# Rapid Brewer FAQ´s

> How it works        What is         Versatility        Cleaning        Troubleshooting             How it works      Why am I pumping   The pumping creates 

Source: https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC

Last updated: 2024-08-27T16:27:37.039Z

  

[**How it works**](https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/preview/article/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC#:~:text=Troubleshooting%3A-,How%20it%20works,-Why%20am%20I)

[**What is …?**](https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/preview/article/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC#:~:text=may%20cause%20clogging.-,What%20is%20%E2%80%A6%3F,-What%20is%20concentrated)

[**Versatility**](https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/preview/article/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC#:~:text=1%3A3%20ratio.-,Versatility,-Can%20I%20change)

[**Cleaning**](https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/preview/article/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC#:~:text=and/or%20water.-,Cleaning%C2%A0,-How%20do%20you)

[**Troubleshooting:**](https://faq.oxo.com/en_us/preview/article/rapid-brewer-faq-s-ryBc6_osC#:~:text=coffee%20knock%2Dbox.-,Troubleshooting%3A,-My%20Rapid%20Brewer)

  

  

**How it works**

1.  **Why am I pumping?**
    1.  The pumping creates pressure, which forces water through the coffee bed, extracting rich, concentrated coffee. If there were no pressure, the coffee would have to steep for much longer to fully extract.

1.  **What grind size should I use?**
    1.  Not all grinders have the same grind settings, but a fine setting, grind 2 or 3 if you're using the OXO Conical Burr Grinder, is ideal. Adjust as needed for the best results.
    2.  The ground coffee should not be superfine, but not as coarse as you would use for drip coffee. A helpful reference is the consistency of sugar or table salt.

1.  **Why do I have to use finely ground coffee?**
    1.  Finely ground coffee extracts faster and helps to promote a smooth, even flow of water through the coffee bed. Most pre-ground espresso works well with the Rapid Brewer.

1.  **Can the Rapid Brewer be used with hot or cold water?**
    1.  It can be used with either hot or cold water:

With hot water:

*   (in ounces) .75 oz of finely ground coffee with 5 fluid oz hot water.
*   (in grams) 20g of finely ground coffee with 160 mL of hot water.

With cold water:

*   (in ounces) 1.5 oz of finely ground coffee with 5 fluid oz cold water.
*   (in grams) 40g of finely ground coffee with 160 mL cold water.

1.  **How do I dilute my concentrated coffee?**
    1.  We recommend a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of concentrated coffee to water or milk. For example, 2 oz (~ 59 ml) of concentrated coffee diluted with 4-6 oz (~177 ml) of water or milk.

1.  **Do I need filters?**
    1.  No, an etched stainless steel filter is built into the bottom of the coffee basket.

1.  **Can the Rapid Brewer be used with other substances, such as tea or matcha?**
    1.  No, we recommend using only finely ground coffee. Other substances may cause clogging.

**What is …?**

1.  **What is concentrated coffee?** 
    1.  Concentrated coffee is a very strong coffee extraction. It’s made using less water than traditional methods, which means it’s much stronger, and the volume is smaller than a regular cup of coffee. Concentrated coffee needs to be diluted before drinking.  

**Dilution Ratios for Different Coffee Methods**

**Method**

**Ratio (Coffee: Water)**

**Rapid Brewer – Hot**

**1:2 or 1:3** 

**Rapid Brewer — Cold**

**1:2 or 1:3**

Espresso

1:3

Drip Coffee

1:18

1.  **Why does this make concentrated coffee instead of a ready-to-drink-beverage?**
    1.  We designed the Rapid Brewer to make concentrated coffee rather than a ready-to-drink beverage so that you can dilute it to your taste.

1.  **What is a tamper? What is tamping?**
    1.  A tamper is a tool used to level the coffee bed so water can flow through at the same even rate. 
    2.  Your Rapid Brewer comes with a tamper nested inside the coffee basket. Be sure to remove it before your first use. 
    3.  To tamp your coffee grounds, press the tamper into the coffee bed using a firm, even push, as you would when pressing a soap dispenser.

1.  **What is a rainmaker showerhead?**
    1.  The rainmaker showerhead is an innovative means of distributing the water evenly across the entire coffee bed.  It sits at the base of the water chamber.

