Olson Coffee Brewer Review: Superior Brewing on a Budget?

In the pursuit of the perfect cup, I’ve often wondered if there’s a coffee machine that brews great coffee at an affordable price. Turns out there might be – the Olson coffee brewer.

So I decided to take an initial look at this coffee maker to find out more. Does reality live up to the hype with this specialty coffee brewer? Will it meet my expectations for making high-quality coffee or will I leave disappointed? Let’s find out together!

Olson Coffee Brewer Overview

Laura Sommers, a coffee expert with over 30 years of experience, is the brains behind Simply Good Coffee (SGC). This is the company that manufactures the Olson coffee brewer.

Before Simply Good Coffee, Laura earned her chops with iconic coffee brands, including Bonavita, EkoBrew and Espresso Supply.

So what’s the deal with this Simply Good Coffee brewer?

SGC’s goal is to simultaneously elevate and simplify home brewing. How does it do this? Firstly, by manufacturing a high-quality coffee maker that brews coffee without much of a fuss. Secondly, by partnering with independent coffee shops and roasters to provide superior coffee brewing tips.

So does the Simply Good Coffee Olson Brewer meet the mark? Well, I think it just might. It’s easy to use and showcases a simple but stylish design. Importantly, although it’s not an SCA coffee maker, it meets the association’s standards for brewing good coffee.

Furthermore, this Simply Good Coffee brewer is affordable. Heck, with similar functionality and brilliance of design, the Olson coffee brewer is almost half the price of the Technivorm Moccamaster. Expect to pay $0.00 for it.

Now onto its most important brewing details. Because let’s face it that’s why you’re reading this, right?

Firstly, you can say goodbye to messy dosing and brewing thanks to the extra-large filter basket with magnetic catch and open/close valve.

It also has a monster heating element that delivers hot water within recommended brewing parameters. It also brews a full eight-cup pot in 6-8 minutes.

And lastly? I must raise my hat to the simplicity of the Olson coffee brewer. This coffee machine promises to help you make superb coffee at home. All at the touch of one button or two. Now, that’s impressive!

Olson Coffee Brewer Features

Size and Design

The Olson coffee brewer, like the more famous Technivorm Moccamaster, features a durable stainless steel construction. And thanks to its fairly compact footprint it won’t take up a ton of counter space.

Besides, it looks good, which could be reason enough to make a purchase. Although it doesn’t come in a range of pretty colors, it’ll suit coffee enthusiasts that prefer a neutral aesthetic.

User Interface

One of the hallmarks of the Simply Good Coffee Brewer and a particular focus for Laura Sommers is that their coffee maker is easy to use.

At the touch of a button, the Olson allows you to brew a delicious cup of coffee that exceeds industry standards. In addition, this Simply Good Coffee Brewer has a useful “bloom switch” feature. This dampens the coffee grounds before brewing, thereby allowing carbon dioxide from the roasting process to escape.

You may ask me, “Why is this important?” Well, blooming improves the flavor of your final cup of joe in two ways. Firstly, carbon dioxide tastes, well … yuck, imparting a sour flavor into your coffee. Secondly, carbon dioxide gas repels water, preventing even saturation during the brew cycle.

Basically, degassing by blooming ensures a better cup of coffee all around.

Water Reservoir

The water reservoir included with this drip coffee maker seems to measure up. It’s made of durable plastic – a non-corrosive, safe material. It also has a heat cover to maintain the water temperature during brewing.

Another cool feature of this reservoir is the grounds-to-water ratio markings. With this feature, you can easily get an idea of how much coffee to add. That’s pretty neat!

And here’s the thing: this reservoir is a decent size, too. It holds 42 ounces (1.2 liters) of water, enough to brew up to 8 cups of coffee. A good-sized water reservoir also means fewer refilling trips to the sink. I’m sure you’ll welcome that!

Shower Head

Now let’s take a look at the shower head. Although the Olson coffee brewer is high-quality, I’m not too crazy about how the shower head looks.

My reason? Being rather narrow, it could struggle to disperse water across the whole of the filter basket. This coffee machine is, in essence, a pour-over coffee brewer. A wider shower head is essential to ensure even saturation and extraction during the brewing cycle.

Filter Basket

One of the most impressive features of this Simply Good Coffee Brewer is the extra-large, wide and removable brew basket with a heat cover. It has a magnetic catch that helps it lock into the body of the machine right under the shower head for mess-free brewing and pouring.

This monster of a filter basket makes it easy to achieve the Holy Grail of brewing – a 15:1 to 18:1 coffee grounds-to-water ratio. What’s more, there’s little chance of you suffering the mess (and indignity) of overflowing grounds during the brew cycle. Believe me, a lot of home coffee brewers at this price point have this flaw!

I also love that the filter basket on this home brewer has a no-spill, open/close valve. This is perfect for immersion brewing. Importantly, pre-infusion helps bring out all the unique tasting notes, body and acidity in specialty coffee.

This valve also guarantees a drip-free experience after the brew cycle ends. But be careful not to close it mid-cycle; doing so may result in an under-extracted cup of coffee.

Glass Carafe

I’m all for a glass carafe that improves the aesthetic and usability of a coffee brewer. The Olson coffee brewer has a pretty rad one made from durable, temperature-stable glass. It sits flush under the brew basket and holds a decent eight cups, perfect if you’re brewing for a crowd. It also has a mixing tube, which helps ensure an even brew.

However, I must stress that here at Coffeeness, we’re not crazy for glass carafes and warming plates in general. With the keep-warm function, the Simply Good Coffee glass carafe should keep brewed coffee warm for approximately 30 minutes. This, compared to a thermal carafe, which keeps brewed coffee warm for up to 4 hours without ruining the taste.

