Kitchen & Dining / Review
OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker Review: A thermal carafe with a useful single-mug option
A straightforward brewer for households alternating between a shared pot and a personal mug, without buying into coffee pods.
The OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker suits a kitchen where the amount of coffee changes from day to day. A full thermal carafe is useful when two people share breakfast, while the single-mug arrangement can avoid brewing a larger batch for one person. This review covers the 8718800 model with the stainless thermal carafe. Other OXO brewers, including glass-carafe versions, should be compared separately.
The appeal is a repeatable process
OXO’s BetterBrew system manages brewing temperature, volume and time, and the manufacturer identifies this model as SCA certified. Its showerhead distributes water over the grounds, with a bloom stage included in the cycle. These are useful design commitments for someone who wants an automated routine, although a certification cannot guarantee that every bean and grind combination will taste the way you prefer.
The thermal carafe is a practical part of the design. It keeps the finished batch in an insulated vessel, and its lid supports brewing and pouring without repeated removal. That can suit a household that takes its first and second cups at different times. Still, brewing only what you expect to drink is a better starting point than assuming a stored pot will remain equally appealing indefinitely.
Single servings need the right setup
OXO provides a smaller-batch arrangement for brewing into a mug. The well cover can elevate a shorter cup or be removed for a taller travel mug. Check the height of your usual vessel before buying. A flexible serving concept is only convenient when the actual mug fits and the correct basket and filter are used.
The word cup also needs interpretation. OXO’s manual uses a five-fluid-ounce coffee cup, so an eight-cup label does not mean eight large mugs. Think about the amount your household drinks rather than the headline count. A pair of generous travel mugs can use much more of a carafe than the number on the front suggests.
Ownership and buying judgment
Allow room above the machine for filling and removing the brew components. The listed dimensions are 13.5 by 10.5 by 7 inches, but cabinet clearance and access can matter more than the footprint alone. Keep the carafe, basket and water system clean according to the manual, and include descaling in the ownership plan when appropriate for your water.
We would choose this OXO for a buyer who wants ground-coffee flexibility with less active work than a manual dripper. It is less compelling for someone who mainly enjoys controlling every pour, or who needs much larger batches. The rating rewards the useful combination of thermal-carafe and personal-mug brewing; flavor and long-term reliability remain unmeasured in this source-based assessment.
Review basis: This is a source-based editorial assessment of the manufacturer’s published specifications, instructions and product design, not a hands-on test. Scores reflect the suitability and tradeoffs discussed here; we have not independently measured performance, durability or taste.
Sources & product information
What works well
- Thermal carafe and single-mug brewing in one machine
- Uses ground coffee rather than proprietary pods
- Documented brew controls and SCA certification
What to consider
- Eight small coffee cups are not eight large mugs
- Requires correct basket and filter setup
- Filling and cleaning need clearance above the machine
At a glance
- Model
- OXO Brew 8718800
- Carafe
- Double-wall vacuum-insulated thermal
- Capacity
- 8 coffee cups; manual uses 5 fl oz per cup
- Dimensions
- 13.5 × 10.5 × 7 inches
