The Oxo Brew and Baratza Encore both improve your at-home coffee, but they solve different problems: the Oxo Brew is an all-in-one drip coffee maker built for convenience, while the Baratza Encore is a dedicated burr grinder focused on providing a quality, consistent grind. The Brew gives you a simple, quality pot of coffee with the push of a button, whereas the Encore lets you precisely control your grind for use with any brewing method you prefer.
Here’s what you need to know to decide if you need a convenient brewer, a quality grinder, or both for your daily coffee ritual.
Oxo Brew Coffee Maker
The Oxo Brew is a highly-rated automatic drip coffee maker appreciated for its thoughtful features and consistent results. As a brand, Oxo excels at creating user-friendly kitchen tools, and their coffee maker is no exception. It’s designed for those who want a straightforward, reliable brewing experience that consistently delivers a great-tasting pot of coffee without any complications.
- What it is: A 9-cup all-in-one automatic drip coffee machine.
- Key features: Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certified, microprocessor-controlled brew cycle for optimal water temperature and time, "rainmaker" shower head for even grounds saturation, double-wall stainless steel thermal carafe to keep coffee hot.
- Price: Around $200.
- Style: Sleek and modern design with a minimalist black finish and clean lines that fit well in contemporary kitchens.
- Materials/Construction: Built with BPA-free plastics for the housing and water reservoir, featuring a durable stainless steel thermal carafe.
- Pros: Extremely easy to use with a one-touch brewing process. Thermal carafe effectively keeps coffee hot without a warming plate that can scorch the coffee. Consistent brewing performance certified by the SCA. Easy to clean.
- Cons: Lacks a built-in grinder, so you need a separate one or pre-ground coffee. Limited control over brewing variables like water temperature or pre-infusion time.
This machine is for anyone who values a simple, dependable, and high-quality pot of drip coffee ready with minimal effort.
Shop this product: oxo.com/brew-9-cup-coffee-maker/
Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder
The Baratza Encore is widely considered the best entry-level burr grinder on the market, praised by coffee experts for its consistent grind quality and durability. Unlike blade grinders that chop beans unevenly, the Encore's conical burrs crush beans to a uniform size, which is critical for a balanced and flavorful extraction. It’s the perfect first step for anyone looking to seriously improve the quality of their coffee by grinding fresh beans.
- What it is: An electric conical burr coffee grinder.
- Key features: 40 individual grind settings for brewing methods from French press to drip, 40mm commercial-grade conical burrs made of hardened steel, powerful DC motor for quiet operation and longevity.
- Price: Around $170.
- Style: A functional and compact utilitarian design that prioritizes performance over flashy aesthetics.
- Materials/Construction: The Encore features a sturdy plastic body and hardened steel burrs. Baratza is known for building durable, repairable grinders designed to last for years.
- Pros: Provides a very consistent grind for a better-tasting cup of coffee. Wide range of settings works for most brewing methods. Built to last and is fully repairable with available parts. Excellent value for the price.
- Cons: This is only a grinder and does not brew coffee. Does not grind fine enough for high-end, unpressurized espresso machines. Can be a bit loud during operation.
The Baratza Encore is the ideal tool for coffee drinkers who want to control their grind quality to make better-tasting coffee with their chosen brewing device.
Shop this product: baratza.com/encore-conical-burr-grinder/
Oxo Brew vs. Baratza Encore Comparison
Functionality & Use Case
The most important difference is what these two products actually do. The Oxo Brew is a complete brewing system - it heats water and makes a full pot of coffee for you. It's built for convenience and is perfect for households that need coffee ready for multiple people in the morning.
The Baratza Encore performs one crucial function: grinding whole coffee beans. Its purpose is to give you control over one of the most important variables in coffee brewing. You still need a separate device to brew the coffee, like a French press, pour-over dripper, or an automatic coffee machine like the Oxo Brew. The Encore is for those who view coffee preparation as a process to be controlled rather than just a button to be pushed.
