OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder: A Detailed, Honest Review

The OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder (also called the OXO Brew) is a mid-range electric grinder that sits in the $80 to $100 price range. It uses 40mm stainless steel conical burrs, has 15 grind settings with macro and micro adjustment, and features a one-touch start timer. If you're shopping for your first real burr grinder or upgrading from a blade grinder, the OXO is one of the models you'll see recommended over and over. But is it actually good? I think so, with some caveats.

I've used the OXO Brew on and off for about a year, often alongside my other grinders for comparison testing. It does a lot of things right for its price, but it has limitations you should understand before buying. I'll cover the grind quality, the design choices that work (and don't), how it compares to competitors, and who this grinder is best suited for.

Design and Build Quality

OXO designed this grinder with simplicity in mind, and it shows. The interface is about as simple as a grinder can get.

One-Touch Operation

There's a single button on the front. Press it, and the grinder runs for whatever duration you set using the timer dial on the side. The timer ranges from about 5 to 30 seconds. Once you find your ideal grind time for a given dose, you set it and forget it. Every morning, I load beans and press one button. The grinder runs, stops, and I'm done.

Hopper and UV Protection

The bean hopper has a tinted UV-blocking cover. UV light degrades coffee oils and aromatics over time, so this is a nice touch if you leave beans in the hopper between grinds. The hopper holds about 12 ounces (roughly 340 grams), which is more than most people will leave sitting. I prefer to only load what I need for each session to keep beans fresh, but the UV protection gives you some insurance if you load a few days' worth.

Grounds Container

The grounds drop into a small glass container that sits on a scale-friendly tray below the grinder chute. The container has a lid and can hold about 4 ounces of ground coffee. The glass container creates less static than plastic, which means fewer grounds clinging to the walls. This is a meaningful advantage over grinders with plastic catch bins.

Footprint

The OXO is compact. It takes up less counter space than a Baratza Encore and weighs about 4 pounds. If your kitchen counter is crowded, the small footprint is a genuine selling point.

Grind Settings and Adjustment

The OXO has 15 grind settings, created by combining a macro dial (numbered 1 through 7, covering fine to coarse) with a micro switch that toggles between two positions at each number. This gives you 15 total positions, which is fewer than the Baratza Encore's 40 but more than some competitors in this price range.

How the Settings Map to Brew Methods

Based on my testing:

  • Settings 1-2: Fine. Works for Moka pot and AeroPress with a fine grind. Too coarse for true espresso.
  • Settings 3-4: Medium-fine. Good for pour-over (V60, Kalita Wave).
  • Settings 5: Medium. Standard auto-drip territory.
  • Settings 6-7: Medium-coarse to coarse. French press and cold brew.

The 15 settings are enough for most filter brewing. You won't have trouble finding a good spot for drip, pour-over, or French press. The limitation shows up at the extremes. The finest setting isn't fine enough for espresso, and the coarsest setting could be a bit chunkier for some cold brew recipes.

If you want to see how the OXO stacks up against other burr grinders, our best burr coffee grinder roundup covers the top options in detail.

Grind Quality and Consistency

At its price point, the OXO produces good grounds. Not great, not bad, but solidly good.

Particle Uniformity

I've compared OXO grounds to a Baratza Encore at the same settings, and the results are close. The OXO produces slightly more fines at medium settings, which means a marginally muddier cup if you're doing pour-over. For auto-drip, the difference is negligible. Most people won't taste the difference unless they're doing side-by-side comparisons with a higher-end grinder.

Performance at Different Settings

The OXO's best work happens in the medium range (settings 4 through 6). This is where the burrs produce the most uniform particles. At the finest and coarsest extremes, consistency drops off. Fines become more prevalent at fine settings, and boulders (large uneven chunks) appear more often at the coarsest settings. This is typical behavior for grinders in this price class.

Static

The OXO generates moderate static. The glass grounds container helps, but you'll still see some grounds clinging to the chute and the inside of the hopper. A quick spray of water on the beans before grinding (one drop, stirred around) reduces static significantly.

