As the heat of summer starts to pick up, people begin ditching their hot coffees for something a little cooler, like cold brew coffee. Cold-brew is a great alternative to hot coffees, but buying it daily from Starbucks, a local coffee spot, or from the grocery store can turn into a pricey routine. Luckily, for all you cold-brew lovers out there, you save big bucks by buying a cold-brew coffee maker.
What Is Cold-Brew Coffee?
Cold-brew is not the same thing as iced-coffee. Iced coffee is brewed hot and served cold, either by pouring hot coffee over ice or by refrigerating it for a few hours and then serving it. As for cold-brew, you use coarsely ground coffee and steep the coffee grounds for 12 hours in room temperature water. The result is called “cold-brew concentrate”, and the concentrate is potent stuff, so it’s diluted with either cold water or milk and then served. It’s made in smaller batches since the grounds need to steep for a long period of time, and the baristas do not have an unlimited supply as they do with iced coffee. Due to that, coffee shops will sell their cold-brew at higher prices than hot/iced coffee.
A great way to save money, while still getting to enjoy the wonders of cold-brew, is to make your own! But in order to make your own cold-brew, you need to have a cold-brew maker. By brewing your own you save money, and cold-brew stays good in the refrigerator for 2-weeks!
Here is a list with some of the best cold-brew coffee makers on the market.
Hario Cold Brew Coffee Jug
Williams Sonoma
If you’re looking for a cold-brewer that is sleek, durable, and easy to use, we suggest the Hario Cold Brew Coffee Jug from Williams Sonoma. Inside of the borosilicate glass carafe there is a stainless-steal mesh strainer where you place your coarsely ground coffee. After filling up the strainer with coffee grounds, slowly pour room-temperature water into the carafe, and let it steep in the refrigerator for 8-10hrs.
OXO Good Grips Cold Coffee Brewer
Crate&Barrel
If you want a cold brew coffee maker that gives you plenty of smooth, acid free coffee, then the The OXO Cold Brew Maker is your best bet. You can find this coffee maker at Crate&Barel, along with other coffee makers. The OXO Cold Brew Maker brews up to 4 cups of concentrate, and when you combine it with water, you get 14 cups of cold brew! It’s a pretty easy system to use; fill the brewing container with with coffee grounds, pour water over the grounds, and let them steep. The coffee maker offers a ‘Rainmaker’ feature that evenly distributes water over the grounds to extract more flavor.
Cuisinart Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Not everyone wants to wait 12 plus hours to enjoy a cup of cold brew coffee. Well, with the Cuisinart Cold Brew Coffee Maker you can have delicious cold brew in as little as 25 minutes and in as long as 45 minutes, thanks to the strength selector feature. For mild strength cold brew concentrate it takes 25 minutes to brew, Medium takes 35 minutes, and bold takes 45 minutes to brew. The glass carafe holds 7 cups of cold brew concentrate, but no need to rush on drinking all of it, because it lasts up to two weeks in the refrigerator. A convenient feature of this cold brew maker is that the durable, clear glass carafe, water tank, and coffee filter basket are all removable and dishwasher safe. If you break the glass carafe, no worries, there is a 3 year (limited) warranty, and you can order the parts on Cuisinart’s website.
Toddy® Cold Brew System
Amazon
The Toddy Cold Brew System is the OG of cold brew makers, and respectfully so. This reliable, easy to use cold brew maker is a preferred method among baristas, so if you’re looking for coffee shop quality cold-brew, the Toddy is the way to go. It’s non-electrical, so you can use it whenever and whenever. The Toddy isn’t just for cold-brew, you can brew hot coffee, and iced tea with it. When you purchase the Toddy Cold Brew System it comes with:
- Brewing containers with handle
- Glass decanter with lid
- Two reusable filters
- Rubber stopper
- Instructions
If you break one of the parts, no need to fret you can purchase parts on the Toddy website.
Ovalware Cold Brew Maker
The Ovalware Cold Brew Maker is an affordable, simple 2-step maker that brews a full flavor, less acidic carafe of cold brew concentrate. A neat feature of the Ovalware is that it comes in two sizes: 1.0L (34oz.) & 1.5L (51oz.). You’re not limited to just making cold brew with the Orval, you can brew hot/iced teas and hot coffee. Every cup of cold brew you pour for yourself is fresh and full of flavor, thanks to the BPA free airtight seal that locks in freshness. It doesn’t stop with the airtight seal, the stainless steal filter is laser cut which helps to produce a fuller flavor.
