Garden 
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. We do not buy, test, or physically handle the products we cover; our rankings come from aggregated owner reviews, ratings and expert consensus. Commissions never change our verdicts. How we rank · full disclosure.
The short answer: the Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker is the best cold brew maker for most households, because its airtight lid lets it brew lying on its side in a full fridge — the single practical detail that decides whether a cold brew maker gets used weekly or once. If you prefer concentrate you dilute to taste, the OXO Good Grips system saturates the grounds more evenly. For the smoothest, lowest-acid cup, the felt-filtered Toddy is still the standard. For a half-gallon at a time, buy the wide-mouth County Line Kitchen mason jar.
Cold brew is the cheapest quality upgrade in coffee: it needs no electricity, no technique and no thermometer, only time. If you want iced coffee brewed hot over ice instead, that is a different drink and a different machine — see our best coffee maker for iced coffee ranking.
Top Picks at a Glance
Our #1 Pick: Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker
The Takeya wins on a detail that sounds mundane and decides everything: the lid actually seals. Most cold brew makers must stand upright, which means finding vertical space in a fridge that already has milk, juice and leftovers in it — and the ones that cannot fit are the ones that end up in a cupboard. The Takeya lies on its side on a shelf, which also keeps the grounds fully immersed rather than floating at the top of a column of water, so extraction is more even.
The rest is well judged. Tritan rather than glass, so it survives a fridge shelf and a dishwasher. Keep the brew in the fridge rather than on the counter, since the USDA puts the danger zone at 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where bacteria can double in as little as 20 minutes. A fine stainless mesh core that fills from the top and lifts straight out with the spent grounds, which makes cleanup one rinse and one compost trip. A quart is four servings, which suits a person who drinks one a day and refills weekly. The honest limits: the mesh lets some fines through if you grind too fine, the plastic will stain over years, and a quart is not enough for a household of three iced-coffee drinkers.
The Ranked Field
Best for weekly cold brew that lives in the fridge door
- 1-quart shatterproof Tritan pitcher, about four servings
- Airtight leak-proof lid, brews on its side in the fridge
- Integrated fine-mesh stainless filter core
- Silicone grip handle, dishwasher safe, made in the USA
Why buy it: the leak-proof lid means it brews lying down in a packed fridge — which is why this one actually gets used every week.
Best for strong concentrate you dilute to taste, batch after batch
- Rainmaker lid distributes water evenly over the grounds
- Ultra-fine stainless mesh filter
- Switch-controlled drain into a borosilicate carafe
- Brewer and carafe nest for storage
Why buy it: the rainmaker top wets the whole bed instead of dumping water in one spot, which is the difference between even and patchy extraction.
Best for the lowest-acid, smoothest concentrate you can make at home
- Felt filter plus paper bag, two-stage filtration
- Brews up to 12 hours, yields a strong concentrate
- Glass decanter with stopper for fridge storage
- The system commercial coffee shops standardised on
Why buy it: the felt filter strips oils and fines that mesh cannot, which is why Toddy concentrate tastes rounder than every mesh brewer here.
Best for a half-gallon at a time for a household of iced coffee drinkers
- 64 oz heavy wide-mouth glass mason jar
- Stainless mesh filter tube, leak-proof lid
- Built-in handle for carrying to the fridge
- Wide mouth is dishwasher friendly and easy to clean
Why buy it: half a gallon per brew and a mouth wide enough to get a hand into, which is the part every narrow-neck brewer gets wrong.
Best for small kitchens and single-person households
- 24-oz brewing container, about a week of concentrate
- Rainmaker top for even saturation
- Borosilicate carafe with cork stopper and silicone seal
- Brewer and carafe nest together when stored
Why buy it: the same rainmaker design as the full-size OXO in a footprint that nests away in a cupboard rather than owning a shelf.
