No more espressos at McDonald’s: This is the safety issue that is leaving thousands of customers without coffee

Across the United States, coffee drinkers may be unable to get their caffeine fix at McDonald’s for the moment, after the fast-food chain was this week forced to stop using espresso machines over a faulty component.

What is the problem with the coffee machines?

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Melitta, the company that supplies espresso makers to a number of McDonald’s US locations, had written to restaurant operators to report that it was investigating an issue in the machines, which are worth a reported $3,000 each.

According to the WSJ’s Heather Haddon, the appliances feature a problematic part that “could cause steam to forcefully escape and the component to break”.

In a statement released to US media outlets, Melitta said it had “recommended a temporary stop use for the affected customers” as it conducts a probe into the fault. “Our intent is to determine the root cause and provide a remediation plan that allows us to move forward,” the company said, per CNN.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s said in a statement, per CBS News: “We have moved quickly to decommission these machines in McDonald’s restaurants and are staying in contact with our supplier to resolve the issue. We are still determining the scope of the impact.”

It is estimated that McDonald’s sells almost eight million cups of coffee per day.

Which coffees can you still buy at McDonald’s?

As the Melitta issue only affects espresso machines, McDonald’s customers can still purchase coffee drinks that are not espresso-based. Speaking to CNN, the chain confirmed that iced and hot brewed coffee remain available at locations across the US.

McDonald’s coffee crisis comes a month after an E. coli outbreak, which affected at least 75 people in 13 states in the US, was linked to the restaurant’s Quarter Pounder.

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