Oster 4716 Egg Cooker
|
List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Oster 4716 Egg Cooker
Customer Review: Oster Automatic Egg Cooker
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading the reviews on many different brands of egg cookers I decided on this automatic cooker. I was concerned because two reviews listed a problem with the lid melting. However, that was only two out of 138+ positive reviews. I purchased this directly from Amazon. The shipping was fast, arriving in two days time even though I chose ground. I followed the instruction exactly and cooked to hard boil 8 eggs. The cooker worked perfectly. The eggs were plunged into ice water and then peeled under the cold water faucet and they were perfect for making deviled eggs. The second time I used the product-one week later I had a problem. The popping sounds and funny smell alerted me to a melting lid which was not apparent just by looking at the cooker. The light did not turn off so I had no reason to assume they were not done. When I removed the lid strands of melted plastic follwed and a horrible smell. Oddly, the eggs still cooked to perfection. I had followed the directions exactly. I called the Oster people (who really are not Oster) and after numerous menus was connected to a very nice person. She claimed I was the first to have a problem such as this as I mentioned the previous reviews with the same problem. Apparently, they did not report it. I had a difficult time locating the model numbers so she retrieved the product and helped me to locate them. She nicely told me they would send another cooker and did not want the other one returned. The new cooker arrived faster then calculated. I tried to use it again. This time I let the eggs sit out to room temperature. Again, followed the instructions exactly. However, this time I watched to see when it seemed the water had boiled mostly out and then I removed the plug and immediately took off the cover. Plunged the eggs into ice water and they were done to perfection. I have decided that is the key here to cooking hard boiled eggs in this cooker. I hope it continues to perform because I really was happy with the way the eggs turned out with the first cooker. I like the fact that it makes 8 eggs instead of the usual 7, which I think is an odd number. Eggs peel beautifully and it is nice to be able to hard boil a lot in one setting to have on hand. Even though it melted the first time I give it 3 stars for fast delievery, good cooked eggs, and very accomodating customer service from the Oster people.Customer Review: A perfect hard-boiled egg -- a smelly, dirty process
Summary: 3 Stars
Honestly, I've never had any other experience with an egg cooker so I cannot compare it to the other ones on the market, but I did read all of the reviews before I bought this one and it's basically what I expected. I'm more impressed with the eggs than I thought possible, but less impressed with the construction/materials of the machine...
This egg cooker has given me 100% perfect hard-boiled eggs every time (I've used it about 5 times and made 5-6 eggs each time). They really are bizarrely exceptionally good tasting and perfectly cooked. However, I cannot stand to be in the room while they're cooking and I crack the window above the counter where I do it because it smells pretty gross. I have also had the machine leak some water three out of the five times (I now set it on a dish), and it is a PAIN to clean. Forget it ever looking like when you took it out of the box again. I have spent a lot of time trying to clean burned water and exterior eggshell gunk? from the base of the cooker. And the lid and other accouterments are equally as challenging to clean -- they weren't cooperating with a sponge and soap so I stuck them in the dishwasher (even though it says not to) and it didn't hurt the pieces at all (still works great), but it couldn't clean them either! SO I wouldn't put this out on your counter or use it to cook while guests are around.
I have not used the poacher dish yet...so no comment there.
The whole machine seems to be very cheaply made, and I think they can easily do better - and they should. They should also put some type of bell or buzzer or something. You have to set your own timer or keep checking on it. I'd buy them as gifts for everyone since the eggs are so good, if they made some improvements.
5 star eggs - 2.5 star design/convenience
Summary: I wouldn't return this machine for fear any other machine I buy wouldn't give me eggs that were nearly as good (the shell is even a cinch to peel off after!), and I will definitely continue to use it, so technically I recommend this product to you, just be prepared to let the machine look unattractive after it used, and don't put it on top of another electronic (I had it on top of the microwave once and it leaked water).
Hope this helps!
Customer Review: Easy clean up a myth
Summary: 2 Stars
We have had an egg cooker for 15 years and it was time to replace it.
I looked for and found the Oster 4716 egg cooker here at Amazon but failed to read all the reviews. Big mistake! Someone else had already found out the Teflon coating in the poaching tray was at best a joke, if not defective. I would say we poach eggs 90% of the time and the Teflon coating is important, if you want an easy clean up. Oster had a good name and so I took it on trust they would make a good product.
