OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder: An Honest Review After Two Years
The OXO Brew Conical Burr grinder sits in a sweet spot that a lot of coffee drinkers are looking for: better than a blade grinder, less intimidating than a prosumer espresso grinder, and priced around $100. If you're wondering whether it's the right grinder for your drip coffee maker or pour over setup, the answer for most people is yes, with some caveats I'll explain below.
I bought this grinder as a gift for a family member, and I've used it extensively during visits over the past two years. It does some things very well and falls short in a couple of areas. Here's the full breakdown of performance, build quality, features, and who this grinder is actually best for.
Design and Build Quality
OXO has a reputation for making kitchen tools that are intuitive and well-built, and this grinder fits that pattern. The body is a mix of stainless steel accents and BPA-free plastic, with a hopper that holds about 12 ounces (340 grams) of whole beans.
The footprint is compact at roughly 7 x 5 x 15 inches. It fits comfortably on a counter without dominating the space, which is a real advantage over bulkier grinders from Breville or Rancilio. It weighs about 4 pounds, light enough to move but heavy enough that it doesn't slide around while grinding.
The bean hopper has a simple latch mechanism for removal, and there's a one-touch start button on the front. The grind size dial sits on the hopper, with 15 stepped settings ranging from fine (setting 1) to coarse (setting 15). Each setting clicks with a satisfying detent so you know exactly where you are.
The grounds container is a clear plastic bin that slides out from the front. It's got a rubber lid that reduces static cling, which is one of my favorite small details. Static is the bane of electric grinders, and OXO addressed it better than most competitors in this price range.
Grind Performance
The 40mm conical steel burrs produce a respectably consistent grind across the medium range, which is where most drip and pour over users live. Settings 7 through 11 produce medium grounds suitable for auto-drip machines, Chemex, V60, and AeroPress.
Where the OXO Brew really performs well is consistency at medium settings. I've poured out grounds from setting 9 onto a white plate and compared them to my Baratza Encore at a similar setting. The particle distribution is close, with the OXO showing slightly more fines but very few boulders. For drip coffee, this level of consistency makes a noticeable difference compared to a blade grinder.
Fine Grind Performance
Settings 1 through 5 get into finer territory, but let me be clear: this is not an espresso grinder. The finest setting produces grounds suitable for a Moka pot or AeroPress with a fine grind recipe, but it's nowhere near espresso fineness. If you're shopping for an espresso grinder, look elsewhere.
The stepped adjustment means you can't make micro-adjustments between settings either. For espresso, where a tiny shift in grind size changes everything, this is a real limitation.
Coarse Grind Performance
Settings 12 through 15 cover coarse grinds for French press and cold brew. The coarse settings are acceptable but not outstanding. I notice more variation in particle size at the coarse end, with some medium-sized particles mixed in with the larger chunks. For French press, this means slightly more sediment in your cup than you'd get from a grinder with more precise coarse settings.
The Timer Feature
The OXO Brew has a built-in timer dial (separate from the grind size dial) that lets you set grinding duration from 2 to 30 seconds. You dial in your time, press the button, and it grinds for that duration, then stops automatically.
This is both a pro and a con.
The upside: it's simple. You figure out that 12 seconds gives you roughly 25 grams of coffee, and you just set it there every morning. One button press, walk away, come back to ground coffee.
The downside: time-based dosing isn't as accurate as weight-based dosing. Different beans have different densities, so 12 seconds might give you 24 grams of a light roast and 27 grams of a dark roast. If you're serious about consistency, you'll still want to weigh your grounds. The timer becomes more of a convenience feature than a precision tool.
Noise and Speed
Let's be honest: this grinder is not quiet. The 40mm burrs spinning at high RPM produce a loud buzzing that's comparable to a blender. I measured it at roughly 80 to 85 decibels at arm's length. If you're grinding at 5:30 AM with a sleeping partner nearby, they will hear it.
Grinding speed is moderate. A typical dose of 25 grams takes about 12 to 15 seconds, which is fast enough that noise isn't prolonged but slow enough that you're not waiting around wondering if it's working.
Cleaning and Maintenance
OXO made cleaning relatively easy on this grinder. The hopper pops off, the upper burr removes with a twist, and you can brush out retained grounds with a small brush (included in the box).
Retention is my one real gripe. The grinder holds about 1 to 2 grams of grounds in the chute between the burrs and the collection bin. For daily use with the same beans, this doesn't matter much. But if you switch between different beans or roast levels, yesterday's stale grounds mix into today's fresh ones. I tap the side of the grinder firmly after each use to dislodge retained grounds, which helps.
For a deeper clean, I run rice through the burrs every 2 to 3 months and brush out the grinding chamber. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.
Who Should Buy This Grinder
The OXO Brew Conical Burr grinder is best for:
- Drip coffee and pour over drinkers who want a meaningful upgrade from pre-ground or blade-ground coffee
- Beginners who want something that works well without requiring a learning curve
- Budget-conscious buyers who want burr grinder quality without spending $200+
It's not the right choice for:
- Espresso brewers. The grind can't get fine enough, and the stepped adjustment is too imprecise.
- Single-dose enthusiasts. The retention and hopper design assume you're keeping beans loaded, not weighing out individual doses.
- Anyone who wants to geek out over grind settings. 15 settings is limiting if you like to micro-adjust.
If you're looking at options in this price range, our best grind and brew coffee maker roundup covers machines that combine grinding and brewing in one unit. And for single-cup solutions, check out the best grind and brew single cup coffee maker guide.
FAQ
Is the OXO Brew Conical Burr grinder good for espresso?
No. The finest setting is not fine enough for proper espresso extraction, and the stepped adjustment prevents the micro-adjustments that espresso requires. For Moka pot or AeroPress, the fine settings work well. For espresso, you need a dedicated espresso grinder.
How does it compare to the Baratza Encore?
They're very close competitors. The Encore has more grind settings (40 vs 15), slightly better consistency at the extremes, and a larger user community for troubleshooting. The OXO has a more intuitive design, a better static-reduction system, and a sleeker look. For most drip coffee drinkers, either one will make you happy.
How long do the burrs last?
OXO rates the burrs for about 450 pounds of coffee before they need replacing. At 30 grams per day, that works out to roughly 6 to 7 years of daily use. Replacement burrs are available directly from OXO.
Does it produce a lot of static?
Less than most grinders in its price range, thanks to the rubber lid on the grounds container. You'll still get some grounds clinging to the container walls, but it's manageable. Giving the container a quick tap before removing it knocks most stray grounds loose.
My Verdict
The OXO Brew Conical Burr is a reliable, well-designed grinder for the price. It does its best work in the medium grind range, making it ideal for drip coffee, pour over, and AeroPress users. Don't buy it expecting espresso performance. Buy it because you want a noticeable step up from a blade grinder or pre-ground coffee without spending $200+. At that task, it delivers.