OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Review: What a Beauty!

I’ve been looking forward to conducting an OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review for quite some time. This machine is a perfect example of how manufacturers are responding to customer expectations by seriously upping their game.

After all, as pour over coffee continues to rise in popularity, more and more people are replacing their cheap, gurgling coffee makers with a Chemex or a Hario V60 dripper.

From everything I’d heard, the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker seemed to be a pretty sophisticated machine, so I couldn’t resist ordering one to test out. I’m really glad I did!

Admittedly, I’m pretty excited about sharing the results of my hands on OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review. I’ll tell you all about how it performed a little later. In the meantime, pour yourself a fresh cup of joe and let’s take a look at what we’re dealing with.

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Overview

If you’ve had the chance to peruse any of the machines in my guide to the top drip coffee makers, you may have noticed a tendency toward a certain modernist design aesthetic. I’m referring to coffee makers featuring exposed water reservoirs, prominent brew groups and stripped back user interfaces.

In particular, these design choices seem to be made by manufacturers who want their machines to be taken seriously by coffee connoisseurs. The OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker sits squarely in this category and I’m not ashamed to say I just love how this thing looks.

With its brushed stainless steel thermal carafe, glossy black housing and crystal clear water tank, the OXO 9 Cup is truly a thing of beauty. I’m a big fan of sleek, contemporary design, especially if it means an appliance will look great in my kitchen!

I should also mention that the OXO’s user interface really tickles my fancy. Fully integrated into the coffee maker’s housing, the digital display is elegant and refined, and the simple OXO button doesn’t ruin the minimalist vibe.

The one downside to the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker that I can see is its height. Clocking in at a towering 17.2 inches (43.7 centimeters), this isn’t exactly a low-profile machine. When you bear in mind that you’ll need extra headroom for filling the water reservoir, a spot on your kitchen counter that’s not obstructed by overhead cabinets is going to be your only option. Well, that or a separate spot in your kitchen, house or office.

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Price

If you’ve made it this far into my OXO 9 Cup Coffee maker review, you probably won’t be expecting to hear about a budget price tag. The OXO 9 Cup costs $199.95 on Amazon, which is quite the asking price for a coffee maker.

Still, to put things in perspective, we aren’t talking about your garden variety coffee machine. The OXO 9 Cup is one of a select few coffee makers to have been certified for home brewing by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). In case you didn’t know, that means the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker has had to go through a slew of rigorous testing to ensure it meets SCA standards for temperature, brewing time and more.

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Features

I’m always excited to test out a coffee maker that’s been Golden Cup certified by the SCA and I really couldn’t wait to get my paws on this one. Let’s continue this OXO 9 Cup Coffee maker review by turning our attention to the features that elevate this machine out of the ordinary.

Digital Display

You’ve probably already guessed that I love the OXO 9 Cup’s digital display. There’s nothing flashy here, simply an understated digital clock augmented by small icons which light up as needed. 

As I already mentioned, the digital display is seamlessly integrated into the curved body of the machine. Glowing from within, the cool blue digital light lends the coffee maker an alien technology vibe. Hold on, does OXO know something we don’t?!

Program Function

No matter how bleary eyed I am in the morning, I never seem to have a problem making coffee first thing. Still, I know that lots of you like to set a delay brew timer so that you can stumble out of bed and grab that first cup right away. 

To that end, you’ll be happy to hear that you’re able to program the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker to begin brewing at whatever time your heart desires. However, remember that pre ground coffee starts to suffer from the effects of oxidation pretty quickly. Just putting that out there.

Two Ways To Brew

The OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker doesn’t have a single cup function, but it does offer two ways to brew. Using the rotary dial, you can select between brewing either 2-4 cups or 5-9 cups. This is where the machine’s sophisticated microprocessor comes in.

