The OXO 9-cup coffee maker is putting specialty coffee out of business – a barista's review

The OXO 9-cup coffee maker is putting pour-overs out of business. With its Gold, SCA certification, Rainmaker water distribution, and neat thermal technology, it can brew a cup of coffee that tastes like an expert's specialty pour-over. It just takes a lot less effort and a lot more space.

The 9-cup's sibling, the 8-cup, has sat at the top of our best drip coffee makers buying guide since we tested it. In fact, OXO's 8-cup drip coffee maker is at the top of our best coffee makers overall. I've started seeing increasing numbers of experts recommending the 9-cup over the 8-cup, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

I took the OXO 9-cup coffee maker along with my fully-qualified barista skills to our test kitchen. There, I put it through its paces. It's impressive and understated, but also is quite an investment. Here's everything you need to know.

Specifications

Unboxing

The OXO's packaging is as simple as the coffee maker itself. It comes in a recyclable box with mostly recyclable packing around it. There's a small amount of soft plastic which is more of a challenge to dispose of, but it kept the OXO in top condition, so I can't complain.

Once I'd peeled off a few stickers, I stood back and took a look at the OXO. The minimalist, modern design is understated. It doesn't draw too much attention on the countertop, because it doesn't have any fuss or frills. The only thing I would say is that this is quite tall. If it needs to fit under wall cupboards, you might struggle to squeeze it in, especially when you need to top up the reservoir with water too.

Who would it suit?

OXO's simple design lends itself well to a range of coffee drinkers. The straightforward settings are easy for beginners to use, plus the controls let you brew ahead of time, pause and pour, and batch brew. It makes consistently delicious coffee too.

The simple, but useful, settings mean that you have to brew at least two cups of coffee and you can make up to nine. This naturally cuts off those seeking out a single-serve machine (note: the OXO 8-cup can brew single servings), but it means that big families who need an easy carafe of coffee for everyone in the morning can enjoy a delicious brew with no fuss. 

Whilst the OXO isn't one of the most expensive filter coffee makers, it still costs around $200 which is quite an investment. It's enough to make you stop and assess your options. After testing it, I felt that the machine warranted the price. It's as good at making delicious coffee as more expensive models, plus the machine feels durable, has a Gold Certification from the SCA, and a two-year warranty. 

A big deal-breaker for you could be the height of the OXO. It's 17.2 inches tall and you need to lift the lid of the reservoir to fill it, which means that this becomes an incredibly tall drip coffee maker. The understated style is lovely, but not if you always have to pull it out on your countertop and stand on a stool to fill it.

What is it like to use?

Looks don't deceive, the OXO is as simple to use as its minimalistic design would suggest. There's one button that switches between settings, choosing to brew either 2-4 cups or 5-9 cups of coffee. You don't get to set the specific number of cups, the only control that you have over the quantity that ends up in your carafe is how much water you put in the reservoir. 

I used the 2-4 cup function first, filling the 45 oz reservoir up to the 4 cup indicator on the side of the reservoir. These useful markers mean that you don't need to measure out your water, instead free-pouring into the tank. The OXO will go through as much water as you fill it with, so if you want a strong cup of coffee, only fill to the two-cup line.

Even though I filled my reservoir up to the four-cup line, my coffee still tasted really strong. I was impressed at how clear and well-balanced the flavors were. Normally drip coffee makers aren't quite as good on smaller servings, but this was light and smooth.

The OXO has such a stellar reputation for flavors and when I was testing, I tried to work out why. I'd put this down to a few factors. The first is the 'rainhead', which evenly distributes water over coffee grounds. The shower-like pouring function might sound like a gimmick, but it makes a massive difference to your coffee flavors, because all the grounds are evenly saturated, so you get a really balanced, clear flavor profile. 

The second factor I have to thank is the MicroProssor, another genuinely good, but gimmicky-sounding feature. This slows down the brewing according to the amount of grounds that you put in your brewing basket. This makes a big difference to the depth of your coffee's flavors, especially when paired with the silicone blending tube, that constantly mixes your coffee, ensuring all the flavors are well blended. The last factor is the beans (I used Union's Natural Spirit blend). You can't make a good cup of coffee without quality beans.

My next test was on the bigger 5-9 cup function. Given the success of smaller servings, I had high hopes. I won't keep you waiting, they were more than met. The coffee was, again, really strong. The flavors were distinct, bold, and delicious. 

I used this chance to test our the 'pause and pour' which interrupts your brewing so that you can pour a cup if you can't wait for a full carafe. Compared to my end result, the cup of coffee that I poured part of the way through wasn't as well balanced. 

