Oster 4281 12-Cup Coffee Maker Review
We are familiar with the Oster company and have been using their clippers for years for our horses and I know their well deserved reputation and top of the line products in equine field for grooming.
But this was our first kitchen appliance purchase from them. This coffeemaker belongs to their new COUNTERFORMS collection. They have also a toaster, a blender and a convection oven with this Luminart silvery finish which is virtually fingerprint free. You can learn more about the collection at:
http://www.oster.com/Counterforms.aspx?products
This coffeemaker is little bulkier than my old Melitta fast brew and takes few minutes longer to brew a full pot. It was very easy to set up, I like the cord holder on the back, you only pull as much as you need to plug it in, no cluttery cord in your counter!
They ask you to set up the time for the clock on the screen in front. It is blue with easy to read numbers. You can have it as an extra clock in your kitchen if wanted. I don’t feel comfortable keeping my coffeemaker plugged all the time so I learned just to ignore the clock.
If you plug your coffeemaker in just before brewing the pot every time pouring a cup you will know how long ago it was brewed. After two hours this maker will beep few times to let you know it will shut off. This s a nice feature if you are one of us who always wonders if she did unplug the coffeepot before leaving in the morning!
Coffeemaker is easy to fill and has a permanent filter inside so you do not need to buy any filters for it. The permanent filter has an easy handle to lift it out and rinse between the uses. I admit it is bit of a hassle for me to empty it in the morning before making a new pot because I never remember to clean the filter after drinking my morning coffee.
This coffeemaker is very easy to operate, after filling it and scooping the coffee in you just hit the Brew Now button on the right top. If you like your coffee strong also hit the Strong button right under the Brew Now button.
After pot is done brewing it will beep few times to let you know. It does have a drip lock if you are in a hurry and want to sneak a cup.
You can also fill this model ahead of the time and program it to start brewing at any time in the future 24 hours. You can have it to make your coffee at the same the following day leaving the time as is and by hitting the Delay Brew again after filling it again. This naturally requires you to keep your coffeemaker plugged in at all times.
If you like your coffee steaming hot you can adjust the Keep Warm button with easy to read + and – features. Your pot will still automatically shut off after two hours, it will beep few times to let you now that it will shut off.
Another great feature is the Clean function. Instruction manual tells you to use vinegar or coffeemaker cleaner every 40-80 cycles depending on the hardness of the water you use. It supposedly also reminds you if it needs to be cleaned and the display screen will flash “Clean”.
All you do is place the vinegar in the coffeemaker and hit the Clean button on the left. It will slow brew the vinegar and pause for 30 minutes and continue. After cleaning process is completed it will beep and the light on the clean button will shut off. You should run fresh water brewed through twice after cleaning before making your next coffee pot. I have not tried this as of yet but it does sound like a very handy and useful feature to keep the coffeemaker as good as new!
I’m happy with the taste of my coffee and the fact that I will not have to buy filters ever again!
Oster Brands are made by Sunbeam Products, Inc. located in Boca Raton, Florida. You can call them in US 1-800-334-0759, in Canada 1-800-667-8623 and in Mexico 1-800-506-1700.
