Hello, Mr. Coffee

My idea of brand loyalty doesn't really extend to coffee makers, but I went ahead and bought a new Mr. Coffee at a big box retailer today. First, it wasn't any more expensive than the other brands, because a sale knocked off a few dollars. Second, I can be sure that the carafe from the old maker can be used as a spare for the new one.

It's a basic model. The more expensive coffee makers, including the Mr. Coffee brand, feature "programmable" features. Pass. First, because I doubt we'd ever use the more elaborate functions. Second, it's just another damn thing to break, and for all I know a failure of the programming functions might bollix the simple functions -- consumer engineering has occasionally been known to roll that way.

I can report that the new maker made a satisfactory cup of coffee this evening. At least there were no complaints. I hope it lasts at least five years, which would put its use at about $3.60 a year, not counting electric usage.