Gadgets Information, Articles & Shopping Links

Name of Product: KitchenAid® Coffeemakers.

Units: About 529,000.

Distributed by: Whirlpool Corp., of Benton Harbor, Mich.

Hazard: An internal electrical component of the coffeemaker can overheat and ignite, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Whirlpool Corp. has received 13 reports of incidents involving coffeemakers overheating resulting in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled KitchenAid® coffeemakers are black, white, red, or blue in color. They are manufactured in 10- and 12-cup models. Consumers can determine if they have one of the recalled coffeemakers by identifying the product’s model and serial numbers, which are located on a label on the bottom of the coffeemaker. The affected models include:

10 - cup models                    12 - cup models
KCM120OB KCM300OB          KCM200OB KCM400OB
KCM120WH KCM300WH         KCM200WH KCM400WH
                                           KCM400ER
                                           KCM400BU

The serial numbers of the affected products begin with the letters WCJ, WCK, WCL, WCM, and WCP.

Sold Through: Catalogs, department stores, specialty retailers and on-line retailers nationwide from January 1999 through December 2004 for between $50 and $130.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should unplug and stop using the coffeemakers immediately and contact KitchenAid® for a free comparable coffeemaker model or an exchange for another KitchenAid® product. Consumers should not return the coffeemaker to the retailer where it was purchased.

Consumer Contact: Contact KitchenAid® at (800) 990-6255 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, or go to the firm’s Web site at www.KitchenAid.com/repair