Coffeemaker Woes

[jackellis]

We just got a new coffeemaker - $30 GE version from Costco. It's a bit taller than the old one and our kitchen counters are also a few inches higher than standard. Bad combination for LOML, who stands 4-11 on a god day.

I usually rinse the filter basket and place it in the drain, knowing I'll have to put it back in the coffeemaker before I brew a pot. LOML can't easily see over the top of the coffeemaker and she's still half asleep when she gets out of bed so she's been rinsing the filter basket and putting it back in the coffeemaker after we've had coffee. In the mornings, she puts four scoops of coffee in a filter and puts the filter in the coffeemaker where the filter basket should be.

For those who are not awake enough on a Sunday to see where this is going, twice now LOML has put coffee in a filter and put the filter in coffeemaker while the filter basket sat in the drain (in plain sight this morning, too). As you might imagine, it makes a little bit of a mess when the filter collapses since it is in the opening where the filter basket sits rather than in the filter basket itself, and coffee plus coffee grounds drip everywhere.

I guess in this case the younger dog (me) is going to have to learn some new tricks.

[Gary Lange]

You need to step up to the plate and get the coffee ready the night before so all she needs to do is push the on button. You will then have great coffee every morning and no mess and the plus is a Happy Wife.

[Sam Conder]

How about making some sort of "plug" to place in the coffee maker when you remove the basket. Something out of cardboard that is the dimensions of the filter basket.

Gary's suggestion will no doubt get you some brownie points, and potentially even boost your toy, er I meen tool budget. However, I am a confessed coffee snob and there is no way I will let my grounds sit out in open air overnight. Blech.

[jackellis]

We're coffee snobs too, so ground coffee stays in the freezer until it's ready to use (OK, we're amateur coffee snobs).

I insisted on cleaning up the mess so all is forgiven.

[BerniePA]

In reading your initial post, why would you not follow your wife's procedure and replace the filter basket in the machine after rinsing? Then there would be no problem and everyone would know where the filter basket was -- where it should be. The coffee maker is meant to have water through it, so a few drops after it is rinsed while it dries in place should not hurt it, and if this is a concern to you, dry it before putting it back in the machine. Either way, having the machine put together correctly in preparation for the next use makes sense to me.

Would you not do this with your shop tools?

[cwsmith]

You could follow any of the excellent suggestions, but in view that it's Mother's day you might want to offer some permanent solutions:

Build a nice coffee center (in a wood of her choice of course) that is sized to her excellent height (my wonderful women is 4'11" also); or consider cutting down all the cabinets to her size!.

(Just kidding of course, but isn't is nice to have a wife who is altitude challenged... it's always nice to know that I can be replaced with a step stool )

Happy Mother's day to all the Mom's out there,

CWS

[cabinetman]

Bernie has a good solution. I wouldn't put coffee in a filter without it being in the basket, disregarding where the basket is located. Another choice would be to take the coffee to bed with you.
.

[Shep]

That reminds me

of a funny picture of a poor man's water heater