Our review of the OXO Rapid Brewer Coffee Maker

First, let me thank the folks at OXO for sending us this brewer. Appreciated!

Second – a transparency thing – we’re not being paid to write this review. We were gifted the brewer, but not paid or compensated in any other way.

What is the OXO Rapid Brewer? It’s a portable brewing system that gives you a fast and easy hot or cold coffee concentrate in just a few minutes.

This isn’t by any means the first plunger-powered portable brewer, but…

Over the years I have tried 5 or more coffee makers that promise simplicity, portability, and great coffee. They all use the pump-action plunger approach.

They all deliver, more or less. But I haven’t fallen in love with any of them. I still have them in storage somewhere, but don’t take them out when I go travelling.

It’s early days for me and the OXO Rapid Brewer, but of all the models I have tried, I think this is the one most likely to actually travel with me, and be used.

Why do I like the OXO Rapid Brewer? Let me list the reasons…

First, I love the solid build. I hate flimsy, cheap plastic products. They feel like they’re just waiting to break. The Rapid Brewer is made from a Tritan plastic, and feels incredibly solid.

Next, the process is simple… add coffee to the coffee chamber, tamp it down, add water, wait 2 to 5 minutes – depending on whether you are making a hot or cold concentrate – and then pump 4 or 5 times.

The fact that this system makes a concentrate is a real plus. I can use the concentrate from one brewing to make 2 or 3 cups of coffee.

A word about the pumping process… This may sound like a small detail, but I love the level of resistance when you push down on the plunger. With other plunger-powered brewers, I often find the resistance to be too little or too much. Either way, I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Not so with the Rapid Brewer. It feels just right.

And the coffee tastes great. Just be sure to get the grind size right. Not as fine as for an expresso machine, but finer than you’d use for pour-over or a drip brewer.

Will I use the OXO Rapid Brewer on a frequent basis?

Only time will tell. But I’m pretty sure I will. When my wife and I travel, good coffee-making gear isn’t always available.

The Rapid Brewer will fit nicely in our baggage, and all we’ll need at the other end is a kettle for the hot water… or not, if we’re making iced coffee.

One tiny thing on my wish list… a sleeve or carrying bag when traveling. The clear carafe into which the coffee drips doesn’t attach to the base of the coffee basket. This makes absolute sense when you’re brewing, but it does mean it’s hard to keep all the parts together when travelling. Hence the request for a sleeve or bag, to keep everything together when we’re on the move.

That’s a minor detail, and shouldn’t been seen as detracting from my very positive feelings about this brewer.

I really like it… and it’s on the packing list for our next trip, for a true field test.

You can find out more about the OXO Rapid Brewer here.

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