Stealthy alternative to the Dutch standard for good hot coffee.
Positive Product Points
Great looking stainless thermal carafe. Brews hot - stays hot. Simple - product brews, beeps, turns itself off. Huge filter holder. Multi-hole hot water shower. 1400w heating element. SCAA certified.
Negative Product Points
Plastic base seems a bit cheap for commercial rated machine. My OCS-12 is just an OCS-8A with auto water feed removed and a 60 oz. carafe instead of 40 oz.. On-off switch could be nicer.
Detailed Commentary
I was considering Presto and Technivorm when I came across the Newco models. Newco makes mostly restaurant and coffee industry machines and supplies. The OCS models were designed to be used by multiple people in an office setting - each person with their own carafe. I opted for the larger 60 oz. model, the OCS-12. The OCS-12 and OCS-8 models use the same base and heating element. Each are available with a direct water connection.
My machine arrived quickly and in plain packaging, I ran water through it and was surprised by the amount of steam a quick run through provided. It appeared not unlike a typical $40-$60 dollar coffee maker with a thermal carafe. There are no bells and whistles - no clock, no timer, no <4 cup setting, nothing, just brew and cancel. The coffee it brews is hot. There is no hotplate to cook the coffee so it is up to the carafe to leep it hot. It is up to the task and keeps coffee extremely hot for hours. Right after brew (8-10 minutes), the coffee in the carafe was 171 degrees. I would guess the brew temp has to be around 200 degrees for the coffee to still be that hot. Whatever temp it is, so far it brews great tasting coffee. I find it similar to presspot coffee but much hotter with slightly less body. I need to try a gold filter and see if I can get some more of the coffee oils. The filter holder takes the huge commercial bunn basket-type filters.
Newco is out of St. Charles, MO but the machine is made in China. Fit and finish appear good but other than the carafe (which looks great), materials seem subpar for a $100+ machine. Someone else commented on the choice of switches for these models and I'd have to agree. It would be nice to have a switch that had a better feel to it. Still, while looking fairly generic, the overall appearance is quite nice. This is the perfect machine for someone who wants good hot coffee, doesn't mind spending a bit more than average, and doesn't want anyone to know they spent over $100 on a coffee maker.
Buying Experience
Bought online from DC Coffee Products. Smooth transaction. They also sent a replacment parts order form.(nearly every part on this machine is available and replaceable)
