Customer Reviews

Mr. Coffee TP3 Replacement Iced Tea Pitcher

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Let me start by saying that my husband and I LOVE our Mr. Coffee iced tea pot. We especially love that it uses a 3 quart pitcher instead of 2 quart. (Our original pot had a 2 qt pitcher but once both pitchers broke we couldn't find replacements so upgraded to the 3-qt model.) We go through iced tea quickly in our house!

Our maker originally came with two pitchers. After about a year, the seam that runs down the spout started to split on the one we used the most and iced tea would leak all over the counter. So we tossed that pitcher and only had the second one. Unfortunately my husband dropped it from the top shelf in our panty and the plastic shattered. So we were left with the iced tea maker but no pitcher.

I was dismayed to find out that the pitchers were $13-14 each (usually plus shipping), while I could get a whole new machine with a pitcher for $20 at Walmart. In an attempt to be more "green," I opted to order two additional pitchers instead of a new maker, even though it cost more.

So while we love the Mr. Coffee 3-qt iced tea pot and it makes awesome iced tea, I'm only giving the pitcher 3 stars because of the issue with the seam cracking plus the fact that I think it is overpriced. I wish Mr. Coffee would price the replacement pitchers so that people would not be likely to just get a whole new maker, thus putting a still working unit in a landfill.

The good news is that it is just like the original item that came with the Ice Tea Maker, alas that is also the bad news. The design inevitably cracks in line just below the pouring spout: that is because of the stress caused by the nearly boiling temperature of the brewed tea draining down on it. What I've taken to doing is to use a bit of aluminum foil to divert the hot liquid away from the wall of the pitcher and over the center of the ice cubes, when brewing. I also use one pitcher to brew, and another (uncracked pitcher) to store in the fridge.

I bought an extra pitcher with my iced tea maker and both of them cracked along the front seam in precisely the same area. Manufacturing flaw, I don't even have a dishwasher.

I have gone through 3 Mr. Coffee Iced Tea makers and four pitchers, with this one being the latest addition. There would have been more pitchers had they been available. All of my issues have been with the pitchers: seam cracks, side cracks or star cracks on the bottom of the pitcher at the mold insertion point.

Mr. Coffee isn't going to change; so, I changed my brewing method. I no longer put ice in the pitcher for brewing. Instead, I use about 3 inches of luke warm water. I felt that the problem with the pitchers was that they couldn't handle the contrast of the cold of the ice in the pitcher and the 170 degree water that comes out of the maker. I think that the contraction/expansion from the different tempatures, over time, is too much and causes the cracks. I wait until the tea cools, replace the lid, and put it in the fridge. The luke warm water replaces the water that would have been left by the melted ice. You can add water as needed after brewing and stir.

I also brew the tea in the pitcher without the lid on to allow the excess heat to escape. If I need immediate gratification, I will put ice in a temperature tolerant container, add the tea, and enjoy it.

It has worked so far.

The pitcher is made from poor quality materials. We have two pitchers and have never washed them in the dishwasher. In less than a year, both pitchers cracked along the seam that runs from the spout down the side of the pitcher. If we attempt to use them, tea immediately leaks all over the counter. Since other pitchers are not compatible with the machine, our ice tea maker is useless. We have owned two previous Mr. Coffee Ice Tea models in the past ten years. The pitchers lasted for several years before eventually cracking. Mr. Coffee chose to use inferior materials with this model. I am very disappointed in the quality and will never trust their company again. I am now searching for an ice tea maker that uses quality materials.

I'm now ordering my THIRD pitcher. No; I don't put it in the dishwasher. One just split at the seam; another fell on a counter and broke. After reading another review I suppose the heat/cold contract may weaken the pitcher. Anyway, I'm hooked on the ease of having fresh iced tea in the fridge whenever I want it and the machine does that in a flash. So, here I go ordering another pitcher...

This is my second order for four of these items in the last two years. All of the tea pots keep separating at the spout seam after a few months of use. This is an obvious manufacturing defect of the tea pot and detracts from a very useful product. The saving grace is that you do not have to replace the whole unit each time because Mr. Coffee sells replacement pitchers.

I love my Iced Tea Pot! But, the pitcher broke today when it fell off my counter top. I just got it this past summer, too. Thank goodness I do have a spare one until I can get another pitcher. The reviewer before me said the pitcher melts in the dishwasher, but the pitcher clearly says on it "NOT DISHWASHER SAFE". I'd suggest not putting it in the dishwasher!

I have 2 different models of the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker, with different style pitchers, and have problems with both styles of pitchers cracking, even though I don't put them thru the dishwasher. When my second pitcher cracked, I wrote to Mr. Coffee and they sent me 2 new ones for free! After those 2 cracked as well, I figured they would not send me new ones for free again, so I found a new way to brew my tea to be easier on the pitcher.

I don't put any ice in the pitcher at the beginning of the brew process. I like sweet tea, so I put my cup of sugar in the bottom of the pitcher, then the brewing process dumps hot tea in the pitcher, dissolving the sugar. When the brewing process is done, then I slowly add the ice to fill up to the top of the pitcher, then stir. No new cracks since I've been doing this (for over a year).

Also, if you have to live with a cracked pitcher, I have found if you put clear packing tape on the outside of the pitcher where it cracked, it does not leak as much, if at all, while brewing, then you can pour the brewed tea into another container for storage in the fridge if you are concerned it will leak.

I love my Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker but hate that the unit itself always outlasts the plastic pitchers. This is the third one I have had. It does (so far) seem to be a little better made than the last one but it may still split and crack. The original pitchers from years ago could be put in the top of the dishwasher; not these!! I have read that the change in temperature from hot to cold is what causes a lot of problems but do not understand why the pitchers cannot be made with this in mind. They are also expensive to replace. A few more dollars and you could get an entire new unit. However, the newer ones are shorter and do not hold as much. I like the size and content of the TP3. As of now, I am content with the new pitcher but in a few months I will see just how well it holds up.