Frustrated customer sparks outrage after sharing experience with popular coffee maker: 'What a hunk of junk'

Coffee fans are upset that their Keurig machines often fail after just a few months of use.

What happened?

A Reddit user took to the r/keurig community to write about their Keurig K-Express that stopped working after five months.

"What a hunk of junk. 5 month old k express. Keeps saying add water and won't brew a full cup," the upset customer posted. "What a hunk of junk keurig destroying the environment and my sanity one day at a time."

"Why would you guys design a machine you cannot take apart?" they added. 

The post got attention from other Keurig owners with similar troubles.

One replied: "For a long time, I used a larger Keurig model at work. Liking it so well, I decided to buy a Keurig for home. Rather than purchasing the same model as at my office, due to space limitations, I purchased the one you mention. I've been using it for about 4 months now with very similar problems. It will be going bye, bye soon."

These stories reflect a bigger issue: appliances that break too soon and can't be fixed. When coffee makers fail early, people must throw them out and buy new ones.

Why is electronic waste important?

The money lost on electronic trash adds up fast. Each tossed appliance means cash gone from your pocket as well as wasted work and repair costs.

Coffee makers contain copper, aluminum, and circuit boards that took resources to make. Many people pay hundreds of dollars for a coffee maker that should last years, not months.

The Earth suffers too. When electronics are discarded in landfills, they release chemicals into the soil and water, and obtaining new materials to replace those in landfills requires a lot of energy.

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Is Keurig doing anything about this?

Keurig Dr Pepper has initiated green plans. The company claims that 96% of its packaging is "recyclable or compostable" and that it has launched a successful mail-back program for K-Cup pods called K-Cycle at Home.

However, Keurig Dr Pepper hasn't illustrated a focus on creating machines that last longer or can be easily repaired.

Most of the company's machines have a one-year warranty. If yours breaks after five or six months, this warranty helps, but it still requires you to send back your product instead of making a fix at home.

However, some Keurig models require more upkeep than others, with cleaning steps and removable parts that help them last longer.

What can I do to help cut down electronic waste?

Look for coffee makers that are built to last and can be easily repaired. French presses, pour-over sets, and basic drip coffee makers have fewer electric parts and can work for years.

For gadgets you no longer use, proper recycling is essential. Trashie's Tech Take Back Box is an easy way to recycle electronics from home so useful materials get used again.

Before buying any kitchen tool, read consumer reviews to learn about its durability and choose brands that offer repair parts. Sites such as iFixit show how easy many electronics are to fix.

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