Oxx Coffeeboxx Review
Reviewed by: Jennifer
Jennifer’s Rating: 4.5 Stars
Today we’re going to look at something very different in the one-cup brewing world….that’s right, the Oxx Coffeeboxx. You may have heard about it being dubbed the world’s toughest coffee maker or seen the torture tests it was put to…right on the Amazon sales page is a picture showing four of these coffee machines propping up a Jeep 🙂
All stunts aside, if you’re looking for a single-cup coffeemaker made just for life outdoors, today may be your lucky day. Classified as a “job site brewer”, it’s made to go everywhere you do, whether it is camping, boating, travelling or just weekend excursions; this is like no other single-cupper you’ve ever seen.
So what makes the Oxx Coffeeboxx unique? It resembles a beverage cooler in appearance -nothing you’d expect in a coffeemaker. Let’s get to the meat and potatoes now in this review. If you’re searching for a kitchen or office-friendly brewer, then what I say here may not interest you, but if you love good coffee AND “roughing it”, read on!
UPDATE: As of 2021, it looks as though this model has been discontinued. The company website is no longer functional; one source I found said it was only available at Home Depot.
[ez-toc]Dimensions
The Amazon sales page provides the following metrics for the Oxx Coffeeboxx: 11″ by 9″ by 11.5″ and a weight of 12 pounds. So, off I went to check with the manufacturer site to verify the accuracy, in which I found the weight of 12 lbs is correct, but more specifically, 12 pounds when the water tank is empty.
When the water tank is filled to max capacity, it puts the weight at more than 17 pounds. The measurements quoted are given at 11″ in length, 9″ in width and 11.5″ in height…so yep, Amazon got it just did not show the all-too-important length, width and depth part.
With more up close and personal metrics concerned, the drip tray in place will allow for a cup or mug no taller than 7″. There is a 4″ wide spacial area inside the dispensing area. If the drip tray is removed, the tallest cup it will permit is 8″ in height.
Bottom line, the space allowed is pretty generous, and you shouldn’t have problems with Yeti mugs, thermoses, etc., that are a part of your repertoire or routine. According to users, a 32 oz tumbler is an easy fit.
Lastly, the three-prong power cord, conveniently retractable for easy safekeeping, extends to 3 feet long.
What’s Included?
In addition to the unit are a start guide and a limited 1-year warranty. The main photo shows a stainless steel tumbler which is for display and not part of the package. There are several optional accessories sold separately you can look into as well to enhance your enjoyment (availability may vary.)
Manual available here:
Features
There’s quite a lot to name in the features department, and these include:
- A handy carrying handle for portability
- A rugged and durable overall design
- It can accommodate tall tumblers and giant mugs
- Three brewing sizes (8, 10, and 12)
- Separate water lines for brewing coffee and dispensing hot water
- Generously-sized water tank with filters
- Made from impact-resistant plastic/polymer
- Six tie-down anchors for easier time transporting
- Auto-shutoff kicks in in 30 minutes
- Basic operation time of about 75 seconds
The Oxx Coffeebox has the distinction of having a control panel centred on top of the machine…right between the k-cup chamber and the water tank compartment. It’s a simple layout with push-button functions, including a power on/off button, three indicator lights, a selector for coffee and a selector for hot water, and three brew sizes. The brew sizes are 8, 10, and 12.
The indicator lights are Heating, Refill, and Descale. The brew size buttons are rather generic and show a small, medium and large cup in ascending order.
If you ever wish to pause a brew cycle, you can; you need to hit the brew button again for it to cease temporarily.
The Coffeeboxx has an Auto-Off that goes into effect after about 30 minutes of inactivity…a bit more practical than other models on average, which sometimes takes up to two hours.
Water Tank and Filter
Unlike most popular models I discuss, the Oxx Coffeeboxx has a very different type of water reservoir –self-contained with a recessed middle grip – keeping dust and debris out and flavour in. To put it in so many words, it resembles one of those more astonishing inserts you put in the freezer to take out and put in the cooler just before leaving for a trip. …it has a screw-on cap for easy filling and refilling on one side, and the other holds the water filter, which is also uniquely designed.