1.  **What is the serving size?**
    1.  Our cold brew recipe makes two portions (~5 oz /147 ml) of cold concentrated coffee and our hot recipe makes one portion (~5 oz/147 ml) of hot concentrated coffee. You’ll dilute each portion with water or milk in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio.

**Versatility**

1.  **Can I change the recipe?**
    1.  We don’t recommend using _less_ than 20g/.75 oz of finely ground coffee in the coffee basket or _over_ 5 fluid oz_/_160 mL of water in the water chamber. Beyond that, feel free to adjust our recipe to your taste. You can make the output stronger or weaker by adjusting the amount of coffee and/or water.

**Cleaning** 

1.  **How do you clean the Rapid Brewer?**
    1.  All parts can be rinsed after use and all parts are dishwasher safe except the pump and tamp.
    2.  Used coffee grounds can be tapped into a compost bin, trash bin or coffee knock-box.

**Troubleshooting:**

1.  **My Rapid Brewer is leaking a lot of coffee before I start pumping.**
    1.  **Reason:** The water chamber and filter are not completely aligned.

**Solution:** Screw the coffee basket onto the base of the water chamber, making sure the alignment markers are aligned, sealing the Rapid Brewer. Some concentrated coffee may drip into the carafe while you wait.

1.  **Reason:** There are coffee grounds stuck around the edge of the filter, preventing the Rapid Brewer from fully sealing.
2.  **Solution:** Make sure the edge of the filter is clean before screwing the coffee basket back onto the water chamber.

1.  **Reason:** The seal around the bottom inner edge of the rainmaker shower head is loose or missing.
2.  **Solution:** Locate the seal, place it on the groove inside the water chamber (next to the rainmaker shower head) and evenly push the seal back into place around the circle. This is easily done with a fingertip or the back of a spoon.

1.  **The water chamber empties before it’s time to pump.**
    1.  **Reason:** Grind size is too coarse.

**Solution:** Use a finer grind size.

1.  **Reason:** Waited too long to pump.

**Solution:** Pump at recommended time, 2 minutes for hot concentrated coffee, 5 minutes for cold concentrated coffee.

1.  **Reason:** Coffee is not tamped.

**Solution**: Tamp with more pressure.

1.  **The flavor is weak.**
    1.  **Reason:** Grind size is too coarse.

**Solution:** Use a finer grind size.

1.  **Reason:** Did not use enough coffee.
2.  **Solution:** Be sure to fill the coffee basket to the appropriate fill line. Use up to 20g/.75 oz of finely ground coffee for hot concentrated coffee, and 40g/1.5 oz of finely ground coffee for cold concentrated coffee.

1.  **Reason:** Pumped water through too early.
2.  **Solution:** Pump at the recommended time, 2 minutes for hot concentrated coffee, 5 minutes for cold concentrated coffee.

1.  **Reason:** Added too much water or milk when diluting.
2.  **Solution:** Adjust the dilution ratio to add less water or milk.

1.  **The flavor is bitter.**
    1.  **Reason:** Waited too long to pump the water through.
    2.  **Solution:** Pump at recommended time, 2 minutes for hot concentrated coffee, 5 minutes for cold concentrated coffee.

**Solution:** Try adjusting the brew time to meet your taste.

**Solution:** Try diluting more with water, milk, or cream.

**Solution:** If you’re using dark roasted coffee, try a light or medium roasted coffee, since dark roasted coffee can often taste bitter.

1.  **The concentrated coffee isn’t flowing into the carafe when I pump.**

1.  **Reason:** Grind size is too fine.
2.  **Solution:** Use a coarser grind size.

1.  **Reason:** Not enough pressure in the water chamber.
2.  **Solution:** Make sure the coffee basket is firmly screwed onto the water chamber and the alignment markers are closely aligned.

1.  **It’s difficult to pump.**
    1.  **Reason:** Coffee is ground too fine.
    2.  **Solution:** Use a coarser grind size. If the grind size is too fine, the force required to pump will get higher with more pumping. 

1.  **Reason:** Pumping too quickly.
2.  **Solution:** Try waiting a few seconds between pumps. The pressure inside the water chamber is limited, so pumping continuously will not make the water flow faster. Allow some time for the water to flow through the coffee.

1.  **Reason:** The seal around the pump is loose or missing.
2.  **Solution:** Place the seal on the groove inside the base of the water chamber next to the shower head. Evenly push the seal back into place around the circle. This is most easily done with a fingertip or the back of a spoon.