The OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker and the Bonavita Connoisseur are both top-tier coffee makers, but they appeal to different users through their design and features. The OXO stands out with its sleek aesthetics and user-friendly options like a single-cup setting, making it great for modern kitchens and busy households. In contrast, the Bonavita has a more industrial, function-first design focused purely on supreme brewing performance, utilizing a powerful heater and pre-infusion mode for coffee enthusiasts who prize the perfect cup.
Here’s a detailed look at both coffee makers from OXO and Bonavita to help you decide which one is right for your kitchen counter.
OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker
The OXO Brew 8-Cup is a stylish and intelligent coffee maker designed to bring consistency and convenience to your daily routine. It's recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) for meeting its Golden Cup standard, meaning it brews at the right temperature for the right amount of time. It's best known for its thoughtful features, like the ability to brew a single mug or a full carafe, and its "Rainmaker" showerhead that evenly saturates coffee grounds for better flavor extraction.
- What it is: A modern, SCA-certified automatic drip coffee maker with flexible brewing options.
- Key features: Microprocessor-controlled brew cycle for precise water temperature, single-serve or full pot functionality, Rainmaker showerhead for even dispersion, double-wall stainless steel thermal carafe.
- Price: About $130 - $150
- Style: Sleek minimalist design with a compact footprint, featuring black plastic and stainless steel accents that fit well in contemporary kitchens.
- Materials/Construction: Borosilicate glass interior and BPA-free plastic housing with stainless steel parts and carafe.
- Pros: Excellent brew quality recognized by the SCA. Switchable single-cup or full-pot brewing modes offer great versatility. Looks great on the counter. Simple-to-use dial interface. Keeps coffee hot for hours in the thermal carafe.
- Cons: Relies more on plastic components than the Bonavita. Some users find the carafe lid design can cause an uneven pour if not aligned perfectly. Fewer manual controls for coffee purists.
This is the coffee maker for the person who values both aesthetics and performance, wants a dependably great pot of coffee without any fuss, and appreciates the flexibility to brew just one cup.
Shop this product: oxo.com/oxo-8-cup-coffee-maker.html
Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Brewer
The Bonavita Connoisseur is a powerhouse built for one thing: making exceptional coffee as simply as possible. It is also an SCA-certified brewer prized by coffee aficionados for its no-nonsense approach to brewing. Its 1500-watt heater quickly brings water to the optimal temperature range (195°-205°F), and an optional pre-infusion mode blooms the coffee grounds to release flavorful gases before brewing. Its design is utilitarian but extremely effective at producing a consistently fantastic cup.
- What it is: A high-performance, one-touch SCA-certified coffee maker for perfection-seeking home baristas.
- Key features: Powerful 1500-watt heater for precise and stable water temperature. Optional pre-infusion mode. Flat-bottomed filter basket for uniform extraction. Durable stainless steel thermal carafe.
- Price: About $130 - $180
- Style: Utilitarian and industrial, with a heavy emphasis on brushed stainless steel and black plastic. It prioritizes function over form.
- Materials/Construction: Primarily high-quality stainless steel with durable, BPA-free plastic components for the filter basket and water reservoir.
- Pros: Makes a truly outstanding cup of coffee with exceptional temperature control. Dead-simple one-touch operation. Robust and durable construction intended to last. Carafe holds heat extremely well. Compact design.
- Cons: No programmable features, timer, or single-cup settings. The design places the brew basket directly on top of the carafe, which can be awkward for some. The industrial aesthetic may not suit all kitchen styles.
The Bonavita Connoisseur is ideal for the coffee purist who wants cafe-quality brew temperature and consistency and is happy to trade bells and whistles for performance and durability.
Shop this product: bonavita.com/products/8-cup-one-touch
OXO 8-Cup vs. Bonavita Connoisseur Comparison
Brewing Performance & Features
Both machines are SCA-certified, meaning they achieve Golden Cup standards, but they get there differently. Bonavita's core strength is its powerful 1500-watt heater, which gets water to an optimal 195°-205°F and keeps it there. Combined with its pre-infusion mode, it mimics a manual pour-over process, resulting in a complex and well-extracted cup.
The OXO also has precision temperature control but puts more emphasis on user-friendly features. Its "Rainmaker" showerhead is designed for perfect ground saturation, and its ability to switch between brewing 2-4 cups and 5-8 cups provides flexibility that the Bonavita lacks. While the OXO makes an excellent cup, the Bonavita is generally seen as having a slight edge in pure brewing quality for those who can taste the difference.
