Popular articles
Recent discussions on forum
Oxo Burr Grinder Review
What are the features, specifications and limitations of this affordable Oxo grinder?
Published January 27, 2022
Select language
Susan Rov
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
As you improve your coffee brewing skills and learn more about how to make the perfect cup, you’ll understand that grinding your coffee fresh significantly impacts the taste of your brew.
Ground coffee beans start losing their flavour, aroma, and intensity within 30 minutes of grinding, resulting in a coffee that’s flat and not as vibrant.
A crucial step in making a delicious cup of coffee is to use fresh whole coffee beans and to invest in a grinder for your home barista kit.
When it comes to selecting the right grinder, it is important to choose a burr grinder instead of a cheaper blade option. This is because the burrs offer a superior grind consistency since they use pressure rather than electricity to grind the beans.
This Oxo burr grinder review will look closely at all the qualities of this machine, including grind consistency, functionality, durability, speed, or value for money to determine whether it is the best pick for you.
Oxo Brew Conical Burr Grinder Overview
Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from this grinder and some of its key technical specifications:
- 40 mm stainless steel conical burrs
- Above-average grinding consistency
- Easy operation and functionality
- 15 grind settings
- 12-ounce hopper capacity
- Affordable price
Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Review
If you are tossing up between a few options in selecting your new morning coffee companion, read this full Oxo conical burr grinder review for a detailed analysis of its grind consistency, functionality, speed, durability, and more.
Grind Consistency
Consistency is the main thing you are looking for from a good-quality grinder since it is what ensures even extraction and allows you to brew a delicious well-balanced cup of coffee.
This Oxo grinder, with its 40mm stainless steel conical burrs, offers great grind consistency for pour over or drip methods, especially at such a low price point.
While it has enough settings to adjust the grind for espresso brewing or for making a cold brew, the consistency in these coarse and fine ranges starts to diminish slightly.
So while it can still grind beans fine enough for a beginner’s espresso machine, if your skills and machine are more advanced, you might be better off with a different grinder.
Functionality
Many people love their Oxo burr grinder because of its minimalist design and construction that makes it user-friendly and intuitive.
The simple operation makes the morning ritual quick and hassle-free, which is ideal for people who don’t want to fumble around with different settings before getting their daily dose of caffeine.
The grinder comes with 15 settings that allow you to grind your beans for most brewing methods.
The device features a handy 30-second built-in timer that lets you walk away and multitask while the grinder does the work.
One of the negatives is that this entry-level grinder doesn’t come with an integrated scale, as does its more expensive upgrade, the Oxo Barista Brain grinder.
Overall, the operation of this grinder runs quietly, although some people complain about the occasional unpleasant high-pitched sounds it can produce from time to time.
Durability
Thanks to the sturdy construction and the stainless steel conical burrs, this grinder has decent longevity.
While the steel burrs won’t last you as long as the ceramic burrs, they ensure that you can count on a consistent grind for a longer period of time.
The grinder itself doesn’t require much maintenance and because of its removable top burr, which allows you to clean the burrs and restore the grinder yourself, it further improves the durability of the machine.
Speed
Even though the conical burrs are slower than the flat burrs, the Oxo coffee grinder operates at a good speed, compared to other grinders, and can go through a 23-gram dose of coffee in 9 seconds.
The grinder is also low static which means it creates less mess, limits the heat generated through the process and therefore ensures that the flavours of your coffee aren’t affected.
Design
The design of this grinder is simple, sturdy and reliable. It is compact and easy to fit into your kitchen while the silver exterior gives it a sophisticated finish.
An easy straightforward interface ensures simple operation and no need to read Oxo coffee grinder instructions before you start making your morning coffee hit.
The grinder gets extra points for the design of the hopper, which is sealed and therefore keeps your beans fresh as well as features a UV-light blocking tint, which protects the flavour.
Value For Money
Buying a grinder for your home barista kit can be a significant investment but this Oxo grinder provides all the needed functionality and performance at an affordable price.
While there are no bells and whistles when it comes to this grinder, it offers great value for money compared to some other machines at a similar price point.
Oxo Conical Burr Grinder Alternatives
If you’re looking for some other options beyond this Oxo coffee grinder review to explore within the same category, I would recommend looking at Baratza Encore, Bodum Bistro or Krups GX500050.
When comparing the Baratza Encore vs Oxo Grinder, both grinders perform well when grinding coffee for a drip machine while they both have limitations at finer settings suited for espresso brewing.
Further, the Baratza operates at a lower grinding speed and is more expensive than the Oxo, which is cheaper, grinds faster but is a little louder and grinds with more retention.
While Bodum Bistro or Krups GX500050 come at a similar price point, they have a slightly less reliable grind consistency.
If you plan on grinding coffee mainly for brewing espressos, getting a more precise Baratza Virtuoso or Baratza Sette would be a worthwhile upgrade.
On the other hand, if you only brew coffee with a manual brewing method such as Hario V60, AeroPress or a Chemex, getting a hand grinder, such as Porlex, will offer great consistency at an even lower price.
Who Is Oxo Burr Coffee Grinder Best For?
While this Oxo grinder offers no mind-blowing features, it has great performance, consistent grind and easy operation at an affordable price.
This grinder will be a suitable option for home baristas and people who want to ensure a balanced taste when grinding coffee for drip and filter brewing methods as well as entry-level espresso machines.
If you are looking for a grinder more sensitive to fine adjustments needed for advanced espresso brewing, other more accurate grinders such as Baratza Sette would be more suitable.
About the author
Susan Rov
A retired barista who turned into a writer. I love discovering coffee flavors and learning more about the magic bean.
Add comment
More on the coffee lab
Sign up and contribute now