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Is the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank one of the best choices for a pour-over brewer, and is it good for either beginner and experienced baristas? Keep reading our hands-on, in-depth review to find out why we think so.
In this post…
In this post, we cover what the Oxo Pour-Over Coffeemaker with water reservoir is, what it does, how it works, how it stands out from the rest of the competition, what we love about it and/or feel could use improvement.
We also include plenty of tips, how-to-guides, alternative options, and our final thoughts, Neat-ish Rating, answers to the Internet’s top FAQs about the product, pros and cons, and our final thoughts.
What is the OXO Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank?
The Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank is a special pour-over brewing system that provides awesome pour-over coffee results and flavor.
At the same time, it also requires far less hassle and pouring when compared to most other options on the market, making it an ideal choice for beginner and experienced brewers alike.
How’s It Different?
The Oxo Pour-Over Coffeemaker allows individuals to skip the tedious and sometimes confusing methods usually associated with pour-over brewing techniques.
This can include anything from having to meticulously pour hot water onto the grounds at a specific speed or pace for the optimum brew, down to avoiding the need for expensive gooseneck kettles, scales, timers, and all the rest.
The Oxo Pour-Over Drip Coffee Maker does most of the work for you, even while providing great pour-over results.
Getthe Best of Both Worlds
What caught our attention with the Oxo Pour-Over Coffee Maker while looking at other popular pour-over brewing systems was the fact that it’s somewhat of a hybrid.
It acts as an in-between of a traditional and convenient drip-style coffeemaker and your typical pour-over brewers, similar to what you might find with popular brands like Hario, Sweese, Chemex, Bodum, Melitta, and Cosori.
You basically get to choose if you want to do the pouring and more hands-on techniques of a pour-over. Or you can take advantage of the convenient water reservoir method, which simply involves scooping in your desired amount of coffee scoops to water ratio and letting the drip-style water reservoir do the rest. Just like a regular coffeemaker but with pour-over benefits.
We also found that it would likely hold up to the camping or travel convenience that the super-compact and well-loved AeroPress brewer that we own provides—minus the pressurized brewing method—due to the durable, plastic construction, portability, and no need for an electrical source.
Ideal for Beginners & Experienced Pour-Over Baristas
The other thing that caught our attention with the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank Reservoir was how you could brew your coffee pour-over style when foregoing the water tank. However, you could also choose to simply drip-brew your coffee by using the water reservoir, making it somewhat of an all-in-one.
Less Thinking. More Drinking.
As someone who was new to pour-over coffee brewing and has ADHD, which can sometimes translate into laziness and not wanting to commit to one method of doing something, I loved the idea of having the option to do a drip-style brew or a proper pour-over with one gadget.
This is because I tend to prefer and work better at things when I have more than one way to go about doing something, which I actually discovered when I learned how to clean smarter, not harder.
There’s also the benefit of being able to ease into pour-overs when you’re ready to, simply by skipping on using the accompanying water tank.
Because, knowing me, there would be plenty of days when I wouldn’t feel like spending however much time and effort on tediously measuring or weighing coffee-to-water ratios or having to work with timers. I also knew it would be very likely that I wouldn’t always want to painstakingly pour water at such-and-such speed and for x-amount of time to get the ultimate brew.
And I knew there would be times where I would overthink the entire thing and just waste a whole lot of time trying to do it perfectly. Why? Because ADHD folks are good at hyper-focusing. 🙂
Ease Into the World of Pour-Over
The final thing that had us settling on the Oxo Pour-over Drip Coffee Maker with Water Tank is the fact that it seemed like the smartest and most cost-effective way to go about it.
With the Oxo Pour-over Coffeemaker with Water Reservoir, you don’t have to buy a gooseneck kettle immediately, if at all, to replace your other kettle that might be working perfectly fine, otherwise. You just really need to worry about having enough water and making sure it’s at an ideal temperature.