OXO vs. The Competition

Three grinders compete directly with the OXO Brew at this price point.

OXO vs. Baratza Encore ($100 to $130)

The Encore costs $20 to $40 more and is the better grinder overall. It has 40 settings versus 15, slightly better consistency, and Baratza's industry-leading parts availability and customer support. If the Encore is within your budget, it's worth the extra money. If you're firm on staying under $100, the OXO is a strong alternative.

OXO vs. Capresso Infinity ($60 to $80)

The Capresso is cheaper and offers 16 settings (basically the same as OXO's 15). Grind quality is comparable between the two, with neither having a clear advantage. The OXO wins on design (the glass container and one-touch timer are nicer), while the Capresso wins on price. It's a toss-up based on whether you prefer the OXO's design touches or want to save $20.

OXO vs. Manual Grinders ($60 to $100)

At the same price, a manual grinder (like the Timemore C2 at $60 or 1Zpresso Q2 at $80) produces better grind consistency than the OXO. The tradeoff is physical effort. If you're making one cup and don't mind 30 seconds of cranking, a manual grinder gives you more quality per dollar. If convenience matters more, the OXO wins.

For more side-by-side comparisons, check out our best burr grinder guide.

Who Should Buy the OXO Conical Burr Grinder

Great For

  • Auto-drip brewers. This grinder handles standard drip coffee beautifully. If your primary brew method is a 10-cup or 12-cup drip machine, the OXO grinds at exactly the right range.
  • First-time burr grinder buyers. If you're upgrading from pre-ground coffee or a blade grinder, the OXO is a night-and-day improvement. You'll immediately taste the difference.
  • People who want simplicity. One button, a timer dial, and a grind setting. That's it. No menus, no apps, no confusion.
  • Small kitchens. The compact footprint takes up less space than most competing grinders.

Not Ideal For

  • Espresso users. The finest setting isn't fine enough for proper espresso, and 15 settings don't give you the precision espresso demands.
  • Pour-over perfectionists. If you're the type who dials in V60 recipes to the gram and second, the limited settings and slightly higher fines will frustrate you. Step up to a Baratza Virtuoso or better.
  • Large batch grinders. The 4-ounce grounds container fills up fast. If you're grinding for a large French press or a crowd, you'll be emptying the container mid-grind.

Maintenance

The OXO is easy to maintain.

  • Weekly: Brush out the burr chamber with the included cleaning brush. Empty any retained grounds from the chute.
  • Monthly: Remove the hopper and upper burr ring (it twists off). Brush both burr surfaces and the interior walls.
  • Every 3 months: Run grinder cleaning tablets through the machine. This dissolves built-up coffee oils that affect flavor.
  • Descaling: Not applicable since there's no water system, but keep the exterior clean and wipe down the glass container regularly.

FAQ

Can the OXO Brew grind for espresso?

Not well. The finest setting is roughly Moka pot territory, which is finer than drip but coarser than espresso. You might get a passable shot with a pressurized portafilter, but dialing in with only 15 settings is frustrating for real espresso.

How loud is the OXO grinder?

Moderate. It's quieter than flat burr grinders but louder than manual grinders. I'd compare it to a quiet blender. Grinding 20 grams takes about 10 to 15 seconds, so the noise is brief.

Does the OXO grinder retain a lot of grounds?

It retains about 0.5 to 1.5 grams between sessions. Not terrible, but noticeable if you switch between bean types frequently. Give the machine a quick run with a few grams of your new beans to purge the old grounds.

How long will the OXO Brew last?

With proper maintenance, expect 3 to 5 years of daily use. OXO products come with a satisfaction guarantee, and they've been responsive to warranty claims from what I've seen in user forums.

My Take

The OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a solid choice for drip and French press brewers who want better-than-blade grinding without spending $130 or more. It's well-designed, simple to use, and produces good enough grounds for everyday coffee. It's not the best grinder at its price (the Baratza Encore holds that title), but it's close, and the lower price and smaller footprint make it a compelling alternative. Skip it for espresso, but for everything else, the OXO does the job reliably.