OXO Brew Rapid Brewer

At some point within the 6 weeks of owning the OXO New Rapid Brewer, it has become my default method of brewing coffee. The versatility of its core mechanic brings out the flavors across roast levels - and what you get is a rich but light tasting brews with good mouth feel. The Rapid Brewer produces coffee concentrate. You then add water to dilute the concentrate to your preference. Oxo's recommended recipe is 20 grams of coffee to 160 grams of water yielding about 115 grams of concentrate. That's enough for 2 cups of American style coffee. But here's the versatility - in the mood for an espresso style drink? Then don't dilute the Oxo recipe. Or better yet try a recipe of like 22 grams coffee to 80 grams water. And wow - you get a well textured full flavored espresso like drink. Espresso-like, because the Rapid Brewer is not a high pressure system, so it isn't espresso. But the mouth feel and taste is in that region. Espresso fans would call this a "soup" style espresso - where the goal is to generate high flow rate rather than high pressure. Ideal for light to medium roasts. And the Rapid Brewer can produce cold brew coffee. Not my thing, so I've only done it a couple of times. Cold brew in 5 minutes is remarkable. The brew method is simple. Add your ground coffee either by weight or to the fill line in the basket. Screw on the clear water holder. Fill water by weight or to the fill line. Screw on the plunger. Wait ~ 2 minutes and then start pumping. Again, this is not a high pressure system, so pumping is easy and it's over quickly. Clean up is very quick. The puck in the brew basket is dry - just knock it out into trash, wipe with a towel. Unscrew the pump. Done. I see a lot of comparisons to the Aeropress. I own 2 aeropresses. Not that it's a competition - but I much prefer what I can get from the Rapid Brewer. It's a richer mouthfeel. It's a fuller flavor. I will say that I use the aeropress filters in the Rapid Brewer to get a clean brew. They fit great. So yes, I highly recommend the Rapid Brewer. For cheap money, you get a system that produces excellent coffee. I'm sippin an Ethiopian Americano style coffee as I write this review, and I wish I could share it with you all. Cheers!

First off, I'm not a daily coffee drinker, more like a once or twice a week after dinner coffee drinker, I drink it for the flavor more than a "have to" kind of thing. That being said, I need to have great tasting coffee. I have quite the collection of different coffee making apparatuses, from simple stainless steel pour overs (surprisingly tasty coffee comes from those), to French presses, a couple of different cold brew devices, a couple of different Moka pots, and an AeroPress. I also tend to grind my own beans. I love making coffee in each of these coffee making devices, but at this time, my absolute favorite is the Oxo Rapid Brewer. I find it makes pretty good coffee, and the ease of use and cleanup afterward is also a major perk. Even though I really enjoy coffee in all of my other coffee devices, I have been known to want a cup of coffee but chose to not make it only because of the fact that it was either going to take too much time/effort to get it set up and/or the cleanup afterward. Enter the Oxo Rapid brewer. I love the fact that it can make hot or cold brew, and the cold brew takes only a few more minutes than the hot. I have been experimenting with adding a dash of cinnamon to the coffee bed before tamping, I'm going to try cocoa powder next. One thing I do that is a bit extra, since I have an AeroPress, I have lots of those paper filters for it, I do use one in my Oxo Rapid brewer, only to make it easier to clean out and it helps keep the metal filter from getting clogged. I don't know for a fact that it will get clogged, I'm only going by past experience with stainless steel pour over devices, they have a very fine metal filter and eventually the very fine coffee grounds do slow the coffee from going through. I am doing this in a preemptive manner. I also reuse the paper filter a few times, I did that with the AeroPress (don't judge) and it works just fine, I rinse it and reuse it a few times with no issues. If I remember correctly, the maker of the AeroPress said in an experiment to see how many uses he could get from one, he got 100 uses out of 1 paper filter, I wouldn't go that far, but I see nothing wrong with reusing it a few times. 👉👉👉<<<<EDITED TO ADD>>>>👈👈👈 I have pretty much stopped using the Aeropress filters every time, I still use them on occasion, but mostly not. I found that it doesn't clog at all, cleanup is easy, I just "knock" out the grounds into the trash and rinse out what remains. Sometimes I'll toss the grounds into my garden. I do not notice any cloudiness or fines in my coffee when made without the filter. Back to the regularly scheduled program, I find that the Oxo Rapid brewer works great for me, it makes tasty coffee, it's easy to use, easy to learn, easy to clean. It makes a concentrate which I use for a larger cup of coffee, I like to add either half and half or milk, some water and a bit of maple syrup for sweetness. I have found it makes just the right amount for me, but if need be I could share or since it brews so quickly, I could easily make 2 batches back to back. It doesn't leak, it makes more than enough for me, the unit feels sturdy, I'm not concerned about dropping it. Cleaning it is a breeze, I just knock out the coffee grounds, rescuing the paper filter, I rinse everything and let it dry in my dish drain. It is super stealthy too, no worries about disturbing anyone if I decide I want a quick cupper in the middle of the night. My only "issue" is I purchased a few bottles of coffee concentrate just before ordering this, it's hard to decide which I want to use, I am going to have to make myself use up my coffee concentrate (I don't want to waste them, they are good too). I am enjoying using this method to make my own coffee concentrate, maybe I'll hang on to one of the empty bottles and refill it with the brewed coffee concentrate. If you are on the fence about buying this, don't be, it's worth it, the price is right and the method is fun and makes a tasty brew.