Also known as the OXO Barista Brain, the chip monitors the brewing process in real time to optimize results. Essentially, this means the coffee maker will slow down the water flow rate when it’s brewing 2-4 cups, resulting in an ideal extraction. That’s pretty impressive!

Water Tank

The OXO 9 Cup’s cylindrical, transparent water reservoir is one of the features that makes this coffee maker look so cool. The 45 ounce (1.3 liter) water reservoir has prominent level markers that make it easy to fill the thing accurately.

Just remember you’ll need plenty of room above your coffee maker. Otherwise, I foresee frustration, cursing and a lot of spilled water on your countertops!

Silicone Mixing Tube

One of the most problematic issues with traditional coffee makers arises from the fact that they don’t brew evenly. Often, you’ll end up with over extracted coffee at the bottom of the pot and a weak, watery first cup.

Enter the silicone mixing tube! This nifty little device attaches to the insulated carafe lid and blends the coffee while it’s brewing. Theoretically, that means you’ll have equally flavorful coffee and a consistent temperature distribution throughout the carafe.

If my experience is anything to go by you’ll need to rinse the mixing tube really well before using it. Mine arrived with all sorts of dust and grime attached and getting it clean was quite the task.

Rainmaker Shower Head

If you’ve spent time honing your Chemex skills, you’ll know that the way you distribute water over ground coffee is key to a good extraction. The OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker’s Rainmaker showerhead helps replicate the pour over process by dispersing water evenly over the bed of ground coffee.

Not only that, the coffee maker further mimics manual techniques by brewing in timed cycles. This precision brewing allows the OXO 9 Cup to maintain the optimal temperature as well as an even extraction. You’ll have to wait a little longer to find out whether the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker can rival my pour over technique. I know, the anticipation is almost unbearable!

Brew Basket

The OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker comes equipped with a fairly standard brew basket which can be removed for easy cleaning. You’ll need to use #4 paper filters in the brew basket, although a reusable gold tone filter should work just as well.

Thermal Carafe

The OXO 9 Cup’s double wall stainless steel carafe is one of the coffee maker’s standout features. From my experience, this attractive carafe will keep coffee hot for hours. Plus, let’s not forget that silicone mixing tube!

Although I love the OXO thermal carafe for its chunky, solid feel, I do agree with others who’ve experienced its major design flaw. Sure, the carafe pours in a steady, controlled fashion, but getting the last of the coffee out of the thing is a real challenge.

Let’s just say I burned my hand testing out the carafe, so I’d recommend the OXO design team go back to the drawing board with this one!

Pause and Pour

Sometimes I feel like manufacturers add features like this just because everyone else is doing it. I mean, the OXO 9 Cup has been engineered to produce high quality pour over style coffee, so why encourage people to sneak a cup before the extraction process is complete? Honestly, I wonder how the SCA would feel about that! 

Anyway, if you’re an impatient caffeine fiend, a red carafe icon will flash once you’ve removed the carafe. That way you’ll remember to put it back so the machine can complete the brewing cycle.

Freshness Timer

Although the stainless steel carafe will keep your drip coffee hot for hours, the OXO 9 Cup coffee Maker features a freshness timer. 

Once a brew cycle is complete, the digital display starts counting up to 60 minutes. I don’t like to drink old coffee but time tends to get away from me, so I really appreciate this thoughtful feature!

Warranty

The OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker should serve you well for years. Still, it’s good to know that the machine comes with a two year warranty. Everyone knows we don’t live in a perfect world and that defective parts show up every once in a while.

With that said, I’d recommend keeping your receipt of purchase in a safe place; OXO won’t respond to a claim without it. Of course, if you buy from Amazon, you can always pull up a receipt from your order history. Now that’s convenient!

What’s in the OXO Brew 9 Cup Coffee Maker Box?

Here’s what you’ll get with the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker:

How to Use the OXO Brew 9 Cup Coffee Maker

For all the talk of an OXO Barista Brain and precision brewing, the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. Sure, there’s plenty going on under the hood to ensure delicious coffee, but using this machine is about as simple as it gets.

