OXO 8717000 Coffee grinder: Full Review

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is one of the latest coffee grinding appliances from OXO, a company known for producing helpful, easy-to-use kitchen tools.

Founded in 1990, OXO's philosophy emphasizes universal design and ergonomic products that are accessible to all users. They are best known for their iconic OXO Good Grips line featuring kitchen utensils and gadgets with soft, comfortable grips.

In recent years, OXO has expanded into manufacturing a variety of small kitchen appliances like the OXO Brew coffee maker, tea kettle, hand mixer, and now the Conical Burr coffee grinder. Their focus continues to be on thoughtful design and high performance.

Overview

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is an electric conical burr coffee grinder designed for home use. It features stainless steel conical burrs and 40 precise grind settings to help you achieve the ideal grind for your preferred brewing method.

The OXO grinder utilizes conical burrs made from hardened stainless steel. Conical burrs are cone-shaped and rotate against a fixed ring burr to crush coffee beans. This produces a grind with a consistent particle size distribution for balanced coffee extraction. Conical burrs are known for minimizing frictional heat buildup and preserving flavor and aroma.

The stainless steel construction makes the burrs highly durable for repetitive grinding. Stainless steel also won't corrode or rust over time like other metals can. The burrs are designed to provide a precise grind across a wide spectrum, from super fine for espresso to coarse for French press.

If you're looking for another high-quality grinder option, the Baratza Virtuoso+ is a great choice. The Virtuoso+ features 40 grind settings, commercial-grade conical burrs, and a digital timer display. The grind consistency and durability are highly praised, making it ideal for a range of brewing methods, from espresso to French press. With its sleek design and reliable performance, it's a top contender among coffee enthusiasts.

Design

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder has an attractive, modern design with a metal exterior. It comes in two color options - stainless steel or matte black. The dimensions are 7.4 x 4.8 x 12.3 inches and it weighs approximately 5 pounds, making it a mid-sized grinder that takes up a modest amount of counter space.

The solid metal housing gives the grinder a premium feel and look. The top hopper is made from clear SAN plastic, allowing you to see the coffee beans inside. There is a tinted window on the front that lets you check on the grind setting. The grounds container is also clear plastic so you can monitor the amount of ground coffee accumulating.

Overall, the sleek aesthetic and metal/plastic construction make this an appealing grinder for your kitchen counter. It has a modern, minimalist look that would fit into most decor styles. The combination of metal and plastic components results in a grinder that looks good but avoids being overly heavy.

Another excellent option to consider is the SHARDOR US-CG638B2009, which offers a compact and easy-to-use design. This grinder features a one-touch operation and dual stainless steel blades, providing uniform grinding for coffee beans and spices. It is also easy to clean with its removable grinding bowl. You can find more details about this product here.

Grind Settings

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder offers 15 grind settings to choose from. This allows you to dial in the grind to your preferred level, whether you need an ultra-fine powder for espresso or a coarse grind for French press.

The 15 settings provide a wide range of grind sizes. Turning the hopper to the right produces finer grinds, while turning left makes the grind progressively coarser. Lower settings from 1-5 are ideal for espresso, 6-10 for automatic drip, and 11-15 for French press.

Having such a broad range of settings makes the OXO grinder very versatile. You can use it for all of your coffee brewing needs, from espresso to cold brew. The stepless adjustment wheel allows you to really fine tune the grind size as needed.

Hopper Capacity

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder has an impressively large hopper that can hold up to 0.75 pounds of whole bean coffee. This allows you to grind a good amount of coffee beans in one session without having to constantly refill the hopper.

The generous hopper capacity means you can grind enough coffee to make several pots of coffee at once. It's great for larger households where multiple people drink coffee throughout the day. Or if you're hosting people and need to grind a lot of coffee beans quickly to keep the coffee flowing.

The hopper also has a handy lid to keep your coffee beans fresh between uses. So you don't have to worry about transferring coffee in and out of the hopper. Overall, the large hopper is a useful feature that provides great convenience and versatility.

Ease of Use

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder scores high marks for ease of use. The controls are simple and intuitive, with a rotary dial that allows you to select from 15 different grind settings. Just turn the dial to the desired coarseness, from fine espresso grinds to coarse French Press grinds.

The burrs and grounds bin are easy to access for cleaning. The grounds bin has a handy tab that allows you to cleanly empty out used coffee grounds. The burrs can be easily removed with no tools required. The grinder has a relatively quiet but powerful motor, producing less noise disruption than many competitor models.

The hopper has a UV-blocking tinted lid that helps keep beans fresh while also reducing noise. Overall, the grinder is designed for convenient, mess-free grinding with minimal fuss or noise. The simple interface and easy cleaning make this an incredibly user-friendly coffee grinder.

Grind Consistency

One of the most important aspects of any coffee grinder is how consistent and even the grind is. An inconsistent grind will lead to uneven flavor extraction and bitterness in the final brew. The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder performs very well in terms of grind consistency.

The 40mm stainless steel conical burrs produce grinds that are impressively consistent in particle size. The uniformity of the grinds allows for optimal flavor extraction during brewing. Users report very few fines or boulders in the grinds, even at the finer espresso settings. The evenness of the particles means you can expect a balanced cup without over-extracted flavors.

Independent tests found the OXO produces a consistent grind on par with more expensive grinders. The grounds are sufficiently uniform for brew methods like pour over, drip machine, French press and espresso. You won't get grounds quite as consistent as a high-end commercial grinder, but for home use the grind consistency of the OXO is excellent.

Overall, the impressive grind consistency of the OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder results in balanced flavor and optimal extraction across various brew methods. The evenness of the particles produced is comparable to more expensive grinders.

Grind Speed

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder grinds coffee beans quickly and efficiently. It features stainless steel conical burrs that effortlessly grind whole coffee beans to the desired fineness with little friction or heat buildup. This allows the grinder to operate at a fast grinding speed without risking overheating the coffee grounds.

Users report that the OXO grinder can grind enough coffee for 12 cups in less than a minute. It may take slightly longer if grinding for espresso, but the grind speed remains impressively fast. The swift grind speed means you won't be kept waiting long for freshly ground coffee. It's perfect for busy mornings when you need coffee in a hurry.

The quick grinding operation is aided by the grinder's powerful motor. It rotates the burrs at 450 RPM, allowing for fast grinding without overworking the motor. The RPM speed is also adjustable based on the coarseness setting you select. This optimization of grind speed and motor power results in quick yet even grinding.

The efficient grinding speed of the OXO model is a major plus, especially for those brewing coffee for multiple people. You can grind enough beans for the whole family in the time it takes to boil the kettle and prepare your brewing device. The grind speed saves you time while providing the full flavor and aroma of freshly ground beans.

Durability

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is very well-built and designed to last. The stainless steel conical burrs are durable and stay sharp for many years of frequent use.

The grinder housing has a sturdy plastic construction that feels solid in hand. The container, hopper, and other components are also made of durable plastics that can withstand daily use without any issues.

Users mention that the grinder performs consistently even after years of daily use. The motors and internal components are reliable and don't wear out quickly.

OXO provides a satisfactory 1 year warranty on the grinder. While not the longest warranty in the market, it should sufficiently cover any manufacturing defects.

Overall, the grinder's solid build quality and durable components allow it to grind coffee consistently for many years without any significant deterioration in grind performance. This makes it a worthwhile long-term investment for most home brewers.

Conclusion

The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a high-quality electric grinder that produces consistent grinds for brewing delicious coffee.

Pros

• Offers 15 grind settings from fine to coarse to accommodate various brew methods
• Large hopper holds over 0.75 lbs of beans for less frequent refilling
• Easy to use with intuitive dial and clear markings for grind size
• Produces uniform grinds thanks to stainless steel conical burrs
• Grinds quickly at low noise level around 40-50 decibels
• Sturdy build with brushed stainless steel accents for durability

Cons

• More expensive than comparable grinders
• Static can cause some ground coffee to stick to chute
• Hopper lid can pop open during grinding
• No portafilter grinding cradle for espresso

Overall, the OXO Brew Coffee Grinder delivers high-end performance for consistently grinding coffee beans at home. It's a great choice for anyone looking to step up their daily brew with optimized grind size. While the price tag is high, you get what you pay for in terms of quality construction and grind consistency. For most home brewing needs, this OXO grinder will reliably produce the right grind to make flavorful coffee.