Starbucks Coffee Grinder Recall: Blade Grinders Pose Risk of Lacerations
Published: June 17th, 2009 • Comments: 14
Coffee giant Starbucks has issued a recall for more than half a million coffee grinders sold under their Starbucks Barista and Seattle’s Best Coffee brands, as reports have been received of the grinders failing to turn off or turning on unexpectedly, posing a potential laceration hazard for consumers.
The Starbucks coffee grinder recall was announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), indicating that at least 176 reports of problems with the grinders have been received, including at least three people who suffered injuries to their hands when the grinder turned on unexpectedly during cleaning.
About 530,000 grinders sold between March 2002 and March 2009 for about $30 are included in the recall. The grinders were made by Tsann Zuen (Zangzhou) Enterprise Co. Ltd., of China, and imported into the United States by Starbucks Coffee Co., of Seattle, Washington.
Starbucks Barista Blade Grinder was sold in stainless steel, green, pink, orange, teal, cranberry, olive and black, and had SKU numbers 171884, 195234, 195235, 220623, 220624, 242275, 344476, and 454482. Seattle’s Best Coffee Blade Grinder was sold in brown metallic and has SKU number 474881.
The CPSC and Starbucks recommend consumers stop using the recalled coffee grinders immediately and contact Starbucks to receive a free replacement grinder. However, product liability lawyers recommend that if any cuts or damage were caused by Starbucks coffee grinders turning on unexpectedly, the product should be preserved in a manner designed to avoid future use until appropriate testing can be completed.
Comment by lynoak on 8 July 2009:
It will take EIGHT WEEKS for the replacement to arrive.
Comment by Ia on 5 August 2009:
I just received the replacement and it looks like a joke! The lid does not close it looks awful. I am sure that grinder from a dollar stores are better than the replacement. What I spend on buying and sending the recalled product was much more than this strange object that they send me.
I will not be buying any appliances at Starbucks after this.
Comment by pist off customer on 8 August 2009:
i too just received the replacement grinder and is so bad looking that I’m just going to return this piece of junk. the lid does not close well and the blades take longer to grind my coffee than the other one I had, which by the way was not bad. i had it for 4 years and never had a problem with it. i just wanted to get a black version of the same grinder. according to the person on the phone when I called to inquire about this recall he said that the grinder replacing the one i had was much better and better looking. i got it 2 weeks ago and I am about to put it in the trash. i dont want to even donate this piece of junk.
Comment by Scott on 14 August 2009:
The replacement is a piece of junk, if you haven’t sent your original back, just keep it and don’t put your fingers near the blade when plugged in.
Comment by Aaron on 25 August 2009:
I also just received my replacement grinder, and actually received the same exact grinder in black. So what was the point? I can see that the little button that caused the problem by getting ground coffee stuck in it is THE SAME, so I don’t see how they fixed the problem at all! They sent me a new version with the same exact design flaw. How are they saying they fixed the defect? I already bought a new grinder since I wasn’t waiting 8 weeks without one, so i guess i’ll just throw this one away.
Comment by Kim on 25 August 2009:
I received my replacement grinder yesterday. I sent in a stainless steel grinder and received a cheap black plastic grinder. What? Really? Cheap, cheap, cheap. Shame on Starbuck’s!
Comment by D L on 25 August 2009:
I wish I had read the comments before returning my nice looking metal grinder. The black plastic one I got back looks like a 99 cent store purchase. Very disappointed!
Comment by m.b.mcgee on 31 August 2009:
I’m glad I looked at these comments before I sent mine in. I will keep my grinder and just never stick my fingers in there while its plugged in! which duh i wouldn’t do anyway why would anyone stick there fingers in a grinder that was pluged in!,unbelivable. I have always used a little brush to clean mine, its a “grinder” people. Shouldn’t the words fingers and grinder give you some pause. absolutly unbelievable!
Comment by bonnie on 31 August 2009:
I just called regarding the recall… i am not sure what to do now… the grinder that they are recalling certainly was not cheap… what is the name of the brand of the grinder that they are replacing it with? I am afraid to send mine back… mine does not want to shut off… I plug it in when I am going to use it…
Comment by eye on 11 September 2009:
Send mine back and we will send you another one in 4 weeks?
I can save $60 a month from not buying a cup of your Pikes Peak or whatever you call it now.
I’ll throw my grinder away and buy one AND my coffee from another store.
Goodbye Star(not my) bucks
Comment by Kimberly on 12 November 2009:
I sent my Starbuck’s grinder in 3 weeks ago, and just got my replacement today. It looks like the exact same kind of grinder, but with the nicely polished exterior run through with a grinder, and then spray painted in black. I don’t see a real difference, and it’s from the same manufacturer. It DID come with an instruction booklet, which tells you that before you open it to empty the ground coffee, to unplug it first. If these instructions were the only difference, I’d suggest they just send a booklet to all the owners, and save the cost of UPS shipping.
My new one is ugly, and rough to the touch. I guess I have no recourse at this time.
Comment by will on 6 December 2009:
We received our replacement grinder and it broke within a few weeks…..what a joke.
Comment by CINDY on 14 January 2010:
CAN I GET A NEW MODEL?
Comment by S on 17 January 2010:
Geez… I sent in a nice stainless steel blade grinder (it was working just fine) that cost me $35 and what did I get back? A a total piece of plastic cheap junk! C’mon, did the genius VP’s at Starbuck’s really think the consumers wouldn’t notice the poor quality of the replacement???
The damage to their image and reputation is incalculable… and they won’t ever buy it back from me, friends or family! I’m taking my business to that “other” coffee place in town – and besides, Starbucks’s hasn’t been able to brew a decent Cup-O-Joe for a few years now… Take your Pikes whatever-it-is coffee and stick it! Bye-Bye Starbucks!