that I have needs to be sent for repair (on warranty) for the second time. If a 3rd time is needed, I want replacement. Products should work. Cheers
Vanenbw
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Sun Dec 29, 2019 4:21 pm

Agreed. The Vitamix is one of the best investments I made for the kitchen, along with my Instant Pot pressure cooker. Both are very well made. Although I have only had the pressure cooker for about 2.5 years.

Fortunately, I have never had to repair a computer, but I did return a Midwest Micro after only a few days when it picked up a virus and stopped working.
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Youzi
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Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:52 am

I have my bonavita, for about 6 years now. The only problems I get sometime, is that it doesn't recognize it is boiling meaning, reading the temperature above 95 degrees and some contact issues.

But the first issue can be solved by quickly turning the kettle back and forth a little, shaking the water, and the second one by taking the kettle off and putting it back on, so nothing major, which I wouldn't expect after 6 years of use.
Vanenbw
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Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:12 am

I have my bonavita, for about 6 years now. The only problems I get sometime, is that it doesn't recognize it is boiling meaning, reading the temperature above 95 degrees and some contact issues.
That's not bad. Things happen over time. Even my kettle is not the same as it was when I purchased it. The lid doesn't open as easily as it did, but after I recently gave it a good cleaning it's opening easier than it did. Before the cleaning, I had to give it a good slam with the palm of my hand to open the lid.

That's not a major issue after six years.
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debunix
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Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:02 am

I think it is important to be clear that I was describing 3 kettles, and I had a total of 5 years of use from them before there were problems--one after 4 years (not great, but not awful vs other similar currently marketed items), one after 1 year, one just out of the box. That's an average of 1 2/3 years of use before problems; or 1/3 that gave 'OK' service.

And that--less than 2 years per item, or 1/3 that was not a lemon--is simply is not long enough service, cost aside, for something that takes up as many resources as these electronics do in our resource-limited planet, and that has no well-established pathway for repair. Basic electric kettles from decades ago still work; if the present devices were made with sturdier connections and switches and computer chips, and better quality control, they'd could still be working for 20 years. Or if they were made easily repairable, with modular replacement parts for the vulnerable bits, so not as much was trashed when the vulnerable bits gave out.

This is a problem not just with electric kettles.
Vanenbw
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Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:36 pm

I don't think anything is made the way it used to be. I'd rather have a bare-bones device that's a workhorse and will still be kicking 15+ years than an fancy electronic device with all the bells and whistles that is poorly made and will only give me 2-3 years of service. No doubt there are benefits of technological breakthroughs, but like you said, @debunix, they need to have better quality control if they are going to last as long as the older models.
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