Design & Usability
The OXO wins easily on visual appeal and everyday convenience. It’s a clean, modern appliance that looks slick on the countertop. The single-knob interface is intuitive for programming brew times and selecting volumes. The carafe slides into place under the machine, and the entire unit feels integrated and simple to use.
The Bonavita is purposeful in its design. It's basically a water heater, a delivery arm, a brew basket, and a carafe. To use it, you place the brew basket directly onto the carafe and slide it under the water spout. It works perfectly, but it's a very manual process that is less elegant than the OXO's all-in-one feel. For programming, the Bonavita offers one button: on/off (with a pre-infusion function you can set once).
Materials & Construction
Both are well-built, but their builds reflect their design philosophies. The Bonavita Connoisseur is a workhorse, using more stainless steel in its construction, which gives it a heavier, more durable feel. It feels like a piece of lab equipment built to perform one function repeatedly and reliably for years.
The OXO uses high-quality BPA-free plastic for its main housing, accented with stainless steel on the front plate and for the thermal carafe. It's durable and solid, but it doesn't have the same industrial toughness as the Bonavita. It feels more like a modern kitchen appliance designed to balance cost, performance, and looks.
Price & Value
With prices that often overlap, the value proposition comes down to your personal priorities. The OXO Brew 8-Cup offers exceptional value for money by providing flexible brewing options, a sleek design, and SCA-certified joe for a reasonable price. For most people who just want a great, easy cup of coffee, the OXO is a fantastic deal.
The Bonavita Connoisseur's value is in its focused performance. You're paying for superior temperature control and a robust build. If your top priority is the absolute best possible cup of coffee from an automatic brewer under $200, the Bonavita arguably provides more value in the taste-to-dollar ratio for a true enthusiast.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both are fantastic certified brewers that outperform common coffee makers, but they suit different people.
Choose the OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker if:
- You want sleek, modern styling that looks premium sitting on your kitchen counter.
- You need the versatility of brewing a single mug or a full pot.
- You appreciate user-friendly features like a single control dial and a clean, integrated design.
- You want a reliable, SCA-certified brewer from a trusted kitchenware brand at a good price.
Choose the Bonavita Connoisseur if:
- Your number one priority is a perfect brew focused on precise temperature and extraction.
- You appreciate a simple, function-first design that prioritizes durability.
- You prefer one-touch operation and don't need programmable timers or other extra features.
- You are a home coffee enthusiast who wants a machine that serious coffee drinkers respect and admire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the OXO and Bonavita coffee makers?
The main difference is their philosophy. OXO balances user-friendly features, sleek design, and SCA-certified performance for everyday coffee drinkers. Bonavita focuses almost exclusively on engineering and materials that deliver optimal, uncompromising brewing performance for coffee enthusiasts.
Are both the OXO 8-Cup and Bonavita Connoisseur SCA Certified?
Yes, both models meet the rigorous testing standards of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) for its "Golden Cup" award, which means they correctly manage water temperature, brewing time, and uniform extraction.
Which one brews hotter coffee?
The Bonavita Connoisseur is famous for its powerful 1500-watt heater which maintains a very stable and hot brew temperature between 195°-205°F, which is ideal. The OXO achieves this temperature as well to earn its certification, but Bonavita is built specifically around this single feature.
Can I brew a smaller batch in the Bonavita?
Yes, you can absolutely brew fewer cups in the Bonavita by using less water and coffee grounds. However, the OXO has a specific setting and smaller certified brew basket insert optimized for smaller 2-4 cup batches, offering more consistency at smaller volumes.
How long does the thermal carafe keep coffee hot?
Both brewers come with excellent double-wall, vacuum-insulated stainless steel carafes. You can expect coffee to stay hot for two hours or more in either, with reviewers often giving a slight edge to Bonavita's carafe for heat retention.
How do you clean these coffee makers?
Both should be descaled regularly (every 1-3 months) using a descaling solution or a diluted vinegar mix. Running a cleaning cycle is simple on both machines. Hand-washing the carafes and brew baskets is recommended.
Does the Bonavita coffee maker have a programmable timer?
No, the Bonavita Connoisseur is a true one-touch machine. It does not have a clock or programmable auto-start feature. If you want to wake up to coffee, the OXO's programmable timer is the feature you need.
Which one is more durable?
While both are well-made, the Bonavita's construction features more stainless steel and a simpler mechanical design, which many users find to be more robust and durable for long-term, heavy use. The OXO is reliable but has more electronic and plastic parts.
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