Troy and I quickly went down to the brass, brewing his company’s French blends in his pro-grade Bunn ICB brewery and Oxo. We made an immediate tactical error, causing the coffee in the Bunn to not conform to Lucas dial specifications and to follow the guidelines in the Oxo manual. Bunn has turned Wind & Water into something amazing, but we’re told Oxo uses the Specialty Coffee Association’s specifications for the recommended amount of grounds in a cup, and that makes up for it. which I respectfully call the Extremely Powerful Cup.
“For this blend, at least, the amount of their recommendations is overwhelming,” as Troy says tactfully. Then he asked me a question, “What do you write about when the instructions for the perfect cup don’t give you the perfect cup?”
Troy and I ran out of time to experiment, but he gave me the land-to-water ratio they used in the Bunn so I could adjust at home.
I brewed a few more jars in Oxo, keeping the high benchmarks of his Bunn batch in my mind. Doesn’t take much time. By simply moving significantly back to the Lucas ratio and keeping all other variables unchanged, I made great progress. A couple of bottles later, I took the cup down on the chair on the wharf by the lake and took a sip, then I knew I was in happiness.
When I think about it, I realize I did something very similar to this process at my loved ones’ homes when I first started using the machine. For example, I would grind five cups’ worth of grounds but fill the jug to the six or seven mark, as part of the tinkering process we all do when it comes to getting a new brewer or coffee.
And really, this is what we all do when using any new brewing method: adjust the water level, change the grind size, adjust the amount of residue, hopefully just changing the variables one at a time. until we have a cup that tastes great. . Essentially, Oxo keeps brewing time, hot water, and a saturated base, meaning that once you figure out your personal preference, you’ve got the morning cup of your life.
Short pour
While I love this machine, I have some hopes for the future, namely a combination of the best qualities of this machine and its “small” sibling, the Oxo 8-Cup, which I reviewed last year. First, unlike the 8-Cup, the 9-Cup’s controls are on the machine’s wide axis, essentially forcing you to give it access space you might not otherwise have. Second, with a “regular” drip basket with a smaller one that fits inside it, the 8-Cup not only makes a great full cup, it’s a much tougher single cup. (Smart, for anything under 4 cups, the 9-Cup slows down the brewing cycle to ensure the water goes through the ground longer than most other brewers. However, without the drip basket. supplement, 9-Cup is not as strong as here.)
The 8-Cup, on the other hand, doesn’t have a clock, so you can’t time it to greet your sleepy little head in the morning.
Both are great coffee makers. However, if they are combined together, they reach home-brewed perfection. I’ve never dropped a perfect 10 in my reviews, but if that machine ever comes to fruition, I might have to.
