Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker Review 2023 – Is It Worth It

Ivy Smith February 8, 2023 in Kitchen & Food, Coffee Maker - 10 Minutes

Read Time:9 Minute, 35 Second

One of my preferred coffee preparations is cold brew. If made correctly, the beverage’s sweet, syrupy texture and lack of bitterness make it impossible to resist. Though it can be time-consuming to make batches of cold brew at home, especially when it comes to straining your grounds. The $50 Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker is available to assist and takes much of the hassle out of brewing this unique coffee.

A leading brand of cold brew coffee makers is the Oxo Cold Brew. To distinguish this brewer in a market already crowded with competitors, Oxo has added several thoughtful design elements, such as a rainmaker lid and brew release switch. Making cold brew coffee has become more widely available thanks to the Oxo Cold Brew coffee maker.

The Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker has a straightforward, organized cold brew system and can brew up to 24 ounces of cold brew concentrate at once. Let’s check out this amazing coffee maker below!

Table of Contents

What is Cold-brew Coffee

The finest bourbon in the coffee industry is cold-brew coffee. Because the cold-brew process results in a cup of coffee that is up to 67% less acidic than what you get with traditional brewing techniques, it has a bold smoothness and rich, complex flavors that have a natural sweetness. Cold brewing not only makes digestion easier, but it also allows you to relive the flavor of your preferred freshly roasted beans. More caffeine is retained during the slow, cold extraction process than in a shot of hot espresso.

Also Read: 5 Best Iced Coffee Makers (2023 Reviews) – Are They Easy to Use?

Pros & Cons of Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Pros:

Let It Rain: The patented Rainmaker water dispenser soaks ground coffee evenly to produce the perfect bloom and extract maximum flavor from your beans
Let It Pour: When it’s time to drain the coffee, a simple press of the release lever dispenses the cold brew into the carafe
Let It Store: Oxo designed the cold-brew system’s parts to neatly nest when not in use, to save storage space

Cons:

Clear as Mud: The directions provided by Oxo for making cold brew are not flawless. We recommend not stirring the ground coffee
Paper Filter Habit: If you want sediment-free cold-brew coffee, you’re going to need disposable paper filters to go on top of the metal fine mesh filter

Design & Construction

Making kitchen tools simple to use is what Oxo does best. Their Cold Brew Coffee Maker is as simple as it gets but gives you barista-quality results. The unit is made up of just seven parts: the glass carafe, the stand, the brewing container, the patented Rainmaker water dispenser, a stainless steel mesh filter (and a bonus pack of paper filters), and a stopper/lid. In essence, there are three sections to the coffee maker: the top section, which is responsible for brewing, is made up of the Rainmaker, the brewing container, the filter, and its cap. This part sits on the second section, the stand, which also houses the third section, the carafe and its stopper.

The top section has the features that make the Oxo Cold-Brew Coffee Maker dummy-proof. At the top sits the Rainmaker water dispenser. Because it functions like a rainfall shower head, Oxo’s patented Rainmaker water dispenser creates the ideal bloom every time. It does this by dispensing water through tiny, evenly spaced holes that allow it to drip over the entire surface of the ground coffee, much like rain would on a garden, to produce the magical, flavorful bloom you want to see when cold brewing coffee. Other cold-brew coffeemakers require you to manually create the bloom by pouring water onto the ground coffee in precise circular motions. It is more difficult than it appears to pour water in a circular motion by hand. It’s very simple to ruin the bloom by pouring too quickly or unevenly.

An easily-removable filter assembly is located at the base of the brewing container. The fine-mesh filter is made of stainless steel, is reusable, and quite efficient. A small package of paper filters is included in case you want an additional layer of filtration because Oxo is aware that very small amounts of ground coffee may still manage to get past the filter and into your cold brew.

Throughout the brewing process, the stand supports the cold-brew container. After a lengthy steep, the coffee is simply released into the glass carafe below by flipping the brew-release switch.

Up to two weeks’ worth of chilled coffee can be stored in the glass carafe’s stopper lid, which has a silicone seal. The lid also doubles as a measuring cup so you can measure the perfect coffee-to-milk ratio to dilute your cold-brew coffee concentrate. The Cold-Brew Coffee Maker from Oxo is made up of nested pieces for convenient storage.

Capacity

The Oxo cold brew has a maximum capacity of 32 ounces (which is what the glass carafe holds). However, the majority of users discover that it produces more like 24 to 28 ounces of cold brew concentrate. Given that it brews a concentrate, this needs to be diluted down before drinking. Oxo recommends a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of coffee concentrate to water or milk. Based on your preference for a strong cup of coffee and this information, the Oxo cold brew coffee maker will produce about 12 drinks.

