OXO Brew 9-Cup Review

The OXO Brew 9-Cup is a well-designed coffee maker that looks as good as it functions. It produces quality coffee you'll look forward to sipping on, and our tests show that you can rely on it to perform well pot after pot. With a handful of convenient features and a smooth-pouring carafe, this brewer is a pleasure to use.

Performance Comparison

Taste

I assembled a team of taste testers to sip coffee produced by the OXO Brew 9-Cup and others. Together we noted all aspects of taste, including flavor, acidity, and finish. Overall, our taste team reported the brew to be balanced yet rich in flavor and enjoyable to drink.

I made several pots of dark roast coffee. During the taste test, nutty and ashy flavor notes were definitely prevalent but not overpowering and were balanced out by the light mouthfeel. A rough edge to the coffee did linger for a while after the initial sip, with a tinge of acidity hanging on, but the OXO did well in wrangling all of these flavor elements into a smooth and satisfying cup.

Brew Quality

Utilizing a cone-shaped basket with a size 4 paper filter, the OXO Brew 9-Cup mimics a traditional pour-over setup. And it does a good job of it. Among the most important factors in brew quality is achieving the correct water temperature and dispersal.

The average brew temperature came in at 191.6°F, which is just shy of the ideal range as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The max brew temperature we recorded was 196.9°F, which landed right in the desired zone. Additionally, the spray head did well in soaking all of the grounds evenly, for the most part — there was a minimal divot in the middle of the grounds after the brewing was completed, but, as this is a cone filter basket, a small depression is to be expected.

Brew Time

Do you need your coffee fast? Then you're in luck, as the OXO Brew 9-Cup is a pretty speedy brewer. It clocked in at an average brew time of under 6 minutes for a 6-cup pot. We timed the brew speed across five different pots, and the results were fairly consistent. The first pot was the fastest at 5 minutes 42 seconds, and the following four brews were each only 10 to 20 seconds slower than the first.

Ease of Use

Form and function were both forged into the sleek design of the OXO Brew 9-Cup. We were impressed by its features and extras — the clock, auto-brew program, and included measuring spoon are convenient touches.

What's more, the device has a freshness timer that counts up to 60 minutes to show how much time has elapsed since brewing completed, and you can pause brewing whenever you want to pour a cup of coffee — which is great if you're in a rush. There are two brew modes to choose from — one to four cups and five to nine cups — which tells the machine to adjust to a better brew for your designed amount of coffee. Plus, we really like how well the carafe pours and how nice it is to hold.

While the carafe is a joy to use, it's a bit of a pain to clean. It's not dishwasher safe, and the top opening is too small for most hands, so you're going to have to use a bottle brush to scrub its insides. Some removable parts of the brewer are dishwasher-safe, but there is a lot you'll have to hand wash, and the stainless steel exterior likes to collect fingerprints. Descaling isn't too much of a nuisance, though. An indicator light turns on every 90 brew cycles, signaling that it's time for a deep clean, and you can use any descaling solution. Other than adding water and flushing the system afterward, the process is automated.

Should You Buy the OXO Brew 9-Cup?

The OXO Brew 9-Cup is a reliable drip brewer with a modern design and multiple quality-of-life enhancements. It'll look great on any counter, but it's going to take up a fair amount of space. If you don't mind the price tag and have room for it, this will serve you well.

What Other Drip Coffee Machines Should You Consider?

The OXO 9-Cup is a good, middle-of-the-pack drip coffee maker. But it's as expensive as other premium machines. So, if you're looking in this price range, we recommend upgrading to the much more refined Breville Precision Brewer. The Breville brews a flavorful, smooth, and balanced cup of coffee on its standard settings, but the adjustments and customizations give the user the tools they need to make the perfect pot. It's everything that makes the OXO great — just on a whole other level. But if you want a machine that can make a gloriously flavorful cup of coffee every time without fuss, the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT is a great choice. Its one-switch operation makes it delightfully easy to use, and it reliably brews spellbinding coffee so good it's like magic in a cup.