After pouring and enjoying a cup for myself, I thought I'd give the 'keep warm' function a true test. Essentially, rather than use a hot plate, as soon as the OXO stops brewing, the screen starts a 60-minute timer to let you know how long your coffee has been sitting in the pot. The carafe is double-walled, using a vacuum to keep your coffee warm. This method is better for your coffee's health and flavors, because hot plates can burn your coffee, making it taste stale. I found that the thermal carafe kept my coffee hot for 1.5 hours. I wouldn't recommend letting your coffee sit for much longer than that: coffee tastes best when it's fresh. If you wanted yours ready for a set time, the OXO's 'brew ahead' function worked meticulously, brewing coffee in advance to the exact time that I asked for it. 

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

Keeping the outside of the OXO clean is easy. All it needs is an easy wipe and you won't have fingerprints or coffee splatters on your coffee maker. Doing a deeper clean is relatively easy too. The rainmaker, mixing tube, and drip basket are all dishwasher-safe and easy to remove from the coffee maker.

I did have a couple of snags though. First, the reservoir is fixed. I have a personal grievance with fixed reservoirs because they're more effort to fill and much harder to clean. This is already a tall drip coffee maker, but to get vantage to scrub all the corners of your OXO you'll need to either turn your machine on its side or stand on a stool. Hopefully, you won't need to do it often, but when you do you'll curse fixed reservoirs. 

The second issue I have is the carafe. This isn't dishwasher safe and will keep a little bit of coffee in the bottom that you won't be able to get out. The best thing to do is wash this with a mild detergent (Ecover and Method work well) and then leave it upside down to air dry.

How does it rate online?

You won't be surprised to know that the OXO 9-cup coffee maker rates very highly online. I found whole reviews dedicated to why an expert loves the OXO 9-cup and why they think it's the best coffee maker of all time. When coffee connoisseurs are going crazy for a coffee maker, you know that it's good.

Regular customers were similarly complimentary. People particularly love the simple, sleek design as well as the straightforward controls. Even though this is expensive, people generally score it highly for value and quality. In fact, it was one of the most common themes in Amazon reviews: this feels like a luxury coffee maker.

As expected, both customer and expert reviews found the size a little tricky. It's too tall to sit under wall cupboards, especially when you're adding water to the reservoir. People also wished that they could make just a single serving of coffee, as they could with the OXO 8-cup. 

How does it compare?

The natural comparison that springs to mind is between this and the OXO 8-cup coffee maker. Both are made to meet the SCA's Gold standard, so you're pretty much guaranteed delicious coffee and a durable design from both coffee makers. There's only one cup's difference in the name, but there's a fair amount between the two.

The 8-cup is smaller, and much more urban-apartment friendly. It also has the capacity to brew a single cup of coffee, something which almost all critical reviews wish OXO had included in the 9 cup's design. The 8-cup also has an extra brewing basket, which helps the flavors, especially on single-servings.

Aside from more capacity, the 9-cup betters the 8-cup in its flavor notes. The 8-cup doesn't have the smart setting which slows and speeds up how quickly the water passes over your grounds, nor does it have the mixing tube which helps all your cups of coffee towards consistent flavors. 

Should you buy it?

If you've got a large household, a lot of coffee to brew, and you want specialty coffee flavors, the OXO 9-cup coffee maker is a no-brainer. It's sleek, modern, and minimalistic. However, the hefty price tag and quirks might discount the 9-cup from its chance of ending up at the center of your coffee station. If that's the case, check our buying guide for the best drip coffee makers. We have plenty of suggestions over there.

How we test

At Homes & Gardens, we are committed to a rigorous testing process. Every coffee maker we review has to jump through the same hoops; it's assessed on the same qualities; and brews with the same beans. That way, we know we are always giving you the most reliable results around.

We start with unboxing, making notes on what a product is like to unbox, whether the packaging is recyclable, and letting you know what we think of how it looks on the countertop. We'll then use a drip coffee maker to brew a single serving (if it can), small servings, and a full carafe of coffee. We measure the time, and temperature, and comment on the flavor profiles of the cup that we've brewed. We'll also see how long coffee stays warm in the carafe, especially if it has a hot plate or thermal walls. Any special features promoted by the brand will also be tested by our team of experts. There's no function left unbrewed. If we need to, we'll keep brewing cup after cup after cup. 

Once we're full of coffee and satisfied with our tests, we'll give the machine a clean to see what it would be like both for daily and deep cleans. We'll also discuss how it compares to other models on the market, considering whether it's good value or not.

If you want to know more details, you can read everything about the process on our dedicated page for how we test coffee makers.