Cold brew is known for its distinctly rich, smooth flavor profile that requires a precise—and typically long—brewing process. The best cold brew makers simplify this process, with designs that offer simple brewing and fuss-free cleaning. “When choosing a cold brew coffee maker for home use, the most important factors are ease of use, filtration quality and capacity,” says award-winning barista Michael Phillips. Our top pick that fits the bill is the mess-free and intuitive OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker, which extracts concentrate that’s full-bodied and complex. But if you’re committed to an investment, the Cumulus Machine brews strong, chilled, crema-topped cups in just minutes.
Why We Named It Best Overall
This popular cold brew coffee maker has an intuitive, mess-free design and makes rich concentrate, earning it the top spot on this list. It features a rainmaker top above the grounds container to evenly distribute water for the best-tasting results, plus an ultra-fine stainless steel mesh filter that’s reusable, high quality and won’t impart any off-tasting flavors.
One of our cold brew-loving testers says it “works perfectly,” highlighting its beautiful glass beaker that can double as a storage container. It has an overall modern, attractive design—yet it does take up significant counter space.
Easy To Use And Clean
Though it has a handful of parts, using it is simple: After you fill the plastic reservoir with coffee grounds and pour water over the perforated lid—which ensures all the grounds get saturated—you let the mixture steep for 12 to 24 hours.
Once enough time has passed, the concentrate filters through a mesh metal sieve into the carafe, which can catch up to 40 ounces of liquid. The resulting concentrate couldn’t have a better flavor: It’s full-bodied with low acidity. When it’s time to clean up, the pieces come apart easily, so you can hand-wash them individually (or toss some of them in the dishwasher).
Why We Named It Best Upgrade
Unlike the other options on this list—which require long brew times and precious refrigerator space—the Cumulus Machine is built for those who are serious about their iced coffee. It sits right on your countertop and brews frothy cups of rich, chilled cold brew in minutes, thanks to its built-in compressor system that chills water before brewing. That means you don’t even need to dilute your drink with ice if you don’t want to. It also pulls nitrogen from the surrounding air to deliver frothy results.
“The Cumulus is a game changer for anyone who loves to indulge in coffee shop beverages,” says home and kitchen editor Monica Petrucci, who tested this machine at home. “Every drink that emerges is fragrant, frothy and café-grade. It’s worth the splurge if you’re a committed cold brew drinker.”
Speedy, Flavorful Results
Not only can this device make a 10-ounce cup of cold brew with the touch of a button, and in only a minute—it can also prepare smooth, frothy nitro cold brew and chilled espresso, and just as easily and quickly. (The latter is ideal for espresso martinis, iced lattes and affogatos.)
Relies On Proprietary Capsules
Similar to Nespresso and Keurig coffee makers, this machine relies on recyclable, single-use capsules that can be purchased at Williams Sonoma or directly from the brand. But instead of containing coffee grounds, the capsules—which cost just over $2.50 each—hold ultra-strong concentrated liquid that comes in a variety of flavors, such as Lucid (a light-medium pick that’s crisp and fruity) and Valor (a medium-dark option with notes of cocoa and cedar).
The main drawback is that this machine and its capsules are an investment, and it requires more counter space than most cold brew coffee makers on this list. That said, it does so much more than the average maker, and we think it’s worth it for dedicated cold brew drinkers.
Why We Named It Best Value
If you’re a casual cold brew drinker, you may be looking for a more affordable model that still gets the job done. This Takeya model is popular for a reason: It has an intuitive design, complete with a reusable fine-mesh filter and dishwasher-safe pieces. Plus, the whole carafe is small enough to be tucked into your refrigerator door, but still spacious enough to house up to 32 ounces of cold brew at a time. (You can even opt for a 2-quart size if you want to caffeinate multiple members of the household.)
Editor-Approved For Summer Caffeine
Senior travel editor Sunshine Flint uses this model at home for easy, go-to chilled coffee. “I love that it holds a lot of coffee grounds and makes good tasting cold brew,” she says. “It's also very durable, which is nice in our small kitchen where things get banged into other things a lot.”
The only downside she notes is that using the Takeya can sometimes be messy, particularly when cleaning the grounds out of the filter or dealing with dribbles while pouring.
Why We Named It Best Compact
If your fridge is always overflowing with groceries, condiments and leftovers, you may be looking for a slim model that will be easy to tuck in without having to rearrange anything. Hario’s popular Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Maker fits the bill. It makes truly delicious concentrate—and thanks to its uncomplicated design, it’s very intuitive. “It's so easy to use, and doesn’t take up much space in the fridge,” says commerce writer Fran Sales. “And it makes really strong coffee!”
Durable Materials And Intuitive Brewing
Available in two sizes, this maker is made up of three parts: a sleek heatproof glass pitcher with measurement lines, a plastic lid and a fine mesh basket that screws into the top. To get brewing, all you have to do is add water to the pitcher and grounds to the filter basket, then let the coffee sit for either eight hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the fridge. When time’s up, simply unscrew the filter, discard the grounds and get to enjoying your pitcher.
