The Café Brew® brand of replacement universal coffee makers, tea kettles and brewing accessories is manufactured by Medelco, Incorporated in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Medelco, Inc., founded in 1976, is a second generation, family owned and operated business. Elaine Robinson, Medelco’s President, is the daughter of the company’s founder, Walter Wolczek. Walter, an electrical engineer, was the inventor of the talking scale – Medelco’s first product.
In addition to adding voice to the digital scale, resulting in the first talking scale for the blind, Walter was responsible for developing the first fetal pulse monitor and portable electrocardioscope. Thus, the name Medelco is derived from the company’s original product line – medical electronics.
In 1981, one of Medelco’s distributors closed its doors. In exchange for the debt owed, the distributor gave Medelco the patent rights for the universal coffee carafe as well as their premier booth location at the International Home & Housewares show in Chicago. The Café Brew® brand was born!