OXO Outdoor Rapid Brewer with Travel Bag

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.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.

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!

Consistent flavor and such an easy to use setup and clean up. I love this so much. I have the Aeropress Go...and I've compared the two and there's no comparison. The OXO is miles better and easier! (And less pieces) It's durable and strong, not at all flimsy, and I've dropped parts of it different times on accident and it still looks brand new and works perfectly. I always get the best flavor and experience when I use a very soft small toothbrush on the mesh when I wash it. No heavy scrubbing, just a gentle quick brush over the mesh to get it clear so the coffee strains efficiently.

This just might be the best coffee maker for the money available. . .don't confuse it with the Aeropress. . .this is much more versatile. You can make great Americanos, Espresso and the fastest cold brew method you will find anywhere. . .well-made and very easy to use. . .comes with recipes for all kinds of delicious coffee drinks and, it's a breeze to clean because coffee only touches one part of the brewer. . .all the others only see water. . .and the brews that it produces are rich and flavorful. . .Much recommended.

The OXO Brew Rapid Brewer makes excellent coffee whether you’re brewing hot or cold. It’s compact, lightweight, and perfect for travel or quick cups at home. The flavor is rich and smooth once you get it right. I’m giving it 4 stars only because it takes a little trial and error to fine-tune the exact grind size for the best brew. Once you dial it in, though, it’s a fantastic little coffee maker!