Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers of 2025: Pitchers, Towers and Concentrate Systems

I drink iced coffee all year, not just in summer. But iced coffee made from hot-brewed coffee that sat in the fridge always tastes a little sad: a little bitter, a little flat, like the coffee equivalent of reheated pizza. Cold brew fixes that. Steeping coarse grounds in cold water for 12 to 24 hours pulls out the sweet, chocolatey flavors and leaves most of the acid behind. The result is a concentrate smooth enough to drink black and strong enough to survive a glass of milk.

I tested six cold brew makers over a few weeks: classic pitchers, glass towers, a model with a dispensing tap, and a big-batch jug. I brewed the same beans in all of them, timed the steeps, measured how much concentrate each one actually produced, and cleaned each one the way a normal person would on a busy morning. Here’s what I found.

What to Look For in a Cold Brew Maker

Concentrate or Ready to Drink

Cold brew makers split into two camps. Concentrate brewers make a strong extract you dilute with water or milk, usually at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio. One batch becomes four or five drinks, which is why most makers are concentrates. Ready-to-drink brewers like the Hario Mizudashi make a weaker brew you can pour straight over ice. Both work. The concentrate route is more economical and stores better; the ready-to-drink route is simpler in the morning when you haven’t had coffee yet.

Capacity

Think about how many drinks you need per batch. A 1-quart brewer makes roughly four to five drinks. A 1-liter maker does the same. A 1.5-liter or 2-quart system stretches to a week’s worth for a household, or a solid couple of days if two people drink it. The big 64-ounce jugs are for people who entertain or go through a batch in three days. Buy for your actual consumption, not the size that looks impressive on the counter.

Filter Quality

The filter is the whole game. Cold brew grounds are fine, and a cheap mesh filter lets silt through, leaving you with a cloudy cup and grit at the bottom. The best makers use a fine stainless mesh, sometimes double layered, that catches everything. If the filter is removable, it should also be easy to rinse, because grounds packed into a mesh are miserable to clean once they’ve dried.

Ease of Cleaning

Every cold brew maker has a steeping period of 12 to 24 hours, so the thing you’ll actually deal with daily is cleanup. Pitchers with wide mouths and removable filters win. Narrow-necked glass towers need a bottle brush and some patience. Models with dispensing taps add a part that can get gunk in it if you don’t flush it. Ask yourself how you clean dishes at 7am on a Tuesday, and buy accordingly.

Fridge Footprint

Cold brew spends its whole life in the refrigerator, so measure your fridge shelf before you buy. Tall glass towers look great but need vertical space. Wide pitchers fit on a standard shelf. The 64-ounce jugs are tall and bulky. I’d also check that the lid seals properly, because a leaking cold brew maker is a sticky disaster waiting in the crisper drawer.

Top 6 Cold Brew Makers Reviewed

1. OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker — Best Overall

The OXO is the cold brew maker I recommend to people who ask for one recommendation, and my tests showed why. The rainmaker lid spreads water evenly over the grounds instead of dumping it in one spot, which means a more even extraction and a cleaner cup. It brews a proper concentrate, about 32 ounces per batch, and the glass carafe stores it in the fridge without picking up plastic flavors. The perforated stainless filter comes apart for easy rinsing, and cleanup takes about a minute. My only real complaint is that the glass carafe is hand-wash only.

Type: Concentrate brewer with carafe Capacity: 32 oz (about 1 L) Steep Time: 12 to 24 hours Filter: Perforated stainless steel Cleaning: Hand wash carafe

Pros:

• Rainmaker lid gives even extraction
• Makes true concentrate, not weak coffee
• Fast, easy filter cleanup
• Carafe stores well in the fridge

Cons:

• Glass carafe is hand-wash only
• Not the biggest batch size

Verdict: The best all-around cold brew maker: consistent results, easy cleanup, and a price that matches the quality.

