Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers
The Toddy Cold Brew System is our top pick for producing the smoothest, most barista-quality concentrate. For countertop convenience, the OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker offers superior filtration and a clever steep-and-drain design.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
Cold Brew Coffee Makers Buying Guide
Photo by Kai-Chieh Chan / PexelsCold brew coffee makers produce a concentrate steeped over 12 to 24 hours in cold or room-temperature water, yielding coffee that is naturally lower in acidity than hot-brewed coffee. The result is smoother, sweeter flavor that works well both as iced coffee and as a base for hot drinks when heated.
The two main systems are immersion brewers and slow-drip towers. Immersion brewers steep grounds in water like a tea bag — simple, consistent, and easy to control strength by adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio. Slow-drip towers drip water slowly through a bed of grounds and produce a cleaner, more complex cup, but they are expensive, large, and require more skill to set up properly. For home use, an immersion brewer is almost always the right starting point.
Filtration quality determines whether your cold brew has sediment. Paper filters produce a crystal-clear concentrate; fine-mesh metal filters leave more body and oils in the cup. Both are legitimate — it's a taste preference.
The Toddy Cold Brew System at $44.95 uses a combination of a cloth filter and rubber stopper, producing a clean concentrate that stores in a glass decanter. This is the system used by many coffee shops to make batch cold brew. The rubber stopper system is hands-on but produces excellent results.
The OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Maker at $59.95 is the most foolproof home option — a single button releases the concentrate into a carafe below, with no messy transfer or dripping. The integrated rainmaker lid ensures even saturation of the grounds. It's the right choice if you want the easiest possible workflow.
The Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Maker at $22.39 is an all-in-one pitcher with a built-in fine-mesh filter. It's the simplest and most affordable entry point — brew directly in the pitcher you store in the fridge, then pull the filter out when steeping is done.
Watch Before You Buy
“The Toddy is the industry standard for cold brew concentrate — used by cafes and restaurants, it produces the smoothest, richest concentrate available for home brewers.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Professional-grade concentrate
- Reusable felt filter
- Large 1.25L capacity
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Restaurant industry standard
Watch out for
- Requires felt filters (added cost)
- Larger footprint than some
Read Full Analysis
The Toddy Cold Brew System is the original and most widely trusted cold brew maker — its combination of a felt filter pad and paper filter produces an exceptionally smooth, low-acid concentrate that has made it a café industry standard. The 12-14 hour steep at room temperature produces a 1-quart concentrate that dilutes 1:1 with water or milk. The rubber stopper and glass decanter for refrigerator storage work cleanly. Best for serious cold brew drinkers who want professional-level smooth concentrate and don't mind the steeping time.
“OXO's rainmaker lid and ultra-fine mesh filter produce exceptionally clean cold brew with minimal sediment — the most refined immersion brewer on the market.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Rainmaker lid distributes water evenly
- Built-in steep-and-drain system
- Fine mesh filter minimizes sediment
- Compact 24-oz design
Watch out for
- Smaller capacity than Toddy
- Pricier per oz of brew
Read Full Analysis
The OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker brews directly into a sealed glass carafe that goes from steeping vessel to refrigerator storage without any pouring transfer — the valve at the bottom releases concentrate cleanly. The perforated rainmaker lid distributes water evenly over the grounds for full saturation. At $60, it's priced mid-premium. The compact footprint fits on shelves more easily than larger cold brew systems. Best for regular cold brew drinkers who want a cleaner, more contained brewing and storage process than open-vessel systems provide.
“The Takeya Deluxe is the most popular cold brew maker on Amazon for good reason — BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and produces clean cold brew with minimal fuss.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- BPA-free Tritan plastic
- Extra-fine mesh filter
- 1-quart capacity
- Airtight lid
- Dishwasher safe
Watch out for
- Plastic (not glass)
- 1-quart smaller than some
Read Full Analysis
Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker at $22.39 uses an airtight lid and fine-mesh filter that produces clean cold brew concentrate in 12-24 hours. 4.6-star rating across verified buyers. Borosilicate glass construction versus plastic pitcher alternatives. Delivers clean results at a competitive price for users who brew cold concentrate regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does cold brew take to make?
How long does homemade cold brew last?
What coffee grind is best for cold brew?
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