Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

This is HN, so I feel free to nerd-pick: IBM was right about the coffee maker!

Really, consumer-grade coffee makers aren't intended to stay on for days at a time. You need commercial machines for that, all metal and glass, that won't be a fire hazard or have melting plastic. Some facilities have strict rules about that.




When corporate offices gripe about employees bringing in home items the reason it isn't received well isn't because the rule is ridiculously illogical.

The problem is that those companies are notoriously cheap. They won't buy coffee makers or poorly maintain them and their managers are trained to act like callous idiots when questioned about it. Really, in general, most employee disatisfaction comes from managers and executives acting like callous idiots instead of actually trying to solve problems.


> Really, in general, most employee disatisfaction comes from managers and executives acting like callous idiots instead of actually trying to solve problems.

Managers and executives are usually trying to solve problems, but generally not the problems of people below them on the org chart.


Then their position in the org chart is non-sensical. That means they should be adjacent to the folks they feel no duty to.


> Then their position in the org chart is non-sensical.

Generally, org charts are designed so that the people whose problems you are expected to (and held accountable for) working to solve are above, not below.


"I don't gripe to you, Rieben. I'm a Captain. It's a chain of command. Gripes go up not down; always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer."

I always remember that the best way to succeed is not to do a good job, but to do whatever will help my boss; either make him look good, or take some burden off of his shoulders. It's cynical as hell, but that's how life is in corporate life.


This is exactly how it is - and helps make sense of some senseless requests.


There’s delicious irony in the fact that putting a (useless, if not for IBM’s rules) cardboard box over a coffee maker slightly increases the fire hazard.


I shall nerd-pick.

1. If they're not meant to stay on how come most of them have clocks?

2. Many machines no longer warm the coffee by using a heating element underneath a glass carafe, they've switched this out for insulated carafes (no glass) which tend to work better anyway.

https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/best-coffee-makers-b...


> If they're not meant to stay on how come most of them have clocks?

Specifically so that the machine is not on until a set time.

If you wanted the heating pad to be perpetually on, there would be no need for a clock. The clock is so that you can have it start brewing later.


I don't think the second point applies here, as the story in question takes place in the late 80's, before this change occurred. I don't know if coffee machines had clocks in that era, either.


Intended or not they have a proven track record of doing just fine in staff break rooms the world over.

The hand wringing is not necessary.


>Really, consumer-grade coffee makers aren't intended to stay on for days at a time

Surely a coffee maker would get a break in the afternoon/evening? I agree that using it at a duty cycle higher than it was designed might be an issue, but unless you have the entire floor share one machine it should be fine.


> urely a coffee maker would get a break in the afternoon/evening?

I know a lot of people who drink coffee all afternoon. Plus, they won't hesitate to dump and rebrew a pot if its been warming too long.


It really depends on the office. A Mister Coffee won't survive long serving the Mongolian army. Switches wear out, spills happen, stuff breaks, you need parts. For that you need something like a Bunn (https://commercial.bunn.com/38700.0011).


Don't most consumer coffee makers shut off automatically some time after brewing?


Some n=1 anecdata:

My circa-2002 Mr. Coffee brand drip coffee marker has an automatic cut-off. I have never bothered measuring it precisely, but I think it cuts off at around an hour and a half or two hours after being turned on. Believe me, there have been many times I put on a pot of coffee, got "in the zone" working on some code, got up a while later, walked in the kitchen, and found the pot of coffee stone cold. Much to my dismay. Although as a former firefighter, I do understand the intent behind this, and I can't really be mad about it.


I have a little Mr. Coffee. The manual says:

"One-Hour Auto Shut-Off – Keeps your coffee warm for 1 hour after you brew, then automatically turns off."


Many do, a surprising amount do not, including some models from brands you would recognize.

Edit: In the US, for sure. Like most of the ones on Amazon right now that are under $30.


Any coffee machine sold in the EU in the last 7/8 years is required to have a 40 minute off switch.


Yes. And I hate that so so much.

I inherited an older Moccamaster, which does not have the timeout, and the newer one went straight to storage. Unfortunately the old button without a timer is not sold as a spare anymore, or I would have "downgraded" the newer machine.


There are coffee machines that pour coffee straight into thermos.

I personally can't stand the taste of 'cooked' coffee. I'll grind and make another mug when needed in an espresso coffee maker. Doesn't take long at all. Mine is manual but you can have automatic machine to shave off even more time.


I'll often drink several cups over 3-4 hours; a 40 minute timer seems far too short.


But surely, after several hours whatever liquid remains on the brewer hardly tastes like coffee anymore?


As long as the caffeine remains in tact, all’s good!


Takes a while to "burn" good coffee, probably about 12 hours on heat.


Have you tried turning it off and on again?


Now it's cold and I have to wait 20 minutes for it to warm up again, or use the microwave. I just want my coffee man!


It flicks off every 40 minutes. Turning it on after 40 minutes will keep it warm as the hot plate has residual heat that keeps it piping hot for about 5-10 minutes fter it switches off.


Agreed, that is way too short for me. I found 2hrs or 4 hours is the reasonable amount to cut off.

I wonder EU have that 40 min cut off is due to their high voltage/amperage?


I'm assuming energy savings, as the cutoff is 5 minutes if the device has an insulated carafe.


Just decant into a thermos in that case.


Are those the same coffee makers sold by foreign companies that declare bankruptcy the moment a lawsuit takes place?


Except for (the complicated mechanical mess that is) Black & Decker, the cheap ones I've encountered don't have any one-time-only control mechanism, they just cycle the thermostat if left on long enough, which means the heating element is powered long enough to pop the thermostat again. Then they put thermal fuses in to deal with any heat buildup.


I have a Black & Decker one, it have 2-hours shut off. My previous maker is Mr. Coffee and it have 4 hours shut off.

The only I know that consumer coffee maker don't have the auto shut off is the one that have a rocking switch and they are normally the most basic kind ($10 - $30 USD).


Mine has one, but something is causing it to get stuck in the on position. We know about this because it repeatedly clicks while trying and failing to turn itself off.


They may have been correct in identifying and categorizing the problem, but they clearly failed at the solution.


IBM did it because they manufactured stuff.

The plants had large office staffs, so having different rules for offices was more complex, and the culture of uniformity was a thing for them.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: