Oxo's cleverly designed coffeemaker brews 12 cups at a time
Priced at $299, the Oxo Barista Brain 12-Cup has both intelligent design and brewing chops.
CHICAGO -- Watch out Technivorm and Bonavita , Oxo is coming right at you with an impressive new coffeemaker. Called the Oxo Barista Brain 12-cup Coffee System, the $299 machine is part of the company's freshly minted Oxo On electrically powered appliance line unveiled here at IHS 2015. This big drip brewer, say the folks at Oxo, has everything to stand toe-to-toe with the serious coffee prep names of the world, and then some.
Big, bad and ready to brew right
The first thing I noticed about the Barista Brain 12-cup Coffee Brewing System is its imposing size. Able to whip up a full 12-cup pot of java in one batch, this machine is large and in charge. Massive coffee creation capacity isn't the Barista's only strength. Far from it, according to Oxo representatives.
Indeed, Oxo expects the appliance to fully earn the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) seal of approval, likely gaining the distinctive "Golden Cup" award sometime this summer. Also within the Barista Brain's wheelhouse is the ability to vary and set its water temperature, all the way up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 Celcius). As a matter of fact, the device can double as a hot water heater for all you tea drinkers out there.
Other slick design touches are that the big water tank is really a pourable, detachable pitcher complete with a flip-open lid. As you can imagine, this feature alone should make it a snap to load the brewer up with liquid. The base underneath the pitcher holds a scale as well, which senses just how much water is in the tank so as to transfer only six cups into the brewing chamber at a time. This ensures the correct ratio of coffee grounds to water necessary to meet the SCAA's strict guidelines during each brewing cycle.
Outlook
Those champing at the bit to get hold of a $299 Oxo Barista Brain 12-cup Coffee Brewing System will have to simmer down. Oxo plans for the coffeemaker, along with the rest of its Oxo On product line, to ship no sooner than fall of this year. UK and Australian pricing and availability weren't announced, but the $299 US price converts to around £200 or AU$385.