2. KitchenAid 38 oz Cold Brew Coffee Maker — Best with a Tap

The KitchenAid is the one I’d buy for the counter display, because it’s the only maker in this roundup with a built-in tap. You brew a full 38 ounces of concentrate, then dispense straight into your glass without pouring or unsealing anything. The reusable stainless steeper is easy to load and rinse, and the glass carafe keeps concentrate fresh for up to two weeks in the fridge. The tap is a real convenience for a household where multiple people drink cold brew, since everyone can serve themselves. It’s more expensive than the OXO, and it takes up more counter space, but it’s the most pleasant maker to actually use every day.

Type: Concentrate brewer with dispensing tap Capacity: 38 oz Steep Time: 12 to 24 hours Filter: Reusable stainless steeper Cleaning: Glass and tap, hand wash

Pros:

• Built-in tap is the most convenient way to serve
• Large batch for a household
• Stainless steeper rinses clean fast
• Concentrate keeps up to two weeks

Cons:

• Pricey
• Needs vertical space for the tap model

Verdict: The best maker for households, thanks to the tap that makes serving as easy as pouring a glass of water.

3. Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Maker — Best Value

The Takeya is the maker that made cold brew mainstream, and it’s still the value pick. It’s a simple 1-quart Tritan pitcher with a fine-mesh filter that screws into the lid. You add coffee, add water, steep, pull the filter out, and done. The fine mesh catches everything, so the brew is clear and grit-free, and the airtight lid means it travels well. It’s shatterproof, which matters if you’re clumsy or you want to take cold brew to work. The tradeoff is the screw-top filter, which needs a solid rinse right after brewing or the grounds dry into a crust. For the price, it’s hard to beat.

Type: Pitcher brewer, ready-to-drink strength Capacity: 1 qt Steep Time: 12 to 24 hours Filter: Fine stainless mesh, screw-top Cleaning: Dishwasher safe pitcher

Pros:

• Great price
• Shatterproof Tritan pitcher
• Fine mesh means clear, grit-free brew
• Leakproof lid for travel

Cons:

• Filter needs immediate rinsing
• Ready-to-drink strength, not a strong concentrate

Verdict: The best budget pick, and the one I’d start with if I wasn’t sure cold brew was for me.

4. Ovalware Airtight Cold Brew Maker — Best Glass Pitcher

The Ovalware is the glass pitcher I kept reaching for. It’s a 1.5-liter borosilicate glass carafe with a removable 304 stainless steel filter and an airtight lid that keeps concentrate fresh for up to two weeks. Borosilicate glass handles fridge-to-counter temperature swings without cracking, and it doesn’t absorb flavors the way plastic can. The wide mouth makes loading grounds and cleaning easy. My only gripes: the glass is heavy when full, and it’s hand-wash only. If you want a glass brewer with a big batch and a clean look, this is the one.

Type: Concentrate brewer, glass carafe Capacity: 1.5 L (51 oz) Steep Time: 12 to 24 hours Filter: Removable 304 stainless steel Cleaning: Hand wash glass

Pros:

• Big 1.5-liter batch
• Airtight lid keeps brew fresh for two weeks
• Borosilicate glass won’t absorb flavors
• Wide mouth for easy cleaning

Cons:

• Glass is heavy when full
• Hand-wash only

Verdict: The best glass pitcher, and the right choice if you want a big batch without the plastic taste.

5. Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot — Best Simple Brewer

The Mizudashi is the minimalists’ cold brew maker, and it’s been a best seller for years for good reason. It’s a 1000ml glass pot with a fine mesh filter basket that sits inside, and that’s basically the whole design. No moving parts, nothing to unscrew, no lid to leak. It makes a ready-to-drink strength brew that you pour straight over ice, and the slim shape fits in a fridge door shelf. Cleaning is simple: rinse the filter basket, wash the pot. The catch is the narrow neck, which needs a bottle brush, and the smaller capacity. For one person who wants easy cold brew without gadgetry, it’s perfect.