Dimensions & Footprint
The Oxo Brew coffee maker is a standard countertop appliance, measuring around 12 x 8 x 15 inches. It's designed to fit under most kitchen cabinets but requires dedicated space. In contrast, the Baratza Encore is much more compact at about 6 x 4 x 13 inches. Its small footprint makes it easy to add to almost any kitchen setup without rearranging your countertops.
Materials & Construction
Both products are well-built and designed for daily use. The Oxo Brew uses high-quality, BPA-free plastic and a durable stainless steel thermal carafe. It feels sturdy and reliable, in line with Oxo's reputation.
The Baratza Encore's construction is focused on longevity and performance. While its body is plastic, the critical internal components - the burrs and gear system - are made from metal. Baratza is also known for making its grinders repairable, offering replacement parts to extend the machine's life, which is a big benefit over disposable appliances.
Price & Value
At around $200, the Oxo Brew offers strong value as a complete, high-quality brewing solution certified by the SCA. You get an appliance that makes consistently good coffee without much effort. For about $170, the Baratza Encore's value comes from its ability to dramatically improve the quality of any coffee you brew. For coffee enthusiasts, the investment in a good grinder provides more noticeable flavor benefits than investing in an expensive brewer with a subpar grinder (or worse, pre-ground coffee).
Style & Aesthetics
The Oxo Brew features a sleek, consumer-friendly design with a modern matte black finish that looks premium in a kitchen. Its aesthetic is clean and minimalist. The Baratza Encore has a more functional, utilitarian appearance. It’s not designed to be a centerpiece appliance but rather a hardworking tool, with a simple, no-frills black body.
Which One Should You Choose?
These products are not mutually exclusive - in fact, they work together perfectly - but your starting point depends on your coffee priorities.
Choose the Oxo Brew if:
- You want a complete, easy-to-use automatic coffee maker.
- Simplicity and convenience are your main goals for your morning routine.
- You need to brew a full pot of coffee for your family or guests regularly.
- You want a reliable machine that is certified to brew coffee to specific quality standards.
Choose the Baratza Encore if:
- You already have a brewer you enjoy (like a French press, pour-over, or even a basic drip machine).
- You buy whole coffee beans and want to unlock their full flavor potential.
- You enjoy the process of making coffee and want control over grind size.
- You are focused on improving the single most important factor for better coffee: a consistent grind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Oxo Brew and Baratza Encore?
The Oxo Brew is an all-in-one coffee maker that brews a full pot of drip coffee. The Baratza Encore is a coffee grinder that grinds whole beans for use in any coffee brewing device, it does not brew coffee itself.
Does the Oxo Brew have a built-in grinder?
No, the Oxo Brew does not have a grinder. You will need to use pre-ground coffee or grind your own beans with a separate grinder, like the Baratza Encore.
Is the Baratza Encore a coffee maker?
No, the Baratza Encore is exclusively a coffee grinder. After grinding beans with the Encore, you need another device such as a drip machine, French press, or AeroPress to actually brew the coffee.
Which is better for a coffee beginner?
It depends on the beginner's goals. If you want an easy "one and done" solution for making good coffee, the Oxo Brew Coffee Maker is the better starting point. If you want to dive into coffee as a hobby and learn how different variables affect taste, the Baratza Encore is the best first investment you can make.
Can you use the Oxo Brew and Baratza Encore together?
Yes, they are a fantastic combination. Using the Baratza Encore to grind fresh beans right before brewing them in the Oxo Brew will give you a coffee experience that is far superior to using pre-ground coffee in the same machine.
Why is a good grinder like the Encore so important?
A quality burr grinder like the Encore produces uniform-sized coffee grounds. This allows for an even extraction of flavor when water passes through them. Blade grinders create an inconsistent mix of fine dust and large chunks, leading to a bitter and sour taste in your final cup.
How long does the Oxo Brew keep coffee hot?
The Oxo Brew uses a double-wall, vacuum-insulated stainless steel carafe instead of a hot plate. This keeps coffee hot for several hours without the risk of "cooking" it and developing a burnt taste.
Is the Baratza Encore difficult to clean or maintain?
No, it's quite user-friendly. The outer burr is easily removable without tools, allowing you to brush out coffee grounds and oils regularly. With occasional cleaning, the grinder will provide consistent results for years.
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