There are many things to consider when you buy a coffee maker. Whether it’s how intuitive the design is, how small/compact the product is, or how easy is it to wash.
We want to help you spend your money as wisely as possible. In this article, we’ll go through what you need to know when picking your own espresso machine and also review the Oster Coffee Maker.
Benefits Of Owning A Coffee Maker
To me, there are two main advantages of owning my own coffee machine. You have full control of your coffee, and you save both time and money.
I don’t know about you, but I hate queuing, especially when I have other things to do; which I generally do when I’m out…
This fixes the problem completely.
Types Of Coffee Makers
There are a few several types of coffee makers that are available for purchase. If you are looking to buy one, then it is important to learn about all the different options that are available to you. The following are two of the most popular options.
Drip Coffee Makers
Drip coffee makers are one of the most common types of coffee machine. They’re also known as automatic drip coffee makers. While they generally come in different shapes and sizes, some even come with intuitive LCD control panels. They are typically very adjustable and often the more affordable option.
While it’s easy to use, a drip coffee maker typically has limited controls, and leaves you with very few and basic coffee choices. Also, since they generally make a full pot at once, if you can’t finish it, it’ll be wasted.
Single Serve Coffee Makers
Single serve coffee makers are the newer and more modern type of coffee maker. With single-serve, instead of brewing an entire pot, you can limit it so the machine will only make one cup.
These machines generally use coffee pods instead of ground coffee; depending on your preference…you’ll love or hate it.
For single-serve coffee makers with coffee pod functionality, all you have to do is put the pod/cup into the machine, pick how many cups you want to make, and in under a minute…a cup of hot, delicious coffee will be all ready.
Other than being easy to use, single serve coffee makers are also super easy to clean and maintain. They’re also fairly affordable.
You aren’t just limited to coffee! Most of these machines also has the capability of brewing tea or hot chocolate. Just get those type of pods and you’re all set!
Despite saying this, I just want to point out that coffee pods are a little bit pricey (it’s still cheaper than going out to your local coffee shop though), and that are not exactly environmentally-friendly since nearly all of them are made of plastic.
It all depends on what you’re looking for at home. What’s the brew size – how many cups of coffee are you planning to brew? What kind of coffee do you want to brew? Are you looking to make other type of drinks?
With the answer for these questions in mind, you should be able to make a better decision on what coffee maker is best for you.
Here’s our review of the Oster 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
Oster is a well-known and reputable brand, they manufacture products that’re reliable and built to last. They use high-quality materials and stand behind their products. When it comes to quality, Oster does not fail to deliver.
The Oster 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker has a very modern and clean design with stainless steel accents.
This is the ideal coffee maker if you want to brew a lot of coffee at once (12 cups!). It also comes with a pause and serve setting, where you can serve coffee before the machine is done brewing everything.
The whole machine’s user interface is very easy to use. It comes with an ultra-bright digital LED screen and programmable timer. You don’ have to use any filter paper, it comes with a permanent , removable filter already. This saves you both time and money every time you brew!
Pros of the Oster 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
The biggest advantage of the Oster Coffee Maker is its programmability (did I make this word up?). You can easily control the strength of your brew. The strength setting lets you decide how long to extract the coffee for, allowing the machine to personalize your cup for you.
Oster Coffee Makers uses cutting-edge technology and is probably one of the most modern model on the market. It uses micro-electric circuitry that’ll give you programmable settings that’re super easy to use. And like I said earlier, the removable filter basket makes everything easier to use and clean.
Cons of The Oster 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
The biggest downfall of the Oster Coffee Maker is the limited warranty. The warranty is somehow shorter compared to its competitors at this price range; it’s only for 1-year. However, they still offer pretty good support during that time.
Other problems include the water level indicator being on the side, it’s quite hard to see.
However, you have to be careful what coffee grounds you get. While these type of coffee maker normally uses medium-sized grounds, if you get any espresso grounds, which are usually finer, it’ll have a good chance of going through the filter. If it does happen, you’ll end up with a muddy cup of coffee. You don’t want that!
Despite saying that, if you just buy the correct ground coffee, or even better yet, invest in an affordable coffee grinder yourself, then this won’t be an issue at all!
How Does It Compare To Other Coffee Machines?
Compared to other drip coffee makers, Oster is pretty high up on the list. This 12-cup coffee maker is built to last and sturdier so that it can handle larger volume at once. You can expect this machine to last longer and less flimsy than other single-serve coffee makers.
Overall, unless you’re a die hard coffee connoisseur, I’ll recommend the Oster Coffee Maker because it’s very easy to use, it holds up to 12-cup at one go, and it offers lots of features to play around (if you want), such as the ability to control your brew strength.
Other than that, it’s metallic body and design also makes it more durable, and can absorb a certain level of shock without fear. I personally think the only downside is the space issue (12-cups might be too big?) and the glass carafe holding the coffee looks a little bit vulnerable compared to the rest of the machine.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a coffee maker that you can easily use to brew smooth and enjoyable coffee for a bunch of people at once, then I think the Oster Coffee Maker will be a good choice for you!
- Modern design with stainless steel accents
- Brewing pause 'n serve
- Removable filter basket