And there’s no need to buy a bunch of other gadgets, like scales or spendy pour-over brewers, before you’re truly ready to commit or even know if pour-over coffees are the right choice for you.
So, we basically chose the Oxo Pourover Coffeemaker with the water tank for its cost-effectiveness, easy-to-use convenience, and low-maintenance brewing option while still having the ability to go into full pour-over mode if we wanted to.
How Does the OXO Pour-Over Drip Coffee Maker Work?
Down below, we added some offered recommend instructions of our own on how to use the Oxo Pour-Over coffee maker with Water Drip Tank, but we included a pic of Oxo’s more simple instructions too.
And don’t worry—the instructions may look long but it’s quite easy to do, as shown in the video directly below by Oxo. We also offer a little insight on transitioning to traditional pour-over methods down below and provide a few links for video instruction in the Conclusion.
Key Features
In this section, we briefly cover some of the key features of the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank.
1) The Water Tank Reservoir
There are a number of things that stand out with the Oxo Pour-Over Coffeemaker with Water Tank, but it’s pretty much safe to say that its #1 feature to stand out from the rest of the competition would have to be the water tank reservoir.
The water tank gives people the opportunity to skip the need of tediously pouring water over coffee grounds with a gooseneck kettle for a considerable amount of time in order to achieve the optimum saturation and overall flavor. The water tank, with its special drip holes of varying sizes, does this for you.
The water tank on the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker also eliminates the need for buying a gooseneck kettle, but you can also still choose to get on if you plan to work your way up to traditional pour-over coffees later on, simply by not using the clear water reservoir tank.
2) Easy Measuring and Ratios
With the Oxo Pour-Over CoffeeMaker and Water Reservoir, brewing can be done quickly and with little hassle involved—especially when compared to traditional pour-over brewing.
As mentioned before, there’s no need to spend copious amounts of time meticulously pouring water onto the ground. However, there’s also a need to weigh out measurements if you don’t want to.
This is thanks to the water tank’s measurement markings, which come in both ounces and milliliters and works just like a traditional drip-style coffeemaker machine.
You just scoop out the appropriate measurements based on how much coffee you want, using the measurements on the side of the tank to Oxo’s tablespoon/teaspoon measurement system that’s listed out for you in the included instructions.
The instructions help you measure out brew ratios starting from 10 grams (2 tablespoons coffee to 6 oz/ 180 mL) up to 4 tablespoons/20 grams, such as seen in the table below.
| Coffee | Water |
|---|---|
| 10 grams (2 Tbsps coffee) | 6 oz/180 mL |
| 13 grams (2 Tbsps + 2 tsp coffee) | 8 oz/240 mL |
| 16 grams (3 Tbsps + 1/2 tsp coffee) | 10 oz/300 mL |
| 20 grams (4 Tbsps) | 12 oz/360 mL |
How to Use the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with the Tank
Pour-Over Method
You can also opt to use the Oxo Pour Over Brewing System as a normal pour-over brewer by eliminating the water tank steps.
This will usually require a gooseneck-style kettle for controlled pouring, and many people prefer to use scales for exact measuring as well as a timer for pouring times, should there happen to not be on included with their kettle.
It is also recommended to check the temperature of water to ensure it’s an optimal temp for brewing, although some kettles do this for you.
Here are a few popular kettle options and devices that many prefer to use if this is something you plan to evolve into later.
What’s In the Box
The box comes with very few parts or pieces to worry about and those pieces are packaged pretty well, coming shipped to our house without any signs of damage, despite the damaged the shipping box went through during the delivery process.
What’s Included with the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker?
Specifications
What Is Pour-Over Coffee?
Pour-over coffee often produces what many consider to be a more delicious-tasting coffee than drip-style coffee machines. Much of this is thanks to the often meticulous techniques that are used in order to create the ideal cup of Joe.
This careful process of making pour-over coffee is often considered a hobby for many professional and would-be baristas alike. And it usually involves water heated to the right temp, a gooseneck kettle, freshly ground coffee, paper or metal filters, proper pouring methods, and a manual pour-over dripper.
