Why would a coffee maker switch iteself off

[Harry Bloomfield]

I bought a £10 Tesco coffee machine in November, which uses an electronic on/off push button, rather than a mechanical switch. I'm the only coffee drinker here and make myself two coffees, drink one then later go back for the second one. About one third of the times I return for the second, it has turned itself off perhaps allowing to second coffee to cool.

Tesco agree it shouldn't do that and have agreed to replace it, but I have spotted reviews which suggest it does this. I never bothered reading the instructions and threw them away long since, but why would it be designed to switch off at all?

[charles]

energy saving - they all do it now.

[spuorgelgoog]

Thermos flask or equivalent. You can get coffee-pot shaped ones.

Owain

[Tim+]

Because it's designed on the basis that the coffees will be drunk simultaneously by two different people.

Basically, you're using it wrong. ;-)

Tim

[polygonum]

Coffee kept hot for more than a short time tastes disgusting? They are trying to protect you.

It might even taste nicer if allowed to cool and simply heated up in a microwave when you are ready for the second cup.

[Blanco]

And that's presumably why it has an electronic switch and not a single mechanical switch, so it can do that.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim+ formulated the question :

I agree that if I left it on for an extended period, then it has tasted disgusting, but this is a matter of 20 minutes. I drink my two small coffees within those minutes. So it is by design then, but turning off just too soon to accommodate my use?

[Brian Gaff]

:-) This is the new improved model with the siesta forced rest mode built in? Brian

[Bertie Doe]

Is it the Tesco PCM15 this is the only one I could find close to your price :-

or

That's a good price, you should have bought 2 (before they went out-of-stock). I've only read the 5 reviews on page 1 but Review 3 states "auto cut-off after 40 mins".

What keeps the model's "warming plate" warm during the first 40 mins ? If the water heating element fixed in the base and the warming plate is made of say, brass, then the residual heat in the heating element, MIGHT keep the coffee warm for 40 mins?

The amount of brass required to keep 1 litre of coffee warm for 40 mins, would be too costly? So I would suggest - after the pump has forced water up into the top of the filter (first 5 - 10 mins operation) then a cheapo thermostat keeps the base mounted element hot for the next 30 mins until the auto cut-off kicks in. So maybe the cheapo stat is stuck in the Off position?

As the PCM15 is OOS, the best Tesco can do is give you a refund? You may have a different model to the PCM15 but I guess they all work on the same principle.