Besides, with hot plates there’s a real potential of baking your coffee. The heat will alter its taste and aroma, which doesn’t make for the best experience. If you want to enjoy a pot of coffee over the course of a morning, I recommend opting for a home brewer with a thermal carafe. It’ll keep your coffee warm just fine without the need for a hot plate.

Brew Time

The Olson coffee brewer should do a good job of maintaining brewing times to within SCA standards. I haven’t tested it yet (or tasted coffee from it) but I plan to soon.

Anyway, the manufacturer says it brews a full pot of coffee in 6-8 minutes, which sounds pretty good to me. Many mid-range home brewers take as long as 10 minutes to brew the same amount of coffee.

Another win for this Olson Brewer is its large 1560-watt heating element. This will deliver hot water pronto, keeping brew times to within acceptable levels. Why’s this important? With extended brew times, you risk over-extraction, which will produce bitter flavors in the final cup.

How to Use the Olson Brewer

To prepare for brewing with the Olson coffee brewer, fit a #4 paper filter into the brew basket. The Olson Brewer comes with unbleached paper filters.

However, I’d consider using high-quality bleached paper filters. These have the added advantage of not affecting the taste and aroma of your final cup. Oh, and make sure the filter paper sits flush against the filter basket.

Now to break out your burr coffee grinder. I’d recommend using a light or medium-light roast specialty coffee. Use a medium grind setting for the best results.

Next, weigh out your ground coffee using a coffee scale. This can be tricky if you don’t know how much coffee grounds to use. If you’re making a full pot using the Olson coffee brewer, aim for a coffee grounds-to-water ratio of 15:1 to 18:1 or 2 grams of coffee for every ounce of brewed coffee. Conveniently, there are coffee and water cup markers on the water reservoir to guide you in making coffee the right way.

Then, pour these grounds into the filter, ensuring a level bed. Fill the reservoir with filtered water up to the 8-cup line (if brewing a full pot) and replace the heat cover. Make sure you’ve closed the valve at the bottom of the filter basket before pouring in the water to allow for pre-infusion. This is essential if you’re brewing with freshly roasted coffee.

Brewing with the Olson Coffee Brewer

Power up the Olson coffee brewer by pressing the On/Off button then hitting the Bloom Switch button (if you decide to use it). It’ll take a couple of minutes for the heating element to get up to temp.

The water will heat up, percolate, flow into the shower head and drip onto the grounds in the brew chamber. Remember, there’s a risk of uneven saturation (one of the flaws of a narrow shower head) so keep an eye out for this. At this stage, the grounds begin to bloom.

After about 30-40 seconds, the rest of the brewing cycle will resume. This process, according to Simply Good Coffee, takes 8 minutes tops. Pretty decent for a home brewer at this price point!

Now it’s time to pour yourself a cup and go to town! The hot plate will keep your coffee warm for approximately half an hour after brewing.

And don’t discard the spent coffee grounds; there’s lots of uses for them!

Olson Coffee Brewer Cleaning

If you’re a regular home brewer like me, you’ll understand the importance of cleaning your coffee machine. The Olson Brewer looks pretty easy to clean thanks to its simple design and removable components.

Both the water reservoir and filter basket are removable and you should hand-wash them in warm, soapy water after each brew cycle. So, too, the shower head and glass carafe.

A slight note of caution: I wouldn’t recommend putting these components in the dishwasher just yet as I’m not too sure about their durability. You may want to consult the user manual if you’re wondering.

What about everyday cleaning of the outer components? I would say a simple wipe down of the outer body and hot plate with a clean and slightly wet microfiber cloth is sufficient.

Occasionally, feel free to use a stainless steel appliance cleaner to keep the metal features looking swanky. You’ll also need to descale this coffee machine every 1-3 months to keep it performing at its best.

Olson Brewer Technical Specifications

Olson Coffee Brewer vs Technivorm Moccamaster

Now to a question I know many of you are asking. How does the Olson coffee brewer compare with the Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select?

To begin with, it’s almost half the price of the Moccamaster, which comes in at $359.00. Still, allow me to play devil’s advocate here. There are good reasons for this massive price difference.

In terms of size and design both coffee machines are similar. However, it’s build quality that could explain the difference in price.

The Technivorm Moccamaster is hand-built and comes in a range of colors. In contrast, the Olson coffee brewer is mass-produced and only offers a black and stainless steel finish. I’ve also noticed that the Moccamaster stands substantially shorter.

With that said, both coffee machines have a narrow shower head and glass carafe, but good quality heating elements. The Moccamaster also has programmable settings for brewing a half or full pot, as well as an auto-off feature. But unlike the Olson coffee brewer, the Moccamaster doesn’t have a built-in bloom function.

So, which coffee machine is worth the money? I suppose, it really does come down to your budget.

The Technivorm Moccamaster is one of the most popular automatic pour-over coffee makers in the world for a reason. Its excellent build quality and proven durability more than justify the money. But for price conscious folks in the market for a quality and affordable home brewer might want to consider the Olson.

So the million dollar question to ask yourself is: how much money are you prepared to spend to level up your morning routine?

See Also: Technivorm Moccamaster Review 2024

Olson Brewer vs Moccamaster Comparison Chart

Verdict: Olson Coffee Brewer

Wrapping up, the Olson coffee brewer promises a refined but hassle-free coffee brewing experience at home.

This Simple Good Coffee Brewer has certainly carved a niche for itself. It could be a good choice for folks looking for an affordable specialty coffee maker that brews coffee well.

So, what’s my recommendation? Give the Olson coffee brewer a go if you’re looking to elevate your morning routine without punishing your pocket. And if you, like Laura Sommers, believe in manufacturers not heaping coffee machines with features for the heck of it, I’d definitely give it a go!