Oxo Conical Burr Grinder Review 2024: Is This Grinder Right For You?
For baristas who want to balance budget and quality, the OXO conical burr grinder is a promising choice.
But is this automatic grinder the right one for you?
In this OXO grinder review, I’ll discuss the ins and outs of this grinder and find out if it’s still worth it in 2024. I’ll also share some alternatives to help you make the right pick.
Key Takeaways
The OXO Conical Burr Grinder boasts a simple yet classy design, featuring a stainless steel exterior that seamlessly integrates into any kitchen countertop. It’s user-friendly with a one-touch button paired with an adjustable timer. Its range of 15 grind settings caters to different brewing methods, but where it truly shines is with pour-over and French press grinds. However, the limited grind settings means you shouldn’t expect to dial in an espresso.
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder features stainless steel burrs that produce uniform coffee grounds, essential for optimal flavor. It offers 15 grind size settings, catering to a range of brewing methods from espresso to French press, and includes a one-touch start function that remembers your last setting.
The grinder has a large-capacity hopper with a UV-blocking tint and a static-fighting container, both designed to preserve coffee quality and freshness.
Pros
Cons
Despite minor drawbacks like noise and limitations in espresso grinding, the affordability, consistency, and versatile performance make the OXO Conical Burr Grinder a bang for your buck.
Oxo Conical Burr Grinder Main Features
To get a better view of what value you can get from the OXO conical burr grinder, here are its features and benefits:
Simple Yet Classy Design
The OXO Conical Burr Grinder does not try to stand out with its appearance, but it still has a sleek classic design that fits right into any brewing setup.
I think it has an attractive casing, the stainless steel is a classic. The black accents and the compact cylindrical design are nice as well. It is subjective though, and obviously, there are better-looking, more modern grinders out there.
It comes with a UV-tinted 12oz coffee bean hopper and a stainless steel grounds catcher that’s as shiny as the grinder’s body.
The timer dial also serves as the grind button while the grind settings are neatly placed under the hopper, giving this OXO grinder and clean look.
Easy to Use and Clean
Right out of the box, I got this grinder working thanks to its intuitive design and clear labels for the settings. It’s a one-touch button that starts and stops grinding and rotates to adjust the built-in timer.
Meanwhile, the twistable collar beneath the hopper controls the grind size. Operating this device is straightforward with no complicated buttons to deal with.
Cleaning is also a breeze with this OXO burr grinder. It doesn’t make much mess (unless you’re grinding a LOT of coffee beans), and its bean hopper has a trapdoor for easy disassembling. Once the bean hopper is removed, I just twist and lift the handle of the top burr and start brushing out any old grounds from the machine’s internal parts. Simple as that.
Durable Construction
With proper use, you can expect this grinder to last for decades. It boasts of a stainless steel body and grounds catcher, which isn’t common among competitors of this price point.
The same long-lasting build can be expected from its stainless steel burr set, but if it does need replacing, a replacement burr is readily available for purchase at the OXO website.
Versatile Grind Settings
The OXO Conical Burr Grinder has a range of 15 stepped grind sizes for different brewing methods. Inside, the 40mm conical burrs perform great and generally produce consistent coffee grounds.
In my experience with this grinder though, it’s really best for producing medium to coarse grinds for French press, drip coffee, and pour over brewers like Chemex.
It can produce fine coffee grounds that are close to espresso, but not Turkish coffee. But if you’re into espresso, this is not the grinder for you. As an espresso enthusiast, I recommend you find another grinder, perhaps check out our list of recommended grinders for espresso instead.
Going coarser, this grinder also performs decently when grinding for cold brew. The large hopper capacity also complements this recipe when making larger batches of cold brew concentrate.
Value for Money
Even with its steel construction and impressive performance, the OXO Conical Burr Grinder remains at a low price point, making it a great budget-friendly pick for home brewing.
It looks and feels premium for an entry-level grinder, and if you can overlook its noisy operation and limits on espresso grinding, then the OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a smart investment without breaking the bank.
What Others Say About OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder
OXO Brew Grinder Alternatives
When choosing the right grinder, it’s a good idea to give some alternatives a look. Knowing your options will further help you decide if the OXO Conical Burr Grinder is really for you:
Smart Grinder Pro by Breville
The Smart Grinder Pro is also on our list of the top electric burr grinders. It is a user-friendly, stainless steel conical burr grinder that grinds for espresso machines, Chemex, or drip. Yet, if you’re a French Press user, we highly discourage you from taking this home because it grinds the beans too fine.
Though the Smart Grinder Pro is more expensive, it works as neat and silent as possible. The device creates a minimal amount of static; that’s why you won’t find any grinds hanging on the grind cup. Even the grinds don’t hang on the chute, so rest assured there won’t be any spillage when you move the machine or remove the grind cup.
The Smart Grinder Pro isn't pro enough to use in a café, but it does a good job in the home kitchen. It has stainless steel conical burrs with 60 grind settings ranging from espresso fine to French press coarse. An electronic timer can be set in 0.2 sec increments for consistent dosing.
The hopper has a large 18 oz capacity, it's easy to transfer beans, has a single dosing accessory, and can grind directly into multiple containers, including portafilters.
Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Grinder
The Baratza Virtuoso+ is a durable, conical burr grinder built with general home use in mind. It has high-quality components that make it an ideal coffee grinder for a big household, office pantry, or any place where a heavy-duty grinder is needed.
Baratza equipped this grinder with the precision-milled M2 burr set that guarantees grind consistency for quality brews. It’s a versatile grinder with 40 grind settings, grinding for various brewing methods such as espresso, AeroPress, pour over, or French press.
The Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a specialty coffee grinder with a 40-second adjustable digital timer and LED backlit grounds bin for precise dosing. It features 40 grind settings with commercial-grade conical burrs, suitable for a wide range of brewing methods, and a durable build with hardened alloy steel burrs and a powerful DC motor.
OXO Brew Grinder with Integrated Scale
If you’re seeking a more feature-rich grinder, you don’t need to look far with the OXO Brew Grinder with integrated scale. It has a wider range of 38 grind settings while the digital scale helps achieve precision when grinding. You can switch between three grinding modes: cups, grams, or manual continuous grinding.
The OXO Brew with integrated scale is a good upgrade to the more user-friendly OXO Conical Burr Grinder.
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder features a built-in scale for precise measurement by weight and a range of 38 grind settings with durable 40 mm stainless steel burrs.
It has a high torque/low speed motor that preserves bean flavor without overheating, and a built-in overheating detector for longevity. It offers versatile grinding options with a single dial, a no-bean detector, and can hold 16 oz of beans and 125 grams of ground coffee.
Final Verdict
The OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a budget-friendly grinder that delivers decent grind quality and consistency. It offers a simple and straightforward operation that works like a charm when brewing pour-over and French press coffee.
Have you tried using the OXO coffee grinders? Share your thoughts about the OXO brew conical burr coffee grinder in the comments section below.
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder features stainless steel burrs that produce uniform coffee grounds, essential for optimal flavor. It offers 15 grind size settings, catering to a range of brewing methods from espresso to French press, and includes a one-touch start function that remembers your last setting.
The grinder has a large-capacity hopper with a UV-blocking tint and a static-fighting container, both designed to preserve coffee quality and freshness.
- 15 grind settings
- Large-capacity hopper
- Static-fighting container