Some people will also use a scale, thermometer (if they don’t own a controlled temp kettle or want to be super-precise), and various pouring and wait/steep times to enhance their technique. You can find links to a few helpful how-to videos in the Conclusion.
Who is the Oxo Pour-Over Good For?
Where Can You Find the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank?
Where do you buy the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank? You can typically find it in some brick and mortar stores and online, but generally through sites like Amazon, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and QVC.
Starbucks has also carried the brewer in the past, stamped with their brand name, but likely won’t be available at this point or all that often.
What Could Use Improvement
Our Experience Using the Oxo Pour-Over Brewer with Water Tank
We were fairly skeptical about the Oxo Pour-Over Brewer with Drip-Style Tank but ended up pleasantly surprised by the ease of use and, more importantly, the overall taste it helped produce.
We initially chose the Oxo as our pour-over brewer since we were beginners and wanted the option to do some hands-free brewing/pouring and pass on a lot of the fuss.
How It Rated Against Our Coffee Machine and AeroPress
I also wanted to see if it could beat the AeroPress, Ninja Coffeebar, and other types of brewers we’ve tried in the past. We gravitated towards the AeroPress for the first half of 2021 again, after unearthing it during several house moves the previous year.
I also wasn’t feeling too keen on the Ninja Coffeebar’s closed system, which can sometimes be difficult to prevent mold/mildew buildup if you’re not careful.
While using the AeroPress this year, I was reminded of the rich flavor that it produced, along with the whole brewing ritual involved. But I wanted to see if pour-overs could top it. I also wanted the option of less hassle on lazy or busy mornings.
The Final Verdict
It turns out that I much preferred both the mechanics and enhanced flavor of the Oxo to both the standard drip-style brewers, like our Ninja Bar, and the AeroPress.
I felt like it brought out the notes of the coffee more than the Ninja Coffeebar, even with the Ninja’s Cafe Forte mode, which I usually use and that’s designed to produce a more enhanced flavor profile. I also found that it didn’t require as much thinking as the AeroPress, and I wasn’t making nearly much of a mess.
But the most significant selling point was how the Oxo produced a very pleasing and well-balanced flavor for our current coffee—especially when compared to the muddiness that I noticed with the AeroPress and the somewhat blah taste that the Ninja had been producing later.
I figured a pour-over coffee might be able to manage beating out a traditional coffeemaker and maybe the AeroPress. Still, I didn’t think that the very basic water tank addition would be able to do it.
Love at First Sip
My first sip the first few days often caught me offer guard with just how the flavor was balanced and how good it tasted. It was so good that I didn’t even feel the need to start learning how to do pour-overs right off the bat.
I was thrilled with the dripper tank doing most of the work for me, and that seems to be something that other beginners and experienced pour-over brewers who’ve tried the Oxo seem to say universally.
The only downside was that it cost less than the AeroPress I’d already paid for and much, much less than the Ninja Coffeebar. I didn’t even need to shell out for some ultra fancy gooseneck right away.
Popular Alternative Options
In this section, you’ll find some alternative pour-over dripper brewers that are popular choices within the coffee-making and pour-over enthusiast communities.
We’ve also gone ahead and listed a few of the options we considered when looking for a pour-over brewer, prior to purchasing the Oxo Pour-over Coffeemaker with Water Reservoir.
FAQs
Here are some of the Internet’s most Frequently Asked Questions about the Oxo Pour-Over Coffee Maker with Drip-Style Water Rank that we investigated.
It takes approximately 2.5 to 3 minutes for the Oxo to finish drip brewing when you use the water tank. Times will be dependent on the type of grounds you use and how much coffee you plan to brew.
The Oxo Pour-Over Coffee Brewer with Water Tank uses #2 paper cone filters.
