Gift Giving Guy

Amazon.com sent me an e-mail today, letting me know that electronics maker Philips has announced a voluntary product recall for the Senseo single serve coffee machine that I bought. The e-tailer pulled Senseos from its web site until the issue is resolved. I was surprised and pleased that Amazon.com offers this recall alert service to its customers.

The safety problem: An electrical flaw combined with a build-up of calcium from hard water can lead to a blockage in the coffee machine. If this happens, the Senseo’s boiler could burst — a nasty burn hazard. Philips estimates the risk is about three per 1 million coffeemakers and offers free replacements for affected models. I checked our model, and it does not fall within the production dates of the design flaw.

I’ve recommended the Senseo several times. I enjoy the simplicity of a quick single mug of coffee. We’ve given the Senseo as a gift — and that’s how Amazon.com tipped me off. My sister-in-law stayed with us for a few days in 2006 and savored each cup. So we sent her and my brother-in-law a Senseo gift pack (the coffee machine and the embossed tin canister) for Christmas. I just e-mailed to let them know that they might be entitled to a new coffeemaker.