Top 5 compared
The best cold brew coffee makers
Coarse coffee and cold water left to steep overnight, for smooth iced coffee waiting in the fridge each morning.
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The top 5 at a glance
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold or room-temperature water for hours instead of brewed hot, which pulls out less bitterness and leaves a smooth, rounded drink. Most makers are a jar or pitcher with a fine filter basket inside: fill it with grounds, add water, wait, then lift the basket out. A full basket usually makes a concentrate to stretch with water or milk; some carafes brew it ready to drink.
Steeping takes from a few hours to a day or more, on the counter or in the fridge, depending on the recipe. Glass keeps flavors clean but can crack: County Line’s and Jrssae’s mason jars are soda-lime glass, which their makers say isn’t for hot water or sudden temperature changes. Takeya’s pitcher is Tritan plastic, for kitchens where glass gets knocked.
What matters
- A filter fine enough for your grind; most call for coarse.
- An airtight lid, so a batch keeps well in the fridge.
- A shape that fits your fridge door or shelf.
- A spigot on big jars, so you never lift a full one.
#1County Line Kitchen 64 oz Cold Brew Coffee Maker (Gray)
$20–$30
Cold brew steeps in a 2-quart wide-mouth glass mason jar with a heavy stainless mesh filter and a flip-cap spout that seals for the fridge. A full basket brews a concentrate; half as much coffee makes a pitcher to pour straight over ice.
What owners say: Owners call it foolproof and solidly built, singling out the heavy stainless filter. It turns out smooth, less bitter cold brew and iced tea batch after batch, cleans up easily and costs less than the alternatives they looked at.
A closer look: Fill the basket with coarse grounds to about an inch below its rim, fill the rest with water and let it steep 12 to 24 hours on the counter or a day or two in the fridge. That gives a concentrate to cut with water or milk; for a lighter, ready-to-pour batch, halve the coffee.
- Wide-mouth mason jar
- Flip-cap spout with silicone seal
- Steeps 12–24 hours
- Makes iced tea too
Best for: A daily cold brew habit
- Capacity
- 64 fl oz (2 qt)
- Pitcher or jar
- Glass jar
- Filter
- Stainless steel mesh
- Airtight lid
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- BPA-free
- Yes
- Brews
- Concentrate or ready to drink
#2Jrssae 64 oz Cold Brew Mason Jar Coffee Maker (Black)
$10–$20
Cheaper than the County Line, with most of its strengths: the same 64 fl oz mason jar shape, a fine 160-micron conical steel filter, a silicone ring so the jar can be shaken without leaks, a flip-top spout and a measuring scale printed on the glass. A mixing spoon comes in the box.
What owners say: Owners say it makes flavorful cold brew with little effort and saves them money over store-bought. They call it sturdy, lid included, and like the 64-ounce size, the leak-free seal and how quickly it rinses clean.
A closer look: Start at one part coarse coffee to four parts water for a concentrate, or nearer one to eight for something to drink as it is, stir with the spoon and refrigerate for about 12 hours. Then lift out the cone and rinse it under the faucet, no brush needed, and use the scale on the glass to measure water or milk.
- Measuring scale on the glass
- Shake it without leaks
- Mixing spoon included
- Fits a fridge door
Best for: Mixing without a measuring cup
- Capacity
- 64 fl oz (2 qt)
- Pitcher or jar
- Glass jar
- Filter
- Stainless steel cone, 160 micron
- Airtight lid
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- BPA-free
- Yes
- Brews
- Concentrate or ready to drink
#3dailybrew 1-Gallon Cold Brew Coffee Maker with Steel Spigot (CB01)
$30–$50
For households that get through a lot of iced coffee: a 1-gallon glass jar in a protective silicone sleeve, a stainless filter with a scale line for measuring grounds, and a steel spigot so you pour from the fridge shelf instead of lifting a full jar. The maker replaces the glass free if it ever cracks, even from a drop.
What owners say: Owners like having a gallon on hand for large batches, and say it cleans easily and outperforms other cold brew makers. They feel the price is fair, and the spigot pours without drips, though some have had liquid seep out around the top.
