OXO ON Barista Brain 9-Cup: Excellent Pour Over Taste with Simplicity of an Automatic

The Bottom Line

Designed to replicate the Pour Over method of brewing, this model provides a “bloom” cycle and then carefully controls the distributions of water by starting and stopping.

OXO On 9 Cup Coffee Maker available at Amazon

Using a showerhead style water distribution system, the maker automatically distributes the water in a circular motion to evenly distribute the water and get a uniform extraction of flavor.

At a Glance

• Intelligent microprocessor to control brewing cycle
• Internal water scale
• Precise temperature control
• Rainmaker™ showerhead for even water distribution
• Mixing tube blends coffee upon entering carafe
• Vacuum insulated double-wall thermal carafe
• Cone shaped brew basket
• Semi-quick brewing, in about 8 minutes
• Freshness Timer function tells you how long since your coffee finished brewing
• 24-hour start timer
• Certified by SCAA
• Brew 2-9 cups
• Satisfaction guaranteed by OXO

Dimensions

Height: 15.2 inches
Width: 14.2 inches
Depth: 6.7 inches
Weight: 7.7 pounds (11.4 pounds shipping weight)

Pros

Precise Temperature Control: Maintains temperature through brewing process for reliable flavor extraction. Water is heated between 197.6 and 204.8ºF.

Intelligent Microprocessor: Oversees time, temperature, and water volume.

Internal Water Scale: No need to measure water. Just fill the kettle, choose the amount of coffee you want, and brew.

Pre-Infusion Cycle: Pauses in the beginning of the water cycle to allow coffee to “bloom”, releasing CO2 that can lower the quality of the coffee flavor.

Rainmaker™ Showerhead: Evenly distributes water over the coffee grounds to extract the best possible flavor.

Double Walled, Stainless Steel Carafe: Instead of a warmer plate, this carafe keeps your coffee warm without scorching.

Simple Controls: Bright LED screen and programmable with a single dial. Brew time will be automatically adjusted depending on your choice of how much coffee you want.

Freshness Timer: This slightly useful feature tells you how long it has been since your coffee was finished brewing. Not necessary but possibly helpful for determining if you need to start with a new pot.

Mixing Tube: Although this seems a bit unnecessary as the water flowing into the pot will tend to mix itself, this model has a feature that “mixes” the coffee as it enters the carafe, to create a more even taste throughout the entire pot. You can remove this if you don’t like it.

Cons

Hand Wash Only: Both the carafe and kettle are not dishwasher safe, which is not a surprise but may be a consideration for some users.

Comparison to Similar Products

When compared to the OXO On 12-Cup Barista Brain, this one comes in with fewer features for sure, but also costs less. One benefit of this model over the 12-cup is that it can brew just 2 cups at a time, where the smallest amount the 12-cup model can brew is 4 cups.

When compared to one of the best coffee brewers in its price range, the Behmor Brazen, this one does not have quite as much control over the temperature and altitude, but that may be a good thing for those who want less complicated usability.

Techniques, Tips, and Tricks

If you want to remove the filter basket for cleaning, simply remove the small silicone ring at the top. This will allow for easy cleaning. Then be sure to replace the ring when returning the basket to its home.

Conclusion

A strong contender for brewing a good cup of coffee, this OXO ON 9-cup Barista Brain has a great design.

Nice to look at, as well as functional, this coffee maker may be slightly on the pricey side for what it is capable of, but it’s a great model if you’re looking for something that offers a tasty cup of coffee that re-creates the Pour Over method automatically, but is fairly easy-to-use.

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