Frank Pellow
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 2,743
(Before starting this review, I wish to thank Bob Swenson for his ‘Review of the Festool CC” in the thread: http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-reviews/review-of-the-festool-cc/ Bob’s thread is one of my favourite here on FOG and, of course, it inspired me to write my own review here. I did respond within Bob’s thread, but it was not my review, so this review should qualify for the contest. Bob’s review was quite humorous, but mine will be serious.)
In the interest of full disclosure, I relieved these tools as gifts. Bob Marino gave me 5 kaffetasse (some on each of three occasions) and Christian Oltzscher gave me a thermoflasche.
Festool Kaffetasse: [attachthumb=#1]
Festool Theremoflasche: [attachthumb=#2]
You might ask: “are these tools?” and, of course, the answer is that they are. The first definition of tool in my Oxford English Dictionary is: “A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.” In the case of the kaffetasse and thermoflasche tools they, both a carry warm liquid the purpose of which is to keep me awake and alert while using other tools. Therefore, they also qualify as “safety tools”.
These tools all arrived well wrapped and protected. As with most Festool tools, the documentation was minimal but, since I was familiar with similar tools from other manufacturers, I was able to figure out how to use them. The first thing I need to do was to find room for them in my workshed:
[attachthumb=#3]
And, I also modified one of the shop-made inserts in my Systainer Werkzeugkasten (or toolbox) in order to hold a Festool Theremoflasche and so to easily transport it when working off-site:
[attachthumb=#4]
I could find no indication at all of where the thermoflasche is made. I'm not certain but the logo on the bottom of a kaffetasse leads me to believe that it is manufactured in Germany:
[attachthumb=#5]
The kaffetasse holds 300 millilitres of coffee, the thermoflasche holds 300 millilitres. Also the lid of the thermoflasche screws off to function as a cup holding 100 millilitres.
I find that when the coffee placed into the thermoflasche is quite hot (I make it slightly too hot for drinking), the tool keeps the coffee sufficiently warm for about four hours.
The kaffetasse is well designed and I find that the handle fits easily in my hand and the load balances without spilling. The durability compares well to our best stoneware. Shortly after receiving my fifth kaffetasse, I gave it an unplanned durability test. I dropped it from about 3 metres up on a step ladder to the sidewalk below and the only damage was a chipped rim. Please don't ask why I was careless enough to have a kaffetasse in such a spot in the first place. Given that my kaffetasses are among the most valued items in my shop, I decided to try to fix the damaged one. I ground down the jagged part using my Festool Deltex 93 sander and it is now safe to use again.
[attachthumb=#6]
It doesn't look as good, but there are no sharp bits to cut one's lip.
Of particular benefit to me is that a kaffetasse fits perfectly in to mug holder in our Audi A4.
[attachthumb=#7]
It's the only mug that we own that fits.
Sometimes, in my workshed, I need a container to hold some small parts and I frequently reach for the kaffetasse with the damaged rim:
[attachthumb=#8]
Unfortunately, at least a couple of times, I have forgotten about what was already in the kaffetasse when I poured coffee into it:
[attachthumb=#9]
Another aspect of these items is that they quite impress visitors in the know. Three and a half years ago three representative of Hafele Canada used my workshed to demonstrate their tools to about 20 potential customers. When one of the reps saw my kaffetasse set, his reaction was "You have more than our company does". Here some of the folks are watching the demo with a Festool kaffetasse in their hand:
[attachthumb=#10]
I'm sorry to have to report that it appears Festool no longer provides these tools. I encourage them to bring them back. In the meantime the Festool Stein:
[attachthumb=#11]
remains available and it makes a useful substitute for the Festool Kaffetasse. The Stein is intended to be used with a liquid which is not safety-oriented, but one can forgo that liquid when planning to work with dangerous tools and substitute coffee instead.
In the interest of full disclosure, I relieved these tools as gifts. Bob Marino gave me 5 kaffetasse (some on each of three occasions) and Christian Oltzscher gave me a thermoflasche.
Festool Kaffetasse: [attachthumb=#1]
Festool Theremoflasche: [attachthumb=#2]
You might ask: “are these tools?” and, of course, the answer is that they are. The first definition of tool in my Oxford English Dictionary is: “A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.” In the case of the kaffetasse and thermoflasche tools they, both a carry warm liquid the purpose of which is to keep me awake and alert while using other tools. Therefore, they also qualify as “safety tools”.
These tools all arrived well wrapped and protected. As with most Festool tools, the documentation was minimal but, since I was familiar with similar tools from other manufacturers, I was able to figure out how to use them. The first thing I need to do was to find room for them in my workshed:
[attachthumb=#3]
And, I also modified one of the shop-made inserts in my Systainer Werkzeugkasten (or toolbox) in order to hold a Festool Theremoflasche and so to easily transport it when working off-site:
[attachthumb=#4]
I could find no indication at all of where the thermoflasche is made. I'm not certain but the logo on the bottom of a kaffetasse leads me to believe that it is manufactured in Germany:
[attachthumb=#5]
The kaffetasse holds 300 millilitres of coffee, the thermoflasche holds 300 millilitres. Also the lid of the thermoflasche screws off to function as a cup holding 100 millilitres.
I find that when the coffee placed into the thermoflasche is quite hot (I make it slightly too hot for drinking), the tool keeps the coffee sufficiently warm for about four hours.
The kaffetasse is well designed and I find that the handle fits easily in my hand and the load balances without spilling. The durability compares well to our best stoneware. Shortly after receiving my fifth kaffetasse, I gave it an unplanned durability test. I dropped it from about 3 metres up on a step ladder to the sidewalk below and the only damage was a chipped rim. Please don't ask why I was careless enough to have a kaffetasse in such a spot in the first place. Given that my kaffetasses are among the most valued items in my shop, I decided to try to fix the damaged one. I ground down the jagged part using my Festool Deltex 93 sander and it is now safe to use again.
[attachthumb=#6]
It doesn't look as good, but there are no sharp bits to cut one's lip.
Of particular benefit to me is that a kaffetasse fits perfectly in to mug holder in our Audi A4.
[attachthumb=#7]
It's the only mug that we own that fits.
Sometimes, in my workshed, I need a container to hold some small parts and I frequently reach for the kaffetasse with the damaged rim:
[attachthumb=#8]
Unfortunately, at least a couple of times, I have forgotten about what was already in the kaffetasse when I poured coffee into it:
[attachthumb=#9]
Another aspect of these items is that they quite impress visitors in the know. Three and a half years ago three representative of Hafele Canada used my workshed to demonstrate their tools to about 20 potential customers. When one of the reps saw my kaffetasse set, his reaction was "You have more than our company does". Here some of the folks are watching the demo with a Festool kaffetasse in their hand:
[attachthumb=#10]
I'm sorry to have to report that it appears Festool no longer provides these tools. I encourage them to bring them back. In the meantime the Festool Stein:
[attachthumb=#11]
remains available and it makes a useful substitute for the Festool Kaffetasse. The Stein is intended to be used with a liquid which is not safety-oriented, but one can forgo that liquid when planning to work with dangerous tools and substitute coffee instead.
While recording a review, I thought it would be fun to review the stein, but I don't have one. You read my mind as this was up the next morning!
