I love this no-fuss coffee maker that's perfect for student living — and it's currently just $33 at Amazon

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A student caffeine fix on a budget

OXO Rapid Brewer
(Image credit: OXO)

It’s been a good few years since I went to college, and my coffee-making options were limited to a French press. Moving on a couple of decades, and there’s now a whole array of new and fandangled options to choose from.

However, if you’re gathering your essentials to move into a student dorm room, you won’t have the space for one of the best coffee machines with all the latest bells and whistles.

That’s why I recommend the OXO Brew Rapid Coffee Maker; it’s a compact device, and right now, you can save 16%, as it’s reduced to $33 at Amazon.

I’ve recently tested OXO Brew’s Rapid Brewer portable coffee maker, and apart from saving 16% at Amazon right now, it’s a mean-making coffee maker.

OXO Brew Rapid Brewer
OXO Brew Rapid Brewer: was $39 now $33 at Amazon

Perfect for small-space living, OXO's Brew Rapid Brewer will serve up a fresh brew in 5 minutes. Plus, it's compact and cordless and can be packed up and taken on your travels. What's more, you can forget about buying paper filters as a stainless steel filter is built in, meaning less waste and less hassle.

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Why the OXO Brew Rapid Brewer is a dorm-room essential

OXO Rapid Brewer

(Image credit: Future / Camilla Sharman)

Student funds are notoriously bleak, so as soon as you start dorm-living, you’ll be counting those dimes. Picking up a takeaway coffee will begin to become a thing of the past when you realise just how much those take-outs add up.

The perfect solution isn’t to buy an expensive, all-singing coffee maker or one of the best espresso machines, it’s to become an expert barista and to make your own brew with a compact coffee brewer. Apart from being affordable, a compact coffee maker fits well into small-space living, and it requires no electricity except for heating the water.

This is why the OXO Brew Rapid Brewer is ideal for student living, it’s perfectly compact and stores in one neat unit — without the muddle of its rival, the AeroPress, which I’ve previously compared side-by-side. And when storing them in my cupboard, I know there’s less chance of parts from the OXO Brewer getting misplaced. Plus, unlike with the Aeropress, there’s no need to buy filters, which can be a hassle and another expense.

It’s easy to use

OXO Rapid Brewer

(Image credit: Future / Camilla Sharman)

I find the OXO Brewer Rapid Brewer is incredibly easy to use. When I first tried it, I was pleasantly surprised, as for me, OXO’s Rapid Brewer surpasses the AeroPress, although I’ll let you decide on the taste test.

The only extra essentials you need are a cup, hot water, and coffee grounds. As mentioned above, you don’t need to buy filters, as the gadget does this part for you. It comes with a carafe, pump, stainless steel coffee filter, water chamber and tamper, and the tamper fits inside the coffee basket for neat storage.

All you have to do is place your coffee in the coffee basket, tamp it down, attach the basket to the chamber, position it over the water chamber, add hot or cold water, wait a few minutes depending on whether you’re making a hot or cold brew, and press down the pump a couple of times. You’re now ready to enjoy your drink.

And for a real student experience, without the cost of a take-out coffee, you could keep it hot in Ninja’s Perfect Sip travel mug — which will keep your homemade brew either hot or cold.

So, now you can enjoy a homemade brew — a quick caffeine fix to get you up in the morning, or to keep you awake in the midnight hours when you’re meeting a last-minute deadline.

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Camilla Sharman
Camilla Sharman
Staff Writer, Homes

Camilla is the Homes Staff Writer and covers everything to do with homes and gardens. She has a wealth of editorial experience, mounting over 30 years, and covers news and features, tests products for reviews and compiles buying guides. 


Her work has appeared in business and consumer titles, including Ideal Home, Real Homes, House Beautiful, Homebuilding & Renovation, and Kitchen & Bathroom Business. She’s even appeared on the cover of Your Home, writing about her own house renovation.


Although she’s obsessed with decorating her home, she also enjoys baking and trying out the latest kitchen appliances. But when she’s not inside, you’ll find her pottering about in her yard, tending to her vegetable patch or taking in her prized hydrangeas.

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