OXO Brew 8-Cup Review

For those willing to spend a bit extra for a convenient alternative to manual brewing, we think the OXO Brew 8-Cup is one of the best options on the market. It was one of our most consistent models in every metric. Although it got the job done all across the board, we did feel that there were other similar performing brewers at a better price with more features that consumers are looking for, such as automatic brewing.

Taste

Our experienced team of taste testers recorded similar thoughts and experiences when tasting what the OXO Brew 8-Cup put out. Each tester had their own cup of coffee to sniff, roll over their tongue, and do all sorts of taste-enhancing mouth movements with — and each came away with nearly identical opinions on the coffee flavor.

Such consistent results are likely related to the coffee machine's own brew consistency, but that's not the only factor that impacts taste. Our testers found their cups of coffee to be nutty, bitter, roasty, and astringent — quite heavy in these flavors, yet with a light mouthfeel and a lingering, smokey aftertaste. They also reported a neutral, smooth acidity level. Overall? Strong, satisfying, and decently balanced cups of coffee across the board.

Brew Quality

In my opinion, brew quality is the main selling point of the OXO Brew 8-Cup. This machine produced consistent, good-quality coffee in all of the tests I conducted. Overall, I think the OXO Brew is a great machine for those who prefer pour-over but are looking for greater convenience or the ability to make higher amounts of coffee more quickly. The OXO didn't manage to reach the minimum temperature suggested by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in our testing, hitting an average brew temperature of 193.6°F. This is, unfortunately, below the suggested brewing temperature, which is 195°F to 204°F.

Pre-infusion helps this brew achieve above-average water distribution, but examining the brew bed shows visible holes where the water came in contact with the grounds. However, the coffee made with this brewer is more uniformly saturated, not pulling away from the sides of the filter.

The OXO Brew was impressively consistent. We brewed five pots of coffee back to back and measured the brew basket temperature, coffee temperature in the carafe, and brewing time. For those who want to be certain their coffee is being made precisely the same way each time, this machine is a great choice.

Brew Time

The OXO 8-Cup brewed quicker than most typical drip brewers, with an average of 5 minutes and 22 seconds. Of course, when the machine beeped after the brewing cycle had finished, we had to wait an additional minute or so for the water to finish dripping out of the brew basket.

Still, brewing time was very consistent and seriously impressive. This is a great result for those who simply cannot wait to get their morning coffee fix. In this case, quicker is certainly better.

Ease of Use

The OXO Brew features a very simple and intuitive interface. The brewer is not programmable, but it does have an automatic pre-infusion setting, a sneak-a-cup feature, and a separate button for the cleaning cycle.

We like the simplicity of this model when it comes to brewing different batch sizes. There is one switch to select whether you're brewing into a carafe or a single-serving mug, two buttons to select how much coffee you're brewing, an on/off switch, and a button for running the cleaning cycle. The filter basket also has a switch to brew either into the carafe or a cup.

This brewer lacks automatic brewing, meaning you can't load the water and grounds the night before and wake up to a fresh pot of coffee. But, if you are considering the OXO Brew, you are likely concerned about taste quality and would not leave your grounds sitting in the filter all night anyway. Its insulated carafe does a decent job maintaining the temperature of your coffee in between cups.

We found the OXO Brew to be relatively straightforward to clean. It uses paper filters that make disposing of grinds quick and easy. While some grounds splash back onto the shower head, it's easily removable and fast to clean in the sink, even on a daily basis.

It doesn't create too much of a mess in normal use, and its descaling process takes a relatively innocuous 60 minutes. Most of the components are dishwasher safe: tray, brew basket, scooper, and spray head. The insulated carafe needs to be washed by hand, which is simple to do, though water collects around the rim of the vessel, preventing it from completely draining when flipped upside down on the drying rack.

Should you buy the OXO Brew 8-Cup?

The OXO Brew is on the pricey side and may not be a viable option for budget shoppers. However, for those seeking a simple machine that consistently brews a tasty cup of coffee, we think this is a straightforward reliable brewer. We'd recommend this if you find it on sale, but, there are better options in this price range.

What other drip coffee makers should you consider?