Although it has a smaller capacity than machines like the Filtron or Toddy, a small household can still use this machine.

The Test Drive

A mess-free brewing process is offered by the Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker. There were no questions about how to put the unit together or where any of the parts went.

Thanks to the Rainmaker’s pouring lid, the ground coffee was evenly and gently soaked. There was no concern about destroying the coffee bloom as the cold water dripped over freshly ground roast, filling the space with the aroma of our beans.

We waited patiently for our beans to steep for 18 hours, then we pressed the brew-release switch, which caused the Oxo to release our coffee concentrate. The glass carafe feels sturdy and the silicone-seal lid has a perfect, not-too-tight fit. Thanks to all the convenient features Oxo includes in its coffeemakers, the entire process was simple and hassle-free.

The instructions that come with the package are my only gripe. The instructions start out pretty standard: “Ground coffee should be added to the fill top brewing container…” “Place the Rainmaker on top of the container…” Oxo then instructs to add the water to the Rainmaker and let it sit for to 10 minutes for the coffee to bloom, then stir the grounds. We recommend not stirring the grounds, this can break the coffee bloom and affect the flavor of the final finished product. At Everything Kitchens, we want you to achieve restaurant-quality results at home.This requires the right tools and the right instructions on how to use them. Determining the best option for your kitchen is why we do the research for you.

Ease of Use

The Oxo cold brew coffee maker is very straightforward to use. Given the quantity of pieces that must be put together, the initial setup is the most difficult. Oxo recommends the following recipe as a starting point:

Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Coffee Measurements:

10 oz. (284g) of coarse ground coffee
40 oz. (1.2L) of water at room temperature
Brew time: 12-24 hours

Directions:

Add 10 oz. of coarsely ground coffee to the brewing container, then place the rainmaker lid on top
Pour in the 40 oz. of water through the rainmaker lid
Leave to steep at room temperature for 12-24 hours
When the brew is finished, set the glass carafe underneath the brewing vessel and turn the brew release switch to drain the coffee concentrate; this process takes about 10 minutes.
There it is, a batch of cold-brewed coffee. The cold brew coffee can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if the carafe’s lid is on.
To serve, dilute the cold brew concentrate with 1 part concentrate to 2-3 parts water, milk or ice.
Clean the brewer and dispose of the used coffee grounds.

Quality of Brew

A pot of coffee made with the Oxo cold brew coffee maker is robust, flavorful, and smooth. It has a reusable stainless steel filter built into it, which effectively filters out most of the coffee grounds. You might discover that a small amount of sediment enters the cup. You do have the option of using paper filters if you prefer a cleaner cup with fewer oils. For those who have a sensitive stomach and want a low acid coffee, cold brew coffee is a good option because it typically has less acidity or bitterness than hot coffee. For our top coffee bean suggestions, see our article on the best coffee beans for cold brew.

The Oxo creates a cold brew coffee concentrate, as was already mentioned, so it must be diluted before consumption. Oxo recommends 1 part cold brew to 2-3 parts water or milk. However, there are other ways to enjoy cold brew, including as hot or cold coffee. If you want a hot cup of coffee, just mix 1 part cold brew concentrate with 2 parts hot water. Alternatively, for a refreshing cold coffee you can dilute 1 part cold brew with 1 part cold water and 1 part ice for an iced coffee.

Cleaning

It can be difficult to clean the Oxo cold brew coffee maker. The ground coffee needs to be thrown away (or composted) first. After that, the brewer needs to be cleaned. All of the other components must be hand washed; only the glass carafe can be put in the dishwasher. To make cleaning easier, the various components disassemble. In order to rinse the filter under hot water, the filter cap also screws off.

Price

The price of the Oxo cold brew coffee maker, which is around $50, is higher than that of other cold brewers. It is a high price to pay considering that you can make cold brew coffee using an old mason jar and filter. However, we would say it is worth it for the dedicated cold brewer. The Oxo makes short work of brewing and produces a delicious cold brew coffee. If you are not convinced it is the one for you, there are a few alternatives.

Conclusion

Cold brew enthusiasts should think about purchasing the Oxo cold brew coffee maker. It produces a potent concentrate and is easy to use. It should fit seamlessly into any kitchen thanks to its sleek design.

Depending on how much you value this distinctive coffee beverage, you can decide whether the $50 Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a good investment. Making cold brew at home is more cost-effective than purchasing it from stores or coffee shops, where prices are frequently marked up significantly.

Theoretically, I could make five 24 ounce batches of cold brew using Oxo’s device and a $15 bag of Kirkland Costa Rica coffee from my neighborhood Costco. 120 ounces in all — that’s a much better deal than forking over $7.99 for a 32-ounce bottle in the supermarket.