OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Review

Great grinding is the key to great coffee at home. And, if you can do it without breaking the bank, even better!

In this OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder review, we will detail everything you need to know about this electric grinder. After reading, you will know for sure if it is the one for you. But, in short, it’s a good option for moderate coffee lovers looking for good (but not great) results on a budget.

We put this grinder through its paces, testing the consistency and performance across the full range of grind sizes. In this review, you can expect our honest opinion and some alternatives in case it’s not the right fit for you. As we personally test all the products we review, this is an unbiased and unvarnished opinion. So let’s dive right in:

At a Glance: OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder

1. 40mm Stainless Steel Conical Burrs

Burrs are the technical name for the bit that actually grind your coffee beans. And conical burrs are the best choice for most home coffee lovers (and a big step up over a blade grinder).

Generally speaking, the larger the burrs, the better and more consistent the grind. This is due to the larger surface area. And, on the OXO Brew, the stainless steel burrs are 40mm and are of excellent quality for this price point.

2. 15 Grind Settings

Different brewing methods require different sized coffee grounds to get the best results. Whilst 15 grind settings may not seem like a lot, on the OXO coffee grinder there are micro-settings in between each setting. So you actually have a much bigger range than this allowing you to get the exact grind size you need.

3. Large Bean Hopper & Grounds Container

The generous bean hopper can hold up to 12oz – the size of most bags of coffee beans. And the grounds container can hold 4oz of ground coffee. So there’s good capacity if you’re making lots of cups at once.

4. Grind Timer which Retains the Last Setting

You can get the same grind quality and quantity every day by using the grind timer which will stay at whatever settings it was last set to. Once you have your daily settings sorted, you can just simply push the button for the same results each time.

OXO is known for producing quality kitchen equipment that’s easy to use. And this tracks with their conical burr coffee grinder too.

To use, you twist the bean hopper to select the coarseness of grind you are looking for which is helpfully marked out along the bottom of the hopper. Then you turn the dial for how many seconds you want to grind for. Then simply push the button to grind your beans.

The recommendations from OXO are to use settings 1-5 for espresso, 6-10 for pour over or drip, and 11-15 for French press or cold brew. But we found the sweet spot to be between 6 and 8 – things started to get a little ropey at both the fine and coarse ends of the spectrum. So, it’s really only good for drip coffee lovers.

It will likely take a little trial and error to get the settings just right for your brewing method/ type of coffee beans. Depending on how fine a grind you’re looking for, it will take different lengths of time to grind the right amount of beans.

One big plus is that your settings all stay in place. So, once you’ve got it set up exactly how you like it, you can just push the button each time to get your perfectly ground coffee.

But if you frequently change between brewing methods, we find it just too tedious to get perfect each time.

Even at a budget price, you need a consistent grind size. Otherwise, it renders the grinder pretty useless.

In this regard, the OXO conical burr grinder performs reasonably well for the price.

For us, the best results were at the medium grind size, particularly between settings 6 and 8. At these settings, we were able to get really great results for Hario V60 or Chemex, or any traditional drip coffee maker. Once we went over 8 though, the quality dropped quite dramatically.

The finer settings (between 1 and 5) were OK and certainly a lot better than I expected. But they were nowhere near fine enough for espresso or Turkish coffee. If you’re a Moka pot or AeroPress lover, this grinder will work well. But if you’re seriously into your espresso, you should consider a top-end grinder instead.

Once you hit the coarsest settings, however, things start to get dicey. The consistency really drops meaning it’s not a great choice of grinder for French press or cold brew.

Another marker of quality is static buildup which can cause your freshly ground coffee to clump together. Whilst the inner mechanisms kept this to a minimum, the same can’t be said for the dispenser or grounds bin. Having a stainless steel grounds container should, in theory, prevent static buildup. But we were disappointed by just how bad the buildup was.

Overall, OXO Brew’s coffee grinder performs well. It’s not perfect, but then it’s also a lot cheaper than most grinders so we have to take that into consideration.

At 14.8″ tall by 4.8″ wide by 11.8″ deep, the OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder has a pretty large footprint. So you might need to measure up if you’re short on space. Although it is very narrow so can easily slide in next to other appliances.

Weighing 5.6 lbs, it isn’t as heavy as some other electric grinders. I generally find heavy electric grinders reassuring as it makes them feel sturdy. But being a slightly lighter grinder is by no means an indicator of inferior quality.

Visually, the OXO Brew grinder looks very simple – the sleek stainless steel body will match most modern kitchens. My only annoyance is how often I need to clean off my dirty fingerprints.