It is rod-shaped in appearance, and the water filter cartridge looks like a gumdrop or marshmallow (yep, I’m having a colourful metaphor day 🙂 All humour aside, it works pretty much just like most of the other one-cup models containing water filters; the respective cartridges should be changed periodically (every three months)
The water tank itself holds 84.5 oz, which has a max-fill line, and is friendly and generous -so if you’ve got a crew around you to need to share with, everybody will have a pretty easy time getting themselves a cup and not have to refill it often (average of between 7 and 10 cups before needing to fill.)
You can periodically purge the unit for later storage (instructions are covered more in-depth in the user guide), which is a definite plus.
Now, this might be an obvious “duh” kind of statement, but here goes: Although this coffeemaker is touted as the toughest in the world, UV resistant, and was made to handle a lot of rough terrains, including bad weather, you NEVER want to let the water tank contents be exposed to temps of 32 degrees F and below. If you find yourself in a situation where the weather might take an unexpected dip – the best course of action would be to drain the water tank beforehand.
Drip Tray
The drip tray also includes a removable grate; the tray can be flipped up when not in use, such as in carrying mode. You can remove the whole tray, which latches at the back to make it easier to insert taller mugs.
The drip tray grate has a nice feature of a small round hole in the middle which makes it easy to get ahold of to remove it if you need a little more extra room on the drip tray. Both the grate and the tray are top-rack dishwasher safe.
One thing I observed about this drip tray is it’s sturdy looking, just like the rest of the machine, and this was no exception. It was made to hold travel mugs, tumblers, and even thermoses.
K-Cup Chamber and Operation
The k-cup chamber is a little different in design. There is a compartment lid above it that you raise straight up to start inserting a Kcup/refillable Kcup instead of a handle you raise on some other brewers.
It functions just like other models; it also has a pod holder assembly that can be removed if you wish to use the refillable K-Cups.
The manufacturer’s site recommends EcoFill
The Coffeeboxx’s inner workings are unique in that it has a separate compartment for brewing non-coffee products. So if you or your team members or crew want to grab a leisurely lunch of ramen or another product that requires hot water, you will have hot water on demand!
Oxx Coffeeboxx Anchors
There are three stainless steel anchor tie-downs on both side panels of the unit (six in all) to secure your machine on those bumpy trips. You can insert the bungee straps on either side; you should be good to go. Yep, this is a company that did think of everything!
Colors
The Oxx Coffeeboxx comes in three colours: Black, Desert Tan and Hi-Vis Green – this bright green, which borders on neon yellow-green, appears to be the most popular color out of all three, perhaps for the apparent reason that it shows so darn well.
Descaling
Yep, this guy has got to be periodically descaled too.
The manufacturer recommends a descale session every three months – basically on par with most home and office pod brewers. The methodology is similar – except that you would fill up the water tank with your chosen descale solution OR full-strength white vinegar (about a liter, according to instructions – apparently, the conversion from the 84 oz is 2.5 liters) and proceed with a pod-less brew cycle, then run a process with fresh water to get rid of the vinegar residue.
You are encouraged to do a preliminary priming, out-of-the-box, and periodic flushing in the manner above for an optimum coffee taste.
BESTEK 2000W Power Inverter 3 AC Outlets DC 12V to 110V AC
Off-Grid Adaptability
Although it uses the same standard 120-volt outlet as other pod machines, the Oxx Coffeeboxx uses 1450 watts of power which is more than your typical home brewer. Because the Coffeeboxx is made for outdoor use first and foremost, powering it away from a conventional electrical unit is bound to be very important.
Almost unanimously, using a 2000-watt power inverter is recommended; this FAQ section from the company website explains it in good terms. If you already own an inverter of at least 1800 watts, you should be in good hands – if not, this one I found appears to be highly rated.