Let’s continue this OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review by going through the steps for brewing coffee with this awesome machine.

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Observations

Okay, the wait is finally over. I can now let you in on a little secret: this drip coffee maker is officially one of the select few that can rival my pour over technique. Seriously, during my OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review I was blown away by how well the machine performed!

I started out by running a 4 cup brew cycle using a natural process Nicaragua from one of my favorite small batch roasters. I’d been preparing this light roast coffee as pour over and really enjoyed the results, so it seemed like a good choice for testing the OXO 9 Cup.

I used a medium grind size (number 8 on the OXO coffee grinder) and added four scoops to the coffee filter. Ordinarily, I prefer to use a coffee scale, but I wanted to test the manufacturer’s recommendations based on SCA guidelines for brewing.

At this point I should mention that the brewing process was a joy to behold. I was really impressed by the way the OXO brewed in measured cycles, and the pleasant gurgling noises gave me little chills. Not only that, watching the swirling water in the tank gets kind of hypnotic after a while! Then again, I do tend to stare at gold fish.

My first taste of the resulting coffee left me beaming with joy. The Nicaragua’s brightness was accentuated in all the right ways, with orange and raspberry notes shining in equal measure. The coffee had a long, satisfying finish and its complexity continued to develop as it cooled. It wasn’t long into my OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review before I’d decided the machine is a keeper.

I should mention that I experienced equally amazing results brewing a full carafe. Plus, the coffee arrived at the perfect temperature. Now if only OXO could improve the way its carafe pours!

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Cleaning and Descaling

It’s probably safe to assume you’re not reading this OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review just to receive a lecture on cleanliness and hygiene. Still, I consider it my duty to remind you that keeping your machine in tip top condition will result in better tasting coffee!

As it happens, you won’t have to put much work in to keep the OXO 9 Cup in good working order. All removable parts, including the Rainmaker showerhead, silicone mixing tube and drip basket should be rinsed under warm water and left to dry at the end of each day’s use. 

The same goes for the stainless steel carafe, and you can use a little mild detergent as needed. Don’t put the carafe or its lid in the dishwasher though – that’ll be a surefire way to find yourself searching for “replacement carafe” on Amazon!

Even when using filtered water to brew coffee, you’ll need to descale your OXO 9 Cup every 90 brew cycles. An alert icon will light up when the machine senses that descaling needs to happen, although you can run a manual cycle at any time. 

Many manufacturers like to push their own brand of cleaning products, so it’s refreshing to see that OXO leaves it up to you to decide. I recommend using either descaling solution or citric acid cleaner, but white vinegar works just as well. 

I won’t bore you with the details on how to initiate a descaling cycle here. Suffice to say you’ll find clear and easy to follow instructions in the OXO 9 cup Coffee Maker’s user manual. 

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Specifications

Verdict: OXO Cup Coffee Maker Review

It was probably unfair of me to include the Breville Precision Brewer in this OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker review. After all, the Breville isn’t just more expensive – it’s also in a completely different league. However, that’s not to say the OXO can’t hold its own. 

From what I’ve experienced during my OXO 9 Cup Coffee maker review, we’re talking about a machine that’s able to produce amazing coffee with ease. Plus, it looks pretty great too.

Any manufacturer that cares enough about coffee to jump through all the SCA hoops is okay by me. I understand that OXO can charge more for the 9 Cup Coffee Maker after slapping the SCA certified sticker on the box.

Still, I’m not cynical enough to think that it’s all about the money. I really do feel that manufacturers are making more of an effort in response to changing customer tastes.

I’ve really enjoyed spending time with the OXO 9 Cup. In fact, my Chemex and Hario V60 have been gathering dust on a shelf since the Amazon box arrived. Seriously, the coffee from the OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker is that good!

OXO 9 Cup Coffee Maker Review FAQ