OXO Rapid Brewer Review

I own an espresso machine (the Breville Dual Boiler, thanks for asking). I also own two drip coffee makers (from Fellow and Ratio Six). One would think I have my bases covered, but one would be forgetting about cold brew. I’ve been looking for a fast, reliable way to make cold brew, but I don’t want another big appliance. I’d heard good things about the OXO Rapid Brewer, which is no bigger than a wine bottle and can make hot and cold coffee concentrate. After testing it with my morning hot coffee ritual and afternoon iced coffee pick-me-ups, I recommend the Rapid Brewer for all types of coffee drinkers.

The Tests

• Hot Coffee Test: To test the OXO Rapid Brewer, I made a cup of hot coffee following the manufacturer’s instructions. I added 40 grams of finely ground coffee to the coffee chamber, screwed it onto the water chamber, and added 160 milliliters of just-boiled water. I let it sit for two minutes, then pumped the handle until all the coffee had dripped into the carafe. I diluted it with six ounces of hot water. I tasted it and judged the flavor.
• Cold Brew Test: This test was similar to the hot coffee test, but I used cold water and waited five minutes before pumping. I diluted the cold brew concentrate with six ounces of whole milk and a handful of ice cubes. Then I tasted the coffee and evaluated its flavor.
• Versatility Test: I used the coffee maker many more times, tweaking variables like the coffee beans’ grind size, water temperature, and whether to tamp the grounds. This test gave me insight into the Rapid Brewer’s versatility and ability to troubleshoot issues.

What We Learned

How Does the OXO Rapid Brewer Work?

The OXO Rapid Brewer has a few parts: a beaker, a coffee chamber, a water chamber, a pump, and a tamper. To use it, add finely ground coffee to the coffee chamber. Thread the water chamber on top of that, and add either hot or cold water, depending on what type of coffee you want. Set both pieces over the beaker and top it all with the pump. Wait two to five minutes (depending on what coffee temperature you want), then gently press the pump into the pressurized water chamber at least five times, until all the coffee has dripped into the beaker. Dilute with water or milk, and drink!

The Rapid Brewer Made Great Coffee Concentrate

After writing our automatic coffee makers review, I learned a lot about what makes great drip coffee. But to evaluate the OXO Rapid Brewer, I needed to start with a blank slate. The Rapid Brewer makes coffee concentrate. It’s strong because it’s meant to be diluted. Like all coffee concentrates, it’s pretty unpleasant to sip as-is. But dilute it down to a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio, and your coffee’s subtle flavors will shine. 

Although I initially got the Rapid Brewer to make cold brew, I was particularly impressed with its hot coffee. I tasted it without milk or sugar, because they can hide a lot of rough edges. The single-origin Costa Rican coffee beans I used tasted rich and sweet, with just the right amount of zippy brightness. I used the 1:3 dilution ratio, and thought it was just right. The iced coffee I made was also delicious—and appropriately strong. I have a fondness for syrupy, irresponsibly intense cold brew that shines when cut with milk and maple syrup. The five-minute steep was the perfect amount of time for a robust, but not bitter cold brew. If you like your cold brew with a little less bite, grind your beans coarser.

The water chamber has dozens of holes, which means every bit of the coffee grounds is saturated during brewing. In other words, it has good extraction, which is why the Rapid Brewer creates such well-balanced flavors.

The Fill Levels Are Helpful, but Weighing Coffee and Water Resulted in a Better Brew

The Rapid Brewer has handy fill lines on its coffee chamber and water chamber. In a pinch (for example, when I’m camping), I’ll use them. But if I’m making coffee at home, I prefer to weigh the beans and water with a coffee scale. This allows me to get the radios just right. After completing the official tests, I made more coffee, eyeballing the amounts. The difference wasn’t noticeable with my milky cold brew, but my hot coffee was a little weak; I had likely underestimated the amount of grounds.

Closely Follow the Instructions for the Best Results

I am guilty of regularly abandoning a recipe midway through dinner prep and winging it. I don’t recommend doing that with the OXO Rapid Brewer. There are only a few steps to using it, but they’re all important. If you don’t tamp the coffee grounds, water will flow through them too quickly, resulting in a weaker brew. Fail to match the alignment markers on each part, and the water chamber won’t be pressurized enough to brew. If you like to tinker, you’ll have fun playing with coffee varietals and grind size. Keep everything else consistent.

Troubleshooting the OXO Rapid Brewer Was Easy

It’s tricky to nail any new coffee maker’s process on the first try. The Rapid Brewer was no different. It took me three tries to get the right grind for my beans, because the first two trials were too fine. If you’re not used to troubleshooting coffee makers and their many variables, I highly recommend consulting the Rapid Brewer’s one-page manual. It includes the most common disappointments you may encounter when using it, like too-weak coffee, too-bitter coffee, or coffee not dripping into the beaker. OXO offers solutions for each scenario. 

The OXO Rapid Brewer vs. Aeropress

Lurk in enough coffee forums, and you’ll see that the OXO Rapid Brewer is frequently compared to the Aeropress. Are they similar? Sort of, but I prefer the Rapid Brewer. The Aeropress costs a little more, but it doesn’t truly shine unless you buy an additional third-party attachment that creates a pressurized chamber. Sound familiar? Yep: To make the most out of your Aeropress, you need to hack a pressurized chamber. The Rapid Brewer does that without any extra pieces. The Rapid Brewer’s plunger is also smoother, with a comfortable amount of resistance. It’s pretty impossible to overpump the Rapid Brewer, so there are fewer accidental splashes and overflows than with the Aeropress. While taste is subjective, I prefer the flavor of coffee brewed in the Rapid Brewer. Every time I’ve used it, my cup has been evenly extracted with a good balance of flavors.

The Verdict

The OXO Rapid Brewer is a fantastic pressurized, portable manual brewer that brews impressive hot or cold coffee concentrate. While it’s missing some of the magic of espresso or drip coffee, it makes it easy to brew reliably good coffee concentrate with well-balanced flavors. 

The Pros

The OXO Rapid Brewer makes great coffee, period. The pressurized chamber quickly turns grounds and water into a versatile concentrate that’ll satisfy coffee aficionados and on-the-go coffee drinkers who just want a cup of caffeine without big appliances (or electricity). There are just a few variables that can be changed, which allows you to quickly land on the perfect brew formula. For a plastic product, it’s very well-made. It feels sturdy, and the brewer’s walls are thick and seemingly indestructible. Everything but the pump is dishwasher-safe, too. It’s lightweight and compact, but it makes such good coffee that I’d be happy to use it for more than just travel.

The Cons

Espresso machines, with all their gleaming stainless steel, inspire a certain amount of romance. Automatic drip machines are comfortingly familiar. The OXO Rapid Brewer lacks a comparable personality, making it feel more like a utilitarian hunk of plastic rather than part of a sacred morning ritual. But hey, not everybody wants whimsy with their first cup of the day.

Key Specs

• Weight: 1.27 pounds
• Dimensions: 8.7 x 3.4 x 3.3 inches
• Materials: Tritan plastic
• Capacity: Makes about 5 ounces of coffee concentrate; add 4 to 6 ounces of water or milk to 2 ounces of concentrate for one serving

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. She’s a culinary school graduate and a former restaurant cook. 
• Rochelle has written many coffee-focused reviews for Serious Eats, including espresso grinders, automatic drip coffee makers, and coffee makers with thermal carafes.
• For this review, Rochelle made multiple cups of coffee using the OXO Rapid Brewer. She followed the manufacturer’s instructions and troubleshot common issues to evaluate its user-friendliness and performance.