OXO is better known for kitchen tools than specialty coffee equipment. Good peelers. Good containers. Good measuring cups. But it now sells everything from grinders and scales to drip machines and manual brewers. Since our kitchen is pretty OXO-heavy, we’ve been glad to see it.
The brand’s biggest strength is usability. OXO tends to remove irritating little steps without loading products with unnecessary technology.
We’ve used several OXO coffee makers and related products and think some are among the easiest recommendations in their categories. Not every product is the absolute best performer available, but many do strike a good balance between coffee quality, durability, convenience, and price.
OXO Rapid Brewer
This is one of OXO’s more interesting recent products: The Rapid Brewer is small, manual, fast, and capable of making hot coffee or concentrated cold coffee, no matter where you are. We used it when camping at Warren Dunes State Park in Southwest Michigan a few months ago, and were largely satisfied with the results (though we did have to tinker to get the coffee grind size “right enough” for the vacuum pump to work).
It’s suitable for travel, offices, camping, hotels, and short-term rentals, but it doesn’t brew a “conventional full mug” of coffee unless it is diluted.
We see how it appeals to longtime AeroPress fans (like us), but it’s still a work in progress. We’ve found the suggested recipes and grind recommendations are less standardized than AeroPress recipes (which marks sense, given AeroPress’ longer history).
A small knock: It doesn’t make a large volume of coffee. Its small brewing capacity can be a barrier for anyone brewing coffee for 3+ people.
OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker
The OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a workhorse: long-term owners report five to seven years of use with minimal wear. Yes, it is essentially a plastic brewing chamber sitting over a pitcher. But that is also why it keeps working.
Even better, it is low effort, yields inexpensive servings (no $7 upcharge for cold brew), and its basic construction means there isn’t much that can fail mechanically. This is a win for me (I’m not super fixer minded, though thankfully David is). 🤓
We like this cold brew maker more than a basic jar-and-strainer set up because its fine mesh filtration can produce a “cleaner,” tastier (in our opinion) cup of coffee. That said, while it is more orderly than a bucket or French press, it’s not fundamentally that much more capable. Though if you want a specialized brewer, we think its one of the best cold brew coffee makers.
It uses a straightforward release mechanism and doesn’t require paper filters. We reach for it over the Toddy Cold Brew System because the carafe fits in our fridge more easily, and I think it is nicer to look at.
OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
We haven’t personally tested the OXO Coffee Grinder yet (we opted for the Baratza Encore instead), but years of recommendations from reviewers and the coffee community have convinced us it’s one of OXO’s best coffee products.
For one, it’s probably OXO’s most broadly useful coffee product (besides its scale — more on that below). Swapping from pre-ground coffee or basic blade grinder to a burr grinder like this is one of the easiest upgrades you can make to your home coffee brewing setup.
This one is a simple timer-based operation that doesn’t require you hold down a button, which is neat. It has a large hopper and grounds container fit for drip and pour over coffee households alike.
The OXO coffee grinder also wins on price. It is usually more affordable than more premium grinders like from Fellow or the aforementioned Baratza. It’s been described as a “more appliance-like experience.” That means it’s a good baby step toward a higher quality coffee setup but won’t break the bank.
If you want an even more affordable OXO burr grinder in this direction, consider the OXO Outdoor Manual Coffee Grinder (what you save in price you make up in sweat equity, though). It’s been a happy addition to our travel/camping coffee kit.
Note that this is not the grinder you would choose for making serious espresso at home.
OXO Outdoor Campgrounds French Press
Over the years, I’ve become less interested in camping coffee gear that requires delicate treatment. Between kids, coolers, folding chairs, and me trying to carry six things at once, something is eventually getting dropped… I’d rather it not be my coffee maker.
We happily added the OXO Outdoor Campgrounds French Press to our camping kit earlier this year because 1) It’s made of plastic (AKA toddler-proof… mostly) and 2) We have high confidence in OXO coffee products. Need we say more?
This OXO French press has a protective outer shell and shatter-resistant design. It comes with a silicone-edged filter that can help with clean up (though we still find the entire clean up process a bit of a drag, tbh).
The upsides of the Tritan plastic are that it is less expensive and less fragile. The downsides are that it is less insulated than stainless steel or double-walled camping presses, though I’ll be honest — we gobble our coffee up right away when camping (we always need more than usual, it seems).
If your use case doesn’t involve campgrounds or being around tiny wild children, you might be happier with the OXO Venture French Press. It has a more “at-home” aesthetic for everyday kitchen use rather than one suitable for getting tossed into the back of your SUV with sleeping bags and semi-stale marshmallows.
OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker
We haven’t personally brewed with this OXO coffee maker yet (we ended up buying a Bonavita instead because it fit our budget better at the time), but it’s a machine that keeps coming up whenever knowledgeable coffee people start recommending automatic drip brewers. Between its reputation, thoughtful design, and consistently positive reviews, we feel comfortable recommending it.
Regular users highlight its compact footprint and straightforward controls as its strengths. It can also brew directly into a mug OR its thermal carafe, which is nice. The latter avoids the cooked flavor that is sometimes associated with hot plates. Owners frequently praise its ability to make coffee that approaches manual brewing quality without the work.
If you’re comfortable giving up a programmable timer (AKA no coffee waiting before you wake up), this OXO coffee product is best for someone who wants very good automatic coffee with almost no setup.
OXO Brew Precision Coffee Scale
We actually already owned the OXO kitchen scale, and use it all the time for baking and cooking. It’s been a great little scale. Coffee, though, was where it started to show its limits.
The OXO kitchen scale rounds to whole grams, which is adequate for recipes but a little clunky when you’re trying to brew coffee consistently. Measuring 25 grams instead of 25.4 grams isn’t the end of the world, but once you start making pour over coffee regularly, those little differences become easier to appreciate.
That’s why we’re glad OXO makes a dedicated coffee scale. It measures to 0.1 grams, includes a built-in timer, and has the simple, uncluttered interface we’ve come to expect from OXO products.
That said, this is one category with a lot of excellent competition. We use the Hario V60 Drip Scale, and Timemore has also built a strong reputation for offering a lot of value for the money.
If you’re already an OXO fan, though, this is a thoughtful option. Just don’t assume your regular kitchen scale is the same thing as a coffee scale. We made that mistake before, and eventually upgraded.
OXO Brew Adjustable Temperature Pour-Over Kettle
We haven’t used OXO’s gooseneck kettle yet, but it fits neatly into what the company tends to do well: make specialty coffee gear feel less intimidating.
On paper, it checks the important boxes: You get adjustable temp control, a precision gooseneck spout for more controlled pours, and a built-in timer so you don’t have to juggle your phone while making coffee (ask me how I know this is a perk).
It also sits in a pretty competitive category. We still love our Bonavita kettle, and the Fellow Stagg has become the premium name that many coffee nerds gravitate toward. OXO looks like it’s trying to occupy the middle ground — more refined than a basic electric kettle, but a little less flashy (and less expensive) than the highest-end options.
If you’re just getting into pour over coffee and want a temperature-controlled kettle from a brand with a strong reputation for thoughtful kitchen tools, this seems like one of OXO’s stronger offerings.
OXO Pour-Over Coffee Maker With Water Tank
The OXO Brew Pour-Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank is one of the more clever coffee products we’ve used.
Traditional pour over is great, but it also asks you to stand there for a few minutes pouring water in slow circles while trying not to think too hard about whether your spirals are spiral-y enough. This OXO pour over solves that problem by doing the pouring for you and is one of the best pour over coffee makers we’ve found.
Instead of a gooseneck kettle, the water tank automatically meters the water over the coffee bed while you go do something else. David’s favorite use case is filling the reservoir, hopping in the shower, and coming back to a fresh cup of coffee waiting for him.
The resulting coffee isn’t quite as good as a carefully executed Kalita Wave or Hario V60 brew, but it gets a lot closer than you’d probably expect for about $20 and almost no effort. For beginners especially, that’s a pretty compelling tradeoff.
Are OXO Coffee Products Good?
In general, yes, we think OXO products are solid. OXO occupies a middle ground between bargain-bin coffee gear and expensive enthusiast equipment. Most of its products aren’t trying to be the absolute best at one thing, but they are trying to make brewing good coffee easier.
That’s a philosophy we can get behind.
Across the lineup, you’ll notice a lot of thoughtful little touches. Handles are comfortable, controls are intuitive, measurement markings are easy to read, and lids, release mechanisms, and other moving parts generally just make sense. We rarely find ourselves reaching for the instruction manual with OXO products, and that’s probably by design.
Except for that Rapid Brewer. That one took a few tries to get the hang of.
TL;DR
OXO rarely makes the most obsessive version of a coffee product. It frequently makes the version that normal people will actually enjoy using every morning.
OXO makes practical coffee gear that is generally easier to use, easier to clean, and less expensive than enthusiast-grade alternatives. Some products are genuinely excellent; others are mostly convenient.
