# What products or services are NOT getting worse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981 "2024-04-30T19:25:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/81 "2024-05-05T04:12:08Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Can you provide examples where you have actually been harmed by data gathering? Well, I think the problem is that data harvesting goes way beyond Facebook, as an example, exploiting what it knows about you in order to serve you an ad for Nikes or whatever. It is not a stretch of the imagination to conclude that Facebook’s policy of prioritizing user engagement over containing the spread of misinformation contributes to user radicalization. I mean, I’m not saying Facebook literally caused January 6 or Pizzagate, but it certainly played a part in priming the playing field, thanks to data harvesting. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/82 "2024-05-05T04:43:48Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I think they have gotten a lot more expensive though Actually maybe not. I bought my 5 quart “artisan” model KA stand mixer at Macy’s in 2011 for ~$275, and that was on special. Amazon has the same model and color right now for $330. KitchenAid’s website has them for $370 but that comes with the mixer, an extra bowl, 4 beater attachments, and a shroud thingy to keep stuff from splattering out of the bowl when it’s on. You can get it without the extra goodies for… $330. Or you can get a 4.5 quart model for $270. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/83 "2024-05-05T05:29:35Z")
Huh…I just looked and you are right. I would swear I saw them going for $500+ not too long ago though. Maybe they learned almost no one would buy them at that price. Or, I am losing my marbles (more likely). They are a great kitchen tool for those who like to bake. Worth the investment since they really are durable and useful. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/84 "2024-05-05T05:42:04Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I was a night manager of a small grocery store in the 90s and in charge of general grocery ordering. I walk through stores today and think to myself “how they hell do they order with this huge variety? At the chain I work at, the “order writer” goes up and down the aisles with a scan gun. If they see we need to order something, they scan the barcode on the price tag, punch in the number of cases we need, and it gets zapped off to the warehouse to be put on tomorrow night’s delivery. It takes about 2-3 hours a night for the grocery order to get done. Most of the outer departments do it the same way except for produce (who use a tablet for their ordering), and bulk orders for promo displays get punched into a computer by shift managers like myself. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/85 "2024-05-05T10:55:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I would swear I saw them going for $500+ not too long ago though. Maybe they learned almost no one would buy them at that price. Or, I am losing my marbles (more likely). > > They are a great kitchen tool for those who like to bake. Worth the investment since they really are durable and useful. People were doing a lot of baking during Covid, maybe that caused a spike in demand? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/86 "2024-05-05T13:03:59Z")
Depends on the model - the classic is a different price from the artisan and bowl size matters, and I think color does , too. There’s a a 7 qt bowl-lift model that’s about $500 but the 4.5 qt classic I bought in 2003 on sale for $170 is now $239 on sale at Amazon. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/87 "2024-05-05T15:29:46Z")
Those big Kitchenaid stand mixers may look the same on the outside, but to what extent have they made compromises in the motor? Like switching to plastic gears from metal ones. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/88 "2024-05-05T20:22:35Z")
Let’s hear from all who have had a KitchenAid mixer fail? I have an OG Cuisinart food processor I got as a graduation present in 1990. I’ve had to replace the bowl once. I don’t think at the price point of either machine it makes sense to change materials–keep the specs and move production to a cheaper facility/nation. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/89 "2024-05-05T21:04:39Z")
I have had one partial failure in 20ish years with one. It kept running, but there was a distinct oil/grease leak, which is a known source of possible failure, safe-ish (it’s food grade grease), and often self-fixes. In our case, not wanting to take any chances, we took it to a local repair place, they repacked the grease, and problem solved. $50. That was the first and last issue we had with ours, and that was roughly a decade ago. And too be clear, it could have cleared up on it’s own based on lots of reporting, but again, local, easy, reasonably cheap fix. So one mechanical issue in 20 years, and no problems in the last 10. The biggest issue I’ve had with ours was cleaning the damn aux port on the front after using a Kitchenaid sausage grinder and stuffing attachment. The final sausage was amazing, but I think I’ve done it 3-4 times in 12 years due to the work. But that’s a non-mechanical complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2024, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/90 "2024-05-05T23:51:44Z")
Yeah, our mixer has worked flawlessly in the 13 years we’ve had it. Admittedly we don’t use it that often – maybe twice a month, much more around the holidays – but no problems to report. The attachments can be a PITA to clean but the ones I have work amazingly well so it’s a small price to pay TBH. My mother bought one ca. 1990 and used it regularly until her death last year. Nary a problem with it, ever. Whether today’s models are built to the same quality standards I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981/91 "2024-05-06T14:59:05Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > Let’s hear from all who have had a KitchenAid mixer fail? The speed control plate on my Artisan mixer went bad. I ordered a new one for $25, but I needed a mixer for the holidays without waiting 10 business days, so I bought a refurbed bowl lift model from Walmart (of all places) and had it here the next morning. > [@doreen](#): > > There’s a a 7 qt bowl-lift model that’s about $500 but the 4.5 qt classic I bought in 2003 on sale for $170 is now $239 on sale at Amazon. I hate the lifting bowl model. It’s stronger and does better with bread, but the non-tilting head makes it a PITA to place or remove the bowl without _also_ removing the attachment. I practically hate the thing. But it’s new and shiny and my wife won’t let me sell it off in favor of my Artisan, which now works as well as new. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-products-or-services-are-not-getting-worse/1000981.md?page=4)