Monday, May 14, 2012

Grinding my teeth!

by Julie Hyzy

The last time I bought a coffee grinder, I did so in a hurry because my old one had pooped out. I rushed out to Target and picked up the best one I could find for the least amount of money. You know what they say about getting what you pay for, right?

Well, I despise my grinder for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that the cord is so short that I have to lean across the counter to hold the button down while it's grinding. Yeah, it's not a touch-and-go. Urgh.

After more than a year of this, I decided to treat myself to a better grinder and began a search online. I wanted one made in the USA, if possible. Unbelievably I found one right away at Dillard's. I don't have a Dillard's around here, but I could order it and have it shipped.

Here's the link to their site for you to see exactly what I saw: Krups Burr Grinder.  It says Made in the USA, right? I didn't misread that. In order to save a little money, I ordered it elsewhere, where the grinder cost less and shipping was free. Same item, but the description on the site didn't mention country of origin.

You probably guessed it. The grinder is NOT made in the US. It's made in China, which is where my last (awful) grinder was made. Not that one grinder's performance should impact another's, but I do *try* to buy American made whenever possible (not easy).

This model is the same as the Dillard's one, so I can only guess that Dillard's mislabeled it on their site. If I'd bought it from them, I could have returned it for that reason, but because I went elsewhere, I'm don't have that option. This has me grinding my teeth more than grinding coffee beans.

So, here's my question: Do you try to buy goods made in your own country? And do you experience frustration finding "home made" items?



Jeanne Lowery Meeks said...

Hi Julie, You are so right. Buying American is important, but also hard to do, especially in electronics. Everything seems to be made to be disposable. My antiquey stuff seems to work the best.

Aurian said...

If possible, I do buy the Dutch brand Philips for my Kitchen appliances. It is not cheap, but it is good quality. For other things, it is not so important.

Dru said...

It is hard to buy American as there's not out there and if you find something made in America, why does it cost twice as much as a non-American made product?

Add to that, the products are not made as strong or sturdy as they were in years gone by.

Deb said...

We were talking about this exact subject last night regarding groceries, especially canned goods - some packaged in the U.S., some not, and how difficult it is to sort thru. I'm trying to make a small difference.

ev said...

I do as much as possible. There is a site and stores called "Made in America". Also a site "Made in the USA". We have a store here too that is all USA made products.

As for the coffee grinder. Ours died after just a year- a Black & Decker. They aren't even made here any more and I always trusted them. So we went looking for another one and as usual, I ended up with Cuisinart. I usually do these days- they are well built, perform consistantly and look good. If I'm going to drop bucks on kitchen stuff, I'm going with something that has proven itself to me time and again. (The new grinder has many different grind settings and will grind and stop automatically based on the number of cups you choose. No measuring, no guessing. Love it!!!)

Linda C said...

No. I usually don't even try to buy American made, there is not much selection that is. I check for reviews and quality and buy what seems to work best.

It reminds me of when I was in a souvenir shop looking at mugs with a logo of the place I was visiting, and all the mugs were from China. Now I do try to find souvenirs that are made in the area that I am visiting, but it is hard.

Barbara said...

I've pretty much given up on trying to buy American but that's one of my husband's pet peeves. He looks at the country of origin on everything and goes off on a rant so we don't buy at all. I would love to buy American but it's just too impossible.

Julie Hyzy said...

Jeanne - I love my antiquey stuff, too. I try to buy antique furniture rather than new as much as possible. So much character in the old items. What stories they could tell!

Aurian - I don't mind paying a little extra for locally manufactured items, but they're so hard to find. It's nice you have a brand to rely on!

Dru - you said it! It seems everything these days is made to be disposable. And those cost differences? Sad to say, but I think those stories about child labor in other countries are true. That's why I try hard to buy locally. It just isn't always possible.

Julie Hyzy said...

Deb - exactly! I'd always assumed food was American grown/made, but that isn't the case. I've had to become vigilant about reading labels. Even on meats and produce.

Ev - I do like Cuisinart products too. And I've visited a few of those sites, but I find them difficult to navigate and hard to find what I'm looking for. But they are an excellent resource to start with. I've been buying Anchor Hocking these days instead of other glassware items because (some at least) is made in the US.

Linda C - I *know*! Seems silly to come home with a souvenir from California that's made in China. I try to find locally made items, too. Either that, or I come home empty-handed. Photos do a fine job of helping me remember a trip.

Barbara - we haven't given up yet. I do check the country of origin almost all the time. Crate & Barrel lists it on the shelf sign, usually, and I like that policy a lot.

One thing that's great for us all to remember is that all our BOOKS are created and published in the USA. Woo-hoo!! said...

Yes, books are the best domestic products, ever! Thank you for your post, Julie, and for the reminder to think about products made at home. I think this idea can extend to include items created locally and purchased at our neighborhood shops. When shopping for teacher or birthday gifts, I often stop at a my neighborhood gift shop for jewelry made by local or U.S. artists. I write a blog,, that highlights the work of local authors and artists, BTW. Shopping locally helps our communities and the environment!

Lizzie said...

Absolutely! It's a pain. You try to support your own country and jobs, yet it's virtually impossible. And honestly, some of the clothes I have purchased that have a big "Made in America" tag were awfully made and had to go back. It's sad!!

Julie Hyzy said...

Thank for the link, Mary! I will definitely bookmark it. I think shopping locally is worth the effort!

Lizzie - Oh, clothes! That's probably the hardest to find American made. I'm sorry the ones you found were poorly crafted. But it sounds as though we're all trying!