Peter King > wrote in message .ox.ac.uk>...
> In the end I bought a Rowenta, which seems in most respects perfectly
> satisfactory. However, the vacuum flask has a distinct plasticky/rubbery
> smell and taste. I've flushed the machine three times with plain water,
> and made a number of batches of coffee, and though the taste has lessened,
> it's still there. Is this a problem with this machine, or is it more
> common? Will it eventually go away (and if so, how long might I expect it
> to take)?
>
> I'd be very grateful for any advice from people who have had similar
> experiences.
>
> PJK


This may be a close-to-irrelevant post, but I can say that I haven't
had a problem with a plastic taste with my Rowenta thermal carafes.
But I bought mine in the 1980s, when Rowenta was marketing in the U.S.
(they haven't sold coffeemakers here for many years -- partly because
they had a lawsuit about coffeemakers catching fire, though mine
lasted almost 20 years with no problems).

I mostly used my Rowenta with Chemex (glass) coffee carafes, which
obviously precluded a plastic taste, but the thermal carafe worked
fine when I needed it. What I don't know is whether my carafes are
similar in materials to yours. Unfortunately, the coffeemaker is no
longer at its best, and I'd apparently have to fly to Europe to
replace it -- where I could only get one that would need to be stepped
down to US voltage. Too bad, because I like the design -- very
simple, but very effective.

Garry