Yes, it’s possible to safely use the OXO Pour-Over Coffeemaker with Water Tank while camping. In fact, many people find that it’s more durable than to travel with than glass our ceramic options, thanks to its sturdy plastic and compact build.
While OXO doesn’t specify the need to use the bloom method, many coffee fanatics still recommend doing so for 15-30 seconds prior to brewing when using freshly ground coffee to get better-quality flavor and saturation of the coffee grounds. It’s also good to rinse the paper filter first.
Is the OXO Pour Over Coffee Maker dishwasher safe? Yes. We typically place ours in the top-most rack when we use the dishwasher since there’s usually less heat involved in this area, depending on your washing machine, and to be on the safe side.
Yes, the Oxo Pour-Over Coffeemaker with the water reservoir can adequately replace a traditional, drip-style coffee maker, French press, etc. It generally takes about just as long to brew a cup of coffee as your average single-serve coffeemaker or setting. However, it’s good to keep in mind that you can’t brew a full pot of coffee when using the Oxo. It’s single-serve only.
The Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with the water tank allows you to brew up to 12 ounces of coffee.
Yes! That was one thing we were surprised by–find we use our traditional coffeemaker and our AeroPress far less due to preferring the Oxo.
The Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker comes with 1 water reservoir tank; 1 dual-function lid; 10 unbleached #2 cone filters; 1 pour-over coffee maker brewer; and easy-to-read instructions that are in English and French.
The Oxo Pour-Over Coffee Brewer with Water Tank uses #2 paper cone filters. There are 10 unbleached filters included in the box.
No, you do not need to use a gooseneck kettle if you don’t want to or plan to use the water tank as your preferred method of pouring.
However, if you plan to work up to or use traditional pour-over methods every now and then or eventually, then you may want to go with a gooseneck kettle if you need to purchase an electric kettle to use with the Oxo Pour-Over Coffeemaker.
Conclusion
In the end, we find that the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank isn’t just a handy, affordable, and cost-effective way to get into making pour-over coffees, but it really makes a good cup of brew.
We love how it can be ideal for pour-over novices, lazy baristas, and experienced java gurus alike. And we appreciate how it allows you to start with easy drip-style brewing and evolve to or use the Oxo brewer without the tank for the more traditional pour-over brewing method.
Best of all, it’s more than possible to achieve the same good-tasting each time you brew a cup of your favorite coffee. Much of this is thanks to the easy and convenient way the Oxo Pour-over Coffeemaker helps you easily measure your coffee-to-water ratio and the consistent pour-over from its drip-style water tank.
Overall, we found that it produces excellent-tasting coffee, even when compared to our AeroPress and regular coffeemaker. And we typically gravitate towards using it for our everyday brew, often with the water tank.
Is the Oxo Pour-Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank the Best Pour-Over Brewer?
Is the Oxo Pour Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank the best pour-over brewer?
Short answer: It’s certainly mentioned as a top contender—more so due to its hybrid brewing, which most other pour-over coffeemakers don’t provide. It’s also durable, compact, portable, and extremely inexpensive—especially considering what you get.
As a standard pour-over coffeemaker (without the water tank), we find that it produces great-tasting coffee and we love that you can choose to do a traditional pour-over coffee if you feel like putting a little more effort into the experience.
In other words—it does quite well as a standard pour-over brewer and it’s also highly affordable, being one of the least expensive options out there. In fact, many experienced pour-over pros have also said they loved the Oxo Pour-Over Brewer just as much as their other pour-over brewers.
Therefore, if you’re new to doing pour-overs, don’t mind a plastic BPA-free brewer, want some variety in your brewing method, want to replace your coffeemaker machine (traditional drip-style), are looking for something inexpensive and cost-effective, or want to ease into the pour-over-making experience, then you might just love the Oxo and find it to be the best brewer to go with.
Neat-ish Rating: 4.7 stars
Pros and Cons
What to Like
Things to Consider
Interested in how to make traditional pour-over coffee? Then you might find these Youtube videos useful (new tab).
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