Type: Ready-to-drink pot brewer Capacity: 1000 ml Steep Time: 8 to 24 hours Filter: Fine mesh basket Cleaning: Bottle brush for the pot

Pros:

• Dead simple design, nothing to break
• Slim shape fits a fridge door shelf
• Affordable
• Fine mesh gives a clean cup

Cons:

• Small batch, one to two servings
• Narrow neck needs a bottle brush

Verdict: The best simple brewer for one person, and the cheapest way to find out if you even like cold brew.

6. County Line Kitchen 64 oz Cold Brew Maker — Best Big Batch

The County Line Kitchen is the party-size option: a 64-ounce glass pitcher that brews enough concentrate for a full week or a small gathering. The stainless steel filter is fine enough to keep the brew clear, the flip-cap lid pours without drips, and the wide mouth makes loading and cleaning easy. It’s the same basic idea as the Takeya but scaled up, and it holds its own on brew quality. The obvious tradeoffs are size and weight: a full pitcher is heavy to lift, and it takes up real estate in the fridge. If you drink cold brew daily, or you’re feeding a household, the batch size pays off.

Type: Concentrate brewer, large pitcher Capacity: 64 oz (2 qt) Steep Time: 12 to 24 hours Filter: Fine stainless mesh Cleaning: Wide mouth, easy rinse

Pros:

• Massive batch, a week of cold brew
• Flip-cap lid pours clean
• Wide mouth for easy cleaning
• Great value per batch

Cons:

• Heavy when full
• Takes up serious fridge space

Verdict: The best big-batch brewer for daily drinkers and households, if you have the fridge space to hold it.

Comparison Table

FAQ

What’s the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?

Iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee that’s been chilled, usually by pouring it over ice. Cold brew is coffee that’s steeped in cold water for 12 to 24 hours and never heated. Cold brew comes out smoother and less acidic because the cold water extracts different compounds than heat does. If hot coffee bothers your stomach, cold brew is worth trying.

What coffee-to-water ratio should I use?

For a concentrate, start with 1 part coffee to 4 parts water by weight. That means about 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee per 4 cups of water. For ready-to-drink strength, use 1 part coffee to 8 parts water. Grind coarse, about the texture of breadcrumbs. Too fine a grind and the brew turns bitter and cloudy.

How long should cold brew steep?

Most makers recommend 12 to 24 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. Twelve hours gives a milder cup, 24 hours a stronger one. Beyond 24 hours, the brew starts to pick up bitter notes, so there’s no benefit to leaving it longer. The beauty of cold brew is the window is forgiving; anywhere in that range makes a drinkable cup.

Is cold brew less acidic than hot coffee?

Yes, noticeably. The cold steeping process extracts about 70 percent less acid than hot brewing, which is why cold brew is smoother and easier on sensitive stomachs. It’s not acid-free, so people with severe reflux should still go easy, but most people find it a real improvement.

How long does cold brew last in the fridge?

A concentrate stored in a sealed container lasts up to two weeks in the fridge. Ready-to-drink cold brew is best within five to seven days. If it starts tasting flat or sour, it’s past its prime. Brew smaller batches more often if you find yourself throwing coffee away.

The Bottom Line

After testing all six, here’s how I’d spend my money:

• Best overall: The OXO Good Grips for the best balance of brew quality, cleanup, and price.
• Best for households: The KitchenAid 38 oz for the tap that makes serving easy.
• Best value: The Takeya Deluxe for a cheap, shatterproof entry into cold brew.
• Best big batch: The County Line Kitchen 64 oz for weekly brewing.
• Best for one person: The Hario Mizudashi for simple, no-fuss brewing.

Cold brew is one of those kitchen upgrades that feels like a small luxury until you realize you’ve stopped buying coffee out. Any of these makers will produce a better cup than the sad iced coffee from the fridge. Pick by batch size and cleaning habits, buy a bag of coarse-ground beans, and give it 24 hours.

We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page at no extra cost to you.