A closer look: Full of coffee, a gallon of glass is heavy, so set it where it will live, on a fridge shelf or the counter, before filling, and serve from the spigot. The listing puts brewing at four to six hours with no shaking; taste it at four, leave it longer for more strength, then scrub the filter with the brush.
- Steel spigot for pouring
- Glass replaced free, even dropped
- Scale line on the filter
- Brews in 4–6 hours
- Cleaning brush included
Best for: Big households, offices and parties
- Capacity
- 128 fl oz (1 gal)
- Pitcher or jar
- Glass jar, silicone sleeve
- Filter
- Stainless steel mesh
- Airtight lid
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- BPA-free
- Yes
- Brews
- Strength adjustable
#4Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker, 2 Quart (Black)
$30–$50
Made to survive a knock: a shatter-resistant Tritan pitcher made in the USA, with a patented airtight lid, a silicone grip handle and an ultra-fine mesh filter. It’s slim enough for most fridge doors and also comes in a 1-quart size.
What owners say: Owners call it straightforward and say it makes great, less bitter coffee that saves them money. Opinions split on durability and on the size: some find it just right for one person, others wish it held more.
A closer look: Takeya’s method: about two cups of coarse grounds for this size, then seal the pitcher and shake it for 30 seconds so every bit gets wet, and leave it in the fridge for a day. Pull out the filter, and the sealed concentrate keeps for up to two weeks, ready for iced or hot coffee.
- Made in the USA
- Silicone grip handle
- Keeps up to two weeks
- Fits most fridge doors
- Also in a 1-quart size
Best for: Households where glass might get knocked
- Capacity
- 64 fl oz (2 qt)
- Pitcher or jar
- Tritan plastic pitcher
- Filter
- Ultra-fine mesh
- Airtight lid
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- BPA-free
- Yes
- Brews
- Concentrate
#5Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot, 34 fl oz (Black)
$20–$30
Hario, whose name means “king of glass” in Japanese, started out in Tokyo in 1921 making laboratory glassware. This slim carafe is its heatproof glass, made in Japan: a fine mesh basket sits inside, the coffee brews ready to drink in about eight hours, and the narrow spout pours slowly and steadily.
What owners say: Owners say it brews great-tasting coffee that’s less bitter than hot-brewed, with no fuss, and that it spares them the cost of bought energy drinks. The glass feels sturdy, though some found the tall carafe easy to knock over and break.
Heads up: Brewed ready to drink rather than as a concentrate, so Hario suggests finishing each pot within two or three days.
A closer look: Hario’s own recipe is 80 grams of medium-fine, darker-roast coffee for the full pot, wetted slowly, stirred gently and left in the fridge for about eight hours. Take the basket out once it tastes right, since leaving it in turns the coffee bitter, and pour slowly so the lid stays put.
- Made in Japan
- Slender pouring spout
- Ready in about 8 hours
- Remove basket to avoid bitterness
Best for: One or two drinkers, narrow fridge doors
- Capacity
- 34 fl oz
- Pitcher or jar
- Heatproof glass carafe
- Filter
- Fine polyester mesh
- Airtight lid
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- BPA-free
- –
- Brews
- Ready to drink
How they compare
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| Feature | #1County Line Kitchen | #2Jrssae | #3dailybrew | #4Takeya | #5Hario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best for big batches | Best shatterproof | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| Capacity | 64 fl oz (2 qt) | 64 fl oz (2 qt) | 128 fl oz (1 gal) | 64 fl oz (2 qt) | 34 fl oz |
| Pitcher or jar | Glass jar | Glass jar | Glass jar, silicone sleeve | Tritan plastic pitcher | Heatproof glass carafe |
| Filter | Stainless steel mesh | Stainless steel cone, 160 micron | Stainless steel mesh | Ultra-fine mesh | Fine polyester mesh |
| Airtight lid | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BPA-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – |
| Brews | Concentrate or ready to drink | Concentrate or ready to drink | Strength adjustable | Concentrate | Ready to drink |
| Best for | A daily cold brew habit | Mixing without a measuring cup | Big households, offices and parties | Households where glass might get knocked | One or two drinkers, narrow fridge doors |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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