Just keep in mind that its slim design means its filter basket is slightly smaller than some of the others on this list, which means you may not be able to pack as many grounds in there for extra strong coffee.
Why We Named It Best For Large Batches
Featuring a similar—though slightly less advanced—design as the OXO model that tops this list, the Toddy Cold Brew System can brew up to 12 ounces of coffee grounds at once. And the resulting concentrate is especially bright and strong.
This model, which has been around since the 1960s, is an expert-backed pick by several baristas we spoke to. “For those who prefer a stronger cold brew that pairs well with milk, the Toddy Cold Brew System is a great choice as it allows for a higher-strength extraction that holds up against added dairy or alternative milks,” says Phillips. (If you use 12 ounces of coffee grounds, you should end up with approximately 36 to 38 ounces of concentrate.)
More Hands-On Brewing
Here’s how the Toddy system works: You mix coffee grounds and water in a plastic brew bucket, which requires paper liners and filter pads, then let the mixture sit for around 24 hours. Next, you remove a rubber stopper, filtering the coffee into a glass pitcher.
If this process sounds a little messy and hands-on, it’s because it is to an extent—but the tradeoff is full-bodied cold brew in large quantities. It also allows for more customization in how you want your results to taste.
Why We Named It Best Dispenser
If you’re drawn to the convenience of pitcher-style brewers but want something that makes it even easier to access your ready-to-drink cold brew, this KitchenAid model has a handy spigot attached to the carafe, which can make up to 28 ounces of concentrate at once. (If you use 2 ounces for each cup of cold brew, which is standard, this pick yields approximately 14 servings.)
The spigot isn’t the only part of this pick that we appreciate—the whole design, which features glass and stainless steel components, is sleek, high quality and easy to clean.
Intuitive Design
In terms of functionality, this maker is pretty similar to others on this list. Coffee grounds in the stainless steel filter get immersed in cold water before being filtered out. But devotees of this maker rave about its superfine filter, which is effective at preventing grit from getting in your cup.
It’s great for leaving out on a countertop at parties or keeping it in a dedicated section of your fridge for weekly caffeine pours.
How We Chose The Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers
To select the absolute best cold brew coffee makers on the market, we first searched for picks from top-rated brands like KitchenAid, OXO, Hario and more.
- We prioritized models recommended by coffee experts and took their general guidance into consideration when narrowing down this list.
- We tapped our own staff members who have tested several models on this list, including the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker, Cumulus Machine and Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Maker, in order to get firsthand feedback about their performance.
- For each cold brew coffee maker, we considered key features like capacity and design, including a range of differing models to suit varying reader preferences. We also took customer reviews into account to get a better idea of how these makers have performed for countless households.
- Once we took a closer look at each model’s features, we narrowed down the list to find the best options for various cold brew drinkers.
What To Consider With The Best Cold Brew Makers
When it comes to cold brew coffee makers, it’s important to consider your personal coffee drinking habits so you can assess features like capacity, ease of use and maintenance to find the right match.
Design
There are a few different varieties to consider when choosing a cold brew coffee maker.
- Carafe: Perhaps the most popular model, this style allows you to brew and pour cold brew in the same unit. These are typically slim and easy to find space for on fridge shelves or doors.
- Dispenser: Cold brew makers with spigots are great for brewing larger batches for multiple people in the household or hosting small gatherings. But they require more refrigerator space, and they may be more tedious to clean.
- Machine: There are fewer of these options to choose from, but dedicated cold brew machines like the Cumulus are ideal for single servings of fresh cold brew without the wait. They typically come with a larger investment and require kitchen counter space.
Capacity
Consider how many people in your home are consuming cold brew on a regular basis and go from there. “Cold brew [that’s] enough for one-to-three days’ consumption is good,” says co-founder of Coffee Project New York Kaleena Teoh. “Keep the coffee fresh and make more as you go.”
You also should aim for a vessel that’s not too large since, in most cases, you’ll want to store it in the fridge—which means taking up prime real estate alongside produce and leftovers.
Materials
Some higher-end cold brew makers are crafted from premium materials like borosilicate glass and stainless steel, making them dishwasher-safe and less likely to absorb odors or stains like plastic does.
However, Teoh says splurging for those materials isn’t necessary, since you’ll only be using room temperature or cold water inside (no heat, which can degrade plastic). “As long as the material is food grade, you should be good,” Teoh says.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted home and kitchen team has a wide range of experience when it comes to the coveted caffeinated beverage. For example, we’ve tested and reviewed the best espresso machines, drip coffee makers and more. Simply put, we know what qualities to look for when it comes to finding the best cold brew coffee makers.
- The home and kitchen section is overseen by three editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin, senior editor Amy Moran and editor Monica Petrucci.
- For this story, we consulted multiple coffee experts to provide context on what defines a good cold brew maker and offer firsthand recommendations.
- To ensure accuracy, we regularly update this article. Most recently, Petrucci refreshed it in June 2026, when she added insights from firsthand testing and expert guidance.
Our Experts
- Michael Phillips, award-winning barista and Blue Bottle Coffee’s director of culture & omotenashi (hospitality)
- Kaleena Teoh, co-founder and director of education at Coffee Project New York