The cooking method for boiled eggs in their shells with this cooker is fine; I think any cooker on the market should be able to do that. Hence it got 2 stars
We prefer to poach eggs and that is the big disappointment with this unit. The Teflon coating on the poaching tray feels and looks like mat black paint and not Teflon. It is even rough to the feel and that was the first tell. The eggs vulcanized to this coating and even after 5 minuets of hard scrubbing with very hot water and dish soap, a thin film of egg white was still stuck to the tray. Teflon in the normal sense of the word, this is not!
I hate to give a negative review and I do so in the hope I can save someone the disappointment I now feel.
Just very disappointed with this purchase, it was supposed to be easy clean up but turned out to be just an advertising myth. Take my advice and buy someone else's product and read all the reviews before you buy. This is one egg cooker you do not need.
Update,
We have had this Egg cooker for 2 year now and as long as you don't mind greasing the poaching plate with butter before you put the eggs in it, it then works as it was possibly designed. The eggs will slid out without any effort and the clean up is easy. I had hoped not to have to go through this ritual before each cooking but it is the only way to remove the eggs from the cooker and not have then vulcanize to the cooking tray. Get the water amount right by using the marked levels in the base and it will make good poaches eggs, every time.
Customer Review: Cooks eggs very well
Summary: 4 Stars
We bought this to replace our egg cooker of 37 years!!! (Yes, 37 years!! Most marriages don't last that long!) It was very hard to find an egg poacher that poached 4 eggs at a time. Oster was the only one that we could find that fulfilled that requirement.
I am a little disappointed that the unit is mostly made of plastic, hence the four stars instead of five, but it does work very well, so I guess that's the way of the world now. The unit has a plastic lid and the bottom of the unit is also plastic, which at first I was concerned about because I was used to having a sturdy metal bottom. The bottom did clean up very easily, however. The egg cups for poaching are plastic as well and you do have to spray Pam in the cups when poaching eggs so that the eggs don't stick. The poached eggs came out fine. We did have to adjust the water that we added after poaching them the first time, but that really is a matter of personal taste as to whether you like your eggs firm or a little runny.
It hard boiled the eggs perfectly and I was very pleased that they were easy to peel and done to perfection. I have not tried soft boiled eggs yet. (There are just so many eggs a person can eat in a week.)
There is no bell that rings to tell you when your eggs are done, but our old unit didn't have that either. When the button pops out signaling that the eggs are finished, it is loud enough to hear if you are in the same room, so you always know when to remove the lid so the eggs don't continue to cook.
It is much lighter than our original unit since there are so many plastic parts. Even though I at first was skeptical about the product's construction, it actually seems to be a very durable unit and so far, works great. I just hope that all that plastic holds up over the years.
Customer Review: Eggsactly What We Needed.
Summary: 5 Stars
I may be biased towards the Sunbeam/Oster name, mostly because I have a family history with the company going back decades.
I am not a fan of eggs per se. However, the wife and kids are big fans of eggs. As a matter of fact they would eat eggs with every meal if they could.
The problem we faced was that since I don't ever eat eggs, I don't know a thing about cooking them. And my wife is a self admitted 'Non-Cook' when it comes to just about ANYTHING!
We began the test run of our new Oster 4716 Egg Cooker with the Hard Boiled eggs.
With the easy to follow instructions, not only in the booklet, but actually ON the product too, it was a snap!
According to the Mrs. the eggs came out to total perfection. Just soft enough in all the right areas...which I guess is the whole thing.
With the soft boiled eggs, there was again perfection. My wife hadn't eaten eggs cooked this way in quite some time, but enjoyed them none the less.
The poached eggs were the kids favorite! With a piece or two of toast, the kids called them the best 'dippy eggs ever!'
To top the whole experience off, the cook time was relatively short.
I don't remember the exact amount of time it took to cook each one, but the wonderful thing about this product is that it is all automatic! When the eggs were done cooking, the light in front went off, and the click at the perfect pitch let the household know their snack/breakfast was ready and waiting!
Another awesome thing that Oster does is put easy and delicious recipies in the instructions for some even better meals!
Needless to say, I'm highly reccomending this product. For the price, you honestly can't go wrong, especially when it makes your life a whole lot easier!