Compatible Accessories
A few optional (and proprietary) accessories are designed to complement the Oxx Coffeeboxx, namely a travel field case and a K-Cup holder with a zippered front (which holds about 12 pods), in addition to an 18-oz tumbler. It seemed like the availability of those items was somehow limited at the time of this update (3/20) ;
- Travel field case (currently not available)
- 18-oz Oxx Tumbler
- K-Cup holder (unavailable)
- 16-oz Stainless Steel Tumbler (unavailable)
- Aftermarket carbon filter replacements
The main thing you’ll need will most likely be the replacement filters, as they are shaped differently and made to be compatible.
Pros
- It has a greater threshold for wear and tear and the elements
- Lightweight when considering the overall strength
- Accepts all brands of K-Cups
- Accommodates taller travel mugs easily
- Expedient operation
- Carrying handle for portability
- You can use refillable K-Cups
- Dispenses hot water on demand for other beverages or food products
- Auto-shutoff
- Anchor tie-downs for securing to vehicles
- The unit can be purged periodically
Cons
- A few people felt that the cord could be a little longer
- Probably not suited to personal and home use
- Some brands of refillable K-Cups work, but not others
Oxx Coffeeboxx Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Many of the consumer reviews for the Oxx Coffeeboxx are fair and well-deserved. Comments that expressed satisfaction (and delight) ranged from pleased at how sturdy this machine is, can handle anything, great stow-and-go functionality, does not have to spend a lot of time filling and refilling, fast heat-up time and heating up again between brews and best of all, consumers were pleased that they did not have to worry about using proprietary K-Cups. They could use their own refillable Kcups if desired.
Being able to strap it down with the anchor stainless steel tie-downs was a huge bonus, especially when travelling long and bumpy roads. People could use it not just for coffee but also for preparing certain foods requiring hot water. It seemed a lot of jet-setters couldn’t get enough of this thing; I might, add-whether boating, camping, RVing, or just having a coffeemaker that would function when the ones in motel rooms didn’t, it’s got its fair share of fans.
Were there a few negatives? Of course….and to be fair and honest, there were not many compared to the quantity of 4 and 5-star reviews. A few people felt like the power cord could be a little longer, but this was in the minority as this cord is nothing to sneeze at.
And yes, a few consumers had a negative experience with premature non-functioning or parts missing (I guess this is unavoidable no matter the product). Still, I am happy to report that customer support was glad to help them.
Price
As I perform this update from when I started this review, I notice that the price has come down a little; I’m happy to report that you can have this bad boy on your doorstep for under $200. The somewhat higher sticker price I remember from 2018, I didn’t feel like it was that steep, either – essentially, it’s designed differently to stand up to outdoor elements, wear and tear, and on top of that, it isn’t humungous either.
The lowest price appears to be for the Desert Tan color – if you don’t mind that one of the listings I found is labelled as “used” (in this case, due to the condition of the packaging). The third leading contender, Walmart, isn’t carrying the Coffeeboxx (they did have some of the accessories) when I checked to compare.
I’d also encourage you to check eBay too, as I did see a few listings in which the price was even better on all the colors, as well as having a few more new listings as well:
The accessories mentioned earlier are more of a nice but not necessary addition; when looking at costs of everyday use that include K-Cup pods, your own grounds and the filter cartridges, I don’t think you’d be spending that much more than you would with a different model that’s made for strictly home use but with the same essential coffee products.
Summary
So I hope you guys enjoyed my review of the biggest, baddest single cupper on the market today! Boy, you can tell that I love this thing…Unfortunately, I don’t fit the demographic group it was made for 🙂
However, if my lifestyle included a lot of travel, adventure and being outdoors, I would not hesitate to pick this one up! So there you have it – this coffeemaker (whoops – box, right?) will probably be overkill if you only need a home or office-friendly coffee brewer.
But if a significant proportion of your time is spent outside working, camping, travelling, what have you, I say run, don’t walk, and get this! It is going to have everything you need and then some.