The opaque, airtight bean hopper is excellent as it allows you to safely store your beans in the hopper. With a generous 12oz capacity, it will take a whole bag of whole coffee beans so you won’t need to dig around in the cupboard every morning before grinding.

If you’re planning to use this grinder with light sleepers in the house, be aware that it is noisy. All electric grinders are going to make noise and compared to other budget coffee grinders like the Cuisinart Burr Grinder, it’s not that loud. But it does make a high-pitched squeal that sets my wife’s teeth on edge. Luckily, waking up to the sound and smell of coffee being made for her sweetens the blow a little.

OXO has a superb reputation for making quality products and offers a 2-year warranty as standard too. The low RPM burrs (revolutions per minute) are ideal from a longevity standpoint. And whilst this grinder doesn’t have an auto shut-off if it gets too hot, it is still a very well-made machine.

To start, it’s best to run the grinder for 10 seconds with nothing in the bean hopper. This helps “flush out” any beans or grounds stuck in the burrs or chute.

The handle on the top burr just needs to be lifted and twisted to unlock. Then, you can take it off and brush the inside of the burrs to remove any grounds which are stuck in there.

Both the bean hopper and the grounds container can be washed by hand easily enough. But they’re not dishwasher safe and you need to make sure they’re completely dry before re-attaching.

As the OXO burr grinder doesn’t create much static whilst it grinds, it isn’t too bad for having coffee grounds stuck inside the machine. But the same can’t be said for the grounds chute and stainless steel grounds bin. So it’s best to keep a soft brush close by to regularly sweep out the remnants.

In order to get the best out of the machine for as long as possible (and keep your coffee tasting its best), you need to keep on top of the cleaning.

Overall, it should only take around 20 minutes to take apart, clean, and put back together again. But we recommend doing it weekly (or every two weeks if you don’t use it every day).

Upgraded OXO Brew Burr Grinder with Integrated Scale

If you are looking to really step up your coffee game, the ability to weigh your coffee is the way forward. It saves you from relying on inaccurate scoops or the even less accurate “Eyeball Method”.

To help you do this, OXO has a ‘bigger sibling’ coffee grinder that benefits from an integrated scale (sometimes called the OXO Barista Brain grinder). But is this convenience worth more than doubling the price tag?

Prices generally vary between $200 and $300. But even at this price, being able to control your grind by weight is a great offering and a real added bonus. It also saves you from buying an additional (albeit cheap) kitchen gadget – a coffee scale.

However, we found the results from the weight automation feature to be slightly less accurate than weighing manually. But the difference isn’t huge and it’s pretty reliable. 

The size of the integrated scale model is 11.1 inches deep by 7.3 inches wide by 16.4 inches tall. This makes it less deep than the original, but taller and wider to accommodate the scales. So, overall it’s a pretty big footprint. 

In terms of grinding performance, there’s no significant difference between the two models. 

So, the preference for one over the other comes down to what you value most: convenience or price. For us, using the cheaper model with a separate coffee scale is the better option.

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder vs Baratza Encore

Whilst having 15 grind settings gives you plenty of options, there are lots of grinders that will give you a more extensive selection. A great example is the Baratza Encore conical burr grinder.

You do have to pay slightly more to get the added benefits and versatility of the Encore when compared to the OXO.

But, when it comes down to the overall grind consistency – what really matters – the OXO Brew outperforms the Baratza at the finer end of the spectrum. Although they are like-for-like when it comes to coarser grinding.

Despite being slightly more complicated to use, the OXO Brew results are much better. So that, combined with the cheaper price point, makes it the better grinder for us.

This entry-level coffee grinder from OXO doesn’t have a built-in scale. Sadly, you need to spend over double the money to get the OXO Brew Burr Grinder with Integrated Scale. Doing so will give you extra ease and precision.

But for the moderate coffee enthusiast, the original will do the job admirably and will look good doing it. Plus, you can pick up a coffee scale pretty cheaply to complete your setup.

Whilst testing and completing our OXO Brew conical burr coffee grinder review, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality. The best results can be found in the medium settings for drip or pour over. But, if you prefer drinking French press or espresso, this won’t be the one for you.

Overall, the OXO Coffee Grinder is an excellent budget option and a serious step up from a blade grinder.

Don’t forget to Buy Your Oxo Brew Grinder Today

Matt Woodburn-Simmonds

Matt's coffee obsession started in 2006 when working as a Barista. A tendency to turn up to work hungover kickstarted his coffee journey which quickly turned into a love affair. As he moved on to work as a Restaurant Manager and Sommelier, the obsession continued to grow. Now, his passion is helping others to enjoy better coffee at home.