i love this thing. originally, i was looking for something that would allow me to be completely off-the-grid when it comes to making coffee. i live in a corner of the world where power is not guaranteed from moment to moment, so boiling water or running the grinder (i have a manual to cover that) may not always be an option. i had heard that this thing makes excellent coffee even with cold or room-temp water in 5 minutes and thought, ok sure, i dunno how thats going to work, but ill give it a shot. and i will admit, i was skeptical. tbh... i STILL dont entirely understand how it does what it does with cold water (and i do mean COLD, 33 degree water even)... but damned if it doesnt work, and produce some fine tasting cups of coffee to boot. a little experimentation was required to get the best (for my tastes) results, but now that ive got it dialed in, i am very impressed with the results. speaking of, its a bit difficult to describe what comes out of this thing. made cold, its not exactly like a 12-24 hour cold brew... its certainly not espresso, and its not really like a traditional hot brew (pour over, filter, french press, or otherwise)... i dunno HOW to put it, exactly. first, when they say it produces a concentrate, they arent just whistling dixie, you do NOT want to drink this stuff straight. right from the press its black as coal-tar and half as thick, and will definitely put hair on your chest. however, cut down with ice, milk, and cold water, and damn thats a tasty cup. or, several really. depending on how strong you like your coffee, youre going to want to cut it down AT LEAST 2 parts to 1... and probably as much as 3 or 4 parts to 1. however, that said, i would NOT follow the box instructions for making it cold. it wants WAY too much coffee, most of which is wasted by their recipe. they recommend 40g, but using 25g yields something indistinguishable from the 40g dose. however, for this to work, youll want it a bit finer than they recommend. on my electric 36-step grinder, i put it on one step up from the absolute finest grind, but your mileage will vary depending on your grinder. its not espresso-fine, but its damn close to it. i put the 25g into the basket, needle it, level it, then tamp the holy hell out of it, like HARD. i then add the recommended amount of water and let it sit the 5 minutes. at the end of the 5 minutes you should have juuuust a bit in the cup, 1/8 to 1/4 inch at most. any more than that, and you need to go finer. at this point, pump it 5-6 times and it will run about 2/3 of the water through. 2-3 more will get the last of the water through followed by a satisfying hiss that lets you know youre done. of course, your tastes may be different than mine, but personally i find this gives great super-drinkable results without using as much coffee. made hot, i do pretty much the same (25g, same grind) but only the 2 minutes. youll have a fair bit more drip through in that 2 minutes as well, but thats fine dont sweat it. itll pump through quite a bit easier as well. but, again, the end result is a really tasty super-drinkable concentrate. itll taste a bit different than the cold, but pretty close. and probably, the closest thing id compare it to is what you get out of a moka pot, although a LOT stronger. ive also found its GREAT for cooking. the concentrate packs a TON of coffee flavor without a ton of liquid, allowing for a lot of versatility. i made a coffee cheesecake with a cold concentrate made as above and it was OUTSTANDING. im really looking forward to experimenting with this aspect of the brewer. its also quite ergonomic, stores compactly with everything self-contained (dont forget to stow the tamper in the water chamber) making it great for travel. im going to knit a little drawstring cozy for it for when i want to toss it in my day bag or suitcase :) tl;dr: if youve fallen down the rabbit-hole of weird coffee stuff, you owe it to yourself to put this in your collection. its fast, portable, power-free, versatile, and just... oddly cool and interesting. in the grand spectrum of coffee gear, the price is right too, so you cant hardly go wrong. and hey, if you dont like it, repack it and gift it for christmas to someone :)

I love the coffee the OXO Brew Rapid Brewer makes, especially soup, which has largely left my expensive espresso machine unused. It is magic with funky, fruity light-to-medium-roast coffees. It's also extremely easy to use and quicker to clean up than my espresso, pour-over, or drip coffee setups. My only beef, an explanation for the missing star, remains durability. The perforated water chamber started cracking maybe a month or two into owning it and it's getting worse. I've only had it since August, and it's not manhandled.

