# Stupidest product design you’ve experienced **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621 "2023-03-25T02:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 94
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1861 "2026-02-03T01:58:37Z")
I do the same with crackers, I place them in a ziplock bag. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1862 "2026-02-03T02:20:00Z")
Does anyone have a coffee maker with a reusable filter? I bought [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LU2I46E) coffer maker a few months ago. It is programable, and has a built-in grinder and reusable filter. It is well-built, and well-designed. But… how do I clean the reusable filter? A quick Google search shows that you’re not supposed to dispose of coffee grounds into your home’s plumbing system. So cleaning the filter is a real PITA… I have to shake off the grounds in a trashcan, rinse it under a faucet into a small wash basin, dump the basin into the yard, etc. I finally got sick-n-tired of doing that, and bought a $28 coffee maker that requires a disposable filter. _Much_ better. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1863 "2026-02-03T02:38:19Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > A quick Google search shows that you’re not supposed to dispose of coffee grounds into your home’s plumbing system. So cleaning the filter is a real PITA… I have to shake off the grounds in a trashcan, rinse it under a faucet into a small wash basin, dump the basin into the yard, etc. You’re waaaay overthinking this. Knock the 95% bulk into the trash, rinse the 5% rest down the drain. The people who clog their drains after 5 years of living there do it dumping 100% of the grounds down there every day. At 5%, you can live there 100 years before your drains back up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1864 "2026-02-03T02:39:49Z")
Or just add the used coffee grounds to your compost pile or municipal compost collection. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1865 "2026-02-03T02:40:16Z")
Probably better than that, because some of the grounds do work their way through the pipes. You only clog them if you’re adding grounds faster than they’re removed. Put them in at a slow enough rate, and you can keep doing it forever. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1866 "2026-02-03T02:42:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Or just add the used coffee grounds to your compost pile or municipal compost collection. Compost? I’ve never lived anywhere that was practical as a homeowner, nor ever seen a municipal system. I’ve heard of such things on the Dope, but the idea is utterly unfamiliar to me IRL. So probably not a solution for everyone. Some? Sure. All? Nope. > [@Chronos](#): > > Put them in at a slow enough rate, and you can keep doing it forever. Yep. It’s worked for me for 50 years in umpteen locations. Maybe I’ve left a string of timebombs behind me, but I doubt it. Somehow my previous residents hadn’t left such a bomb for me. Can a stupid person clog their own plumbing with vast amounts of coffee grounds, grease, and eggshells? You bet they can. But don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good enough. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1867 "2026-02-03T02:44:42Z")
Too bad your municipality doesn’t have a compost program because between that and the recycling program, the regular trash bin in the kitchen takes a week or two to fill, is very light and it doesn’t smell. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1868 "2026-02-03T04:40:45Z")
Yes, we’ve been doing composting with curbside pickup here on the North Shore of Boston for about two years now, and it’s just as you say. The main problem is that the compostable bags you have to use are not very strong and can tear or be penetrated by things like flower stems or celery stalks. Then you get a smelly mess. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1869 "2026-02-03T05:06:42Z")
Whoa. I don’t drink coffee, but my wife does. She puts the used grounds down the garbage disposal every day. For more than nine years now. What terrible things are about to happen? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1870 "2026-02-03T05:07:49Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > It is well-built, and well-designed. But… how do I clean the reusable filter? You could have just used a paper filter with it. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1871 "2026-02-03T12:58:21Z")
As long as we’re on coffee makers… Our 2nd Kuerig died in a row. Refusing to pay for the Kuerig name anymore, I bought a couple of $19 Walmart knockoffs. Two because I assumed they’d also have a short lifespan. The first one’s still going strong, and has outlived both the Kuerigs. But it’s design is weird. When you open the top to pour water and insert the little pod, the lights on the buttons begin to flash. This is good, as they’re on the side and difficult to read at that angle. But when you close the lid the buttons go dark. Frustrating, because this is the actual point where you’re trying to select one of them, and you can’t see the lettering anymore. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1872 "2026-02-03T15:34:33Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > What terrible things are about to happen? At some point your kitchen sink will become slow to drain, then stop up completely. Then you call a plumber to clean out the lines. Inconvenient for sure, but if it happens once a decade that’s not such a horrid outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1873 "2026-02-04T00:52:19Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > It is well-built, and well-designed. But… how do I clean the reusable filter? > > A quick Google search shows that you’re not supposed to dispose of coffee grounds into your home’s plumbing system. So cleaning the filter is a real PITA… I have to shake off the grounds in a trashcan, rinse it under a faucet into a small wash basin, dump the basin into the yard, etc. > > I finally got sick-n-tired of doing that, and bought a $28 coffee maker that requires a disposable filter. _Much_ better. put the (still full) filter upside-down on a designated plate and let mother earth and ‘er gravity do its thing (the filter cake will fall onto the plate → garbage bin)… the remaining 5-15% will get flushed/rinsed out into the kitchen sink … (IOW: don’t sweat it) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1874 "2026-02-04T01:39:20Z")
A relatively minor one, but a student gave me a “Hot Cocoa Kit” for Christmas: It was a festive mug, with a package of cocoa mix, a peppermint stick, and a square of chocolate. It was all obviously professionally packaged together, with a little box just shaped to fit into the mug and look artistic, and so on. Except that the mug is about 16 ounces, and the package of mix was sized to make 6 ounces of beverage. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1875 "2026-02-04T05:58:00Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > My issue is that saltines just don’t taste very good anymore. I’ve been spoiled by fancier crackers, but there are times where saltines just hit the spot. Getting over a tummy bug? Saltines for the win. Crumbled into soup or chili? Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1876 "2026-02-04T14:48:42Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > there are times where saltines just hit the spot I love to spread butter on saltines and eat them as a side with soup. I also like them with peanut butter and a mug of cocoa. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1877 "2026-02-05T02:37:12Z")
My mom used crushed up Saltines as breading for her family recipe “smashed chicken°” instead of bread crumbs. This took most of one of those packages, ensuring they didn’t go stale (the dish was a staple for us). One afternoon my tween hunger polished off the entire last stack of crackers. My mom didn’t find out until halfway through dinner prep - she was NOT happy with me. °: Original name chicken breasts Milanese. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1878 "2026-02-05T02:40:57Z")
Saltines are good in soup, but oyster crackers are even better. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1879 "2026-02-05T03:07:43Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Saltines for the win. Crumbled into soup or chili? Absolutely. I like to crumble the Saltines into the bowl BEFORE ladling in the soup or chile. > [@Chronos](#): > > Saltines are good in soup, but oyster crackers are even better. Not sure if better, but certainly equally as good. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/1880 "2026-02-05T04:05:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Saltines are good in soup, but oyster crackers are even better. [Original Trenton Crackers](https://otccrackers.com/shop/ols/products/otc-original-oyster-crackers-1-lb-bag-) are the bestest of all but are hard to find. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=93) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=95)