Want good hot coffee fast? Don't want to pay extra for styling? This is YOUR coffee maker!
Positive Product Points
Excellent hot coffee, fast, efficient, no muss and no fuss. Keeps hot for 3 hours, warm for 12 hours. Parts are available. High wattage, commercial quality components.
Negative Product Points
If not cleaned daily, grinds can get caught in drip-stop mechanism, plugging it and causing spill over top of brew basket. Plain Jane styling (not negative in my book but judging by the amount of fancy looking coffee appliances on the market, it must be to lots of others.)
Detailed Commentary
Since my machine is a bit older it may have predated some of the quality issues noted in the other reviews. But this machine has been used daily for 4 years, providing consistently excellent hot coffee very quickly. No fancy design or features but it does exactly what I ask of it very well.
It heats very quickly, and brews a full pot in about 7 minutes. Turns itself off, beeps when ready. Coffee is excellent - as good as any drip I have ever made. I am using an inexpensive permanent filter bought for $5 at Target. Perfectly adequate.
Coffee quality improved tremendously since I have been using a Baratza grinder, indicating that this coffee maker will keep pace with whatever quality coffee and components you provide it.
Buying Experience
Amazon - what more needs to be said.
Three Month Followup
**
One Year Followup
About 2 months ago, the heating element died. I bought this unit in part because the company, OCS, is in the USA, has good service, and sells parts to all their coffee makers, which are now enitrely commercial units. This was the only consumer sized product they sold.
Alas, they stopped selling it. So, they no longer have parts. The service tech I spoke with said they would take it in and diagnose it for free, and if it were a simple universal part they would replace it at cost. But shipping would be $25 each way, or thereabouts, so I passed.
Instead a bought a new Bonavita, which will be the subject of another review.