I love this thing. Easy to use and easier to clean, this now lives in my desk drawer at work. The design is brilliant, producing a "coffee concentrate" somewhere between espresso and Americano, to which you simply add more piping hot water for a proper Americano. Well, as close as you're going to get without an espresso machine. It's a different process, technically, as it takes two to three minutes to "bloom," and then you force the rest of the hot water through with smooth air pressure from the plunger on top. The air/water chamber accumulates pressure so that the tiny holes on the bottom plate allow a smooth, consistent flow of hot, moderately pressurized water through the puck. It works perfectly in 5 minutes, brewing a 12 oz. mug of coffee, most of which time is just letting it "soak". About 3-4 oz of water actually go through the machine, to produce the "concentrate." I was leery of buying this new-fangled thing, but it is compact, easy, and makes a GREAT cup of coffee. If this thing ever breaks, I'll buy another no question.

Saw something similar recommended on Wirecutter and was tired of spending $$$ on americanos at the giganto chain, so I came over here for a look. When I saw OXO had a version for less I thought I’d give it a shot! Love this little gadget- super compact and takes up way less space than a keurig, also generates less waste. Could easily tote to work, travel, maybe even camping! Solidly built and easy to use, got the hang of it after the second brew (pro tip- fine grind is key for it to work properly). In just a couple of minutes I had a really tasty, smooth cup of coffee. I was REALLY surprised at how good it was! Easy to clean, too- just a minute or two to rinse out. Would recommend and makes a great gift!

I’m liking this Oxo brewer more and more than any of my other single-cup coffee makers. I originally used a Vietnamese phin to make a very strong & bitter cup of coffee to make my sweetened drinks. I had to use a lot of sweetened condensed milk to tame the bitterness of the brew. However, by using this Oxo coffee maker, it still produces a very strong concentrate, without quite as much bitterness, so I can use less sweetener. The best thing about this product, is that although it produces very good coffee, its design makes it EXTREMELY easy to clean! The pump, and the separate water chamber, can both be toweled clean; or, simply air-dried. The receptacle cup can be easily rinsed out. Which only leaves cleaning up the brewing chamber (that holds all the coffee grounds). Cleaning up the used grounds can sometimes get a little messy when using other brewers. However, if you first place a paper filter over the built-in metal filter, add the coffee grounds, tamp the puck, then add ANOTHER paper filter on TOP of the grounds (before screwing on the water reservoir)—it is a cinch to tap out an INTACT PUCK into your knock-box or rubbish can. And, the paper filter eliminates a bit more of the bitterness from the brew, too. It presents a very simple procedure to go through when tidying up. Now, your filter chamber is easy to clean out, with hardly any used grounds remaining stuck inside! A quick rinse, and a swipe with a sponge, and your cleanup is done. Compact, practical, and easy to clean. Just another great product from Oxo!

I have been looking for years for a coffee brewing system that would: 1) produce great tasting coffee, 2) be simple and quick; 3) simplify cleanup. You can see my progress in the first photo. I lean towards french press for the taste, but not for quick or easy. When I discovered Aeropress 4 years ago, I liked the simplicity and speed, and the ability to vary grind, temperature and time in search of the "perfect" gourmet taste. Let me add that I make coffee for 2 every morning, so the original Aeropress slowed me down; I had to brew two batches to make two 14 oz mugs. Cue the Aeropress XL, which makes enough concentrate for a liter of coffee Americano. It checked all my boxes. When Oxo Brew Rapid Brewer appeared this year, I had to see if it could beat the Aeropress. I did side-by-side comparison for a week with the same water temperature, same amount and grind of coffee, following manufacturer's brewing instructions. Here is how they compare for me: SIMPLICITY AND CLEANUP The Aeropress has 4 necessary parts: brewing chamber, plunger, filter holder, and paper or metal filter. If you throw away your paper filter with each brew (not strictly necessary) you can plunge the spent grounds directly into the compost bin, splash some water on the device and cleanup is complete. The Oxo has 3 essential parts: brewing chamber, water chamber, and air pump. Cleanup is easy, but it involves knocking the brew chamber against the side of your bin, then rinsing and wiping the bottom parts. Life expectancy of the air pump is unknown, whereas the Aeropress will probably live forever and if not, the plunger gasket, the only part that wears, is cheap. Winner: Aeropress SPEED. Aeropress recipes usually call for brewing 1-2 minutes, then plunging. The plunging part can take 30-45 seconds and requires much more effort than the air pump of the Oxo. I want to award this one to Oxo because the time is nearly the same and it is so much easier to operate. But I do have to go back to making two batches like with the early Aeropress. Hello, OXO? Is the Oxo XL coming? TASTE This is what it is really about, isn't it? Oxo beat Aeropress, and I am not going back. Try it for yourself. P.S. I did not experience any excessive leaking. Users who reported this problem may not have ground their beans fine enough, or not tightened the parts as instructed, or had a faulty brewer.