Best for hot press coffee and cold brew from one device
- 34 oz borosilicate beaker, stainless frame
- Three-part mesh plunger doubles as a cold brew filter
- Steep overnight, press and pour
- Every part available as a spare
Why buy it: you already know how to use it, and a press makes perfectly good cold brew for anyone unwilling to buy a second device.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Best for | Rating | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker, 1 Quart, BPA-Free Tritan | Best Overall | 4.667,483 ratings | ~$25 | Price |
| OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker, 32 oz, with Carafe | Best Concentrate | 4.53,427 ratings | ~$50 | Price |
| Toddy Cold Brew System, Non-Electric Cold Water Coffee Maker | Smoothest Cup | 4.74,155 ratings | ~$45 | Price |
| County Line Kitchen 64 oz Glass Cold Brew Coffee Maker, Wide Mouth | Best Big Batch | 4.824,780 ratings | ~$30 | Price |
| OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe | Best Compact | 4.44,772 ratings | ~$40 | Price |
| Bodum Chambord French Press Coffee Maker, 34 oz | Best Dual Purpose | 4.628,698 ratings | ~$40 | Price |
Specifications Side by Side
| Model | Capacity | Filter | Material | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takeya Deluxe | 1 quart (32 oz) | Fine stainless mesh | Tritan plastic | Ready to drink |
| OXO Good Grips 32 oz | 32 oz brewed | Ultra-fine stainless mesh | Plastic + glass carafe | Concentrate |
| Toddy Cold Brew System | About 1.5 quarts | Felt disc + paper bag | Plastic + glass decanter | Concentrate |
| County Line Kitchen 64 oz | 64 oz | Stainless mesh tube | Heavy glass | Ready to drink |
| OXO Brew Compact | 24 oz brewed | Ultra-fine stainless mesh | Plastic + glass carafe | Concentrate |
| Bodum Chambord | 34 oz | Single mesh screen | Glass + stainless | Ready to drink |
How We Rank
We do not buy these brewers or steep coffee in them. We weight four things from the aggregated owner record. Rating quality against review volume, which in this category means devices with tens of thousands of reviews accumulated across a decade of summers. Filtration design, because it is the one specification that predictably changes the cup — felt and paper produce a rounder, cleaner concentrate than mesh, and mesh lets fines through if the grind is wrong. Practical failure points: lids that leak, filters that clog, mouths too narrow to clean — and whether any of it is covered, given that the FTC notes a written warranty must be available to read before you buy, and that implied warranties exist in every state whether or not one is written. And expert consensus from published outlets, cited rather than restated as first-hand findings. Full method: how we rank.
The Cold Brew Coffee Makers, Reviewed
1. Takeya Deluxe — Best Overall
Covered above. Worth adding: the filter core is the whole brewing mechanism, so there is no separate bag, disc or paper to buy — the ongoing cost of ownership is zero. Owners who have used it for years mostly report the seal on the lid eventually softening, and Takeya sells replacement lids and filters, which is the right answer.
Owners praise: the leak-proof lid and side brewing, shatterproof body, easy cleanup, no consumables. Owners gripe about: some fines passing the mesh, plastic staining over time, and a quart being too small for a household. Check price.
2. OXO Good Grips 32 oz — Best Concentrate
OXO solved a problem most cold brew makers ignore: how the water reaches the grounds. Pour water into a jar and it hits one spot, saturating a channel and leaving the rest of the bed dry until diffusion catches up hours later. The rainmaker lid is perforated so water falls evenly across the whole surface from the first second. When the steep finishes you flip a switch and the concentrate drains through an ultra-fine mesh into a borosilicate carafe, and the two pieces nest for storage.
Owners praise: even saturation, concentrate strength, the drain switch, nesting storage. Owners gripe about: a drain switch that can drip or clog with fines, plastic construction at the price, and more parts to wash. Check price.
3. Toddy Cold Brew System — Smoothest Cup
Toddy has been making this exact device since 1964 and it is what a great many coffee shops still use, which is the strongest possible endorsement of the result. The difference is filtration: a thick felt disc sits at the base of the brewing container and a paper bag lines the grounds, so the concentrate passes through two media rather than one screen. That removes oils and fine particles that mesh cannot, and the concentrate tastes noticeably rounder and less sharp than mesh-filtered cold brew.
The cost is convenience. The felt filter must be rinsed thoroughly and stored wet in a sealed bag in the fridge between uses or it will sour, and it needs replacing after roughly ten to twelve brews. Draining takes patience. This is a system for people who care about the cup more than the process.
Owners praise: smoothness and low acidity, concentrate strength, decades-proven design, glass decanter. Owners gripe about: felt filter maintenance and replacement cost, a slow drain, and a stopper that must be seated exactly right. Check price.
4. County Line Kitchen 64 oz — Best Big Batch
Half a gallon per brew, in heavy glass, with a mouth wide enough to reach into with a hand and a brush. That last point separates it from most large-format brewers, which taper to a narrow neck and become genuinely unpleasant to clean once grounds dry in the bottom. A stainless mesh filter tube holds the coffee, the lid seals, and a moulded handle means carrying a full 64 ounces to the fridge is not a two-hand operation.
Owners praise: capacity, wide-mouth cleaning, heavy glass, the handle, dishwasher safe. Owners gripe about: weight when full, glass that will break if dropped, and a filter tube that packs tight if you overfill it. Check price.
5. OXO Brew Compact — Best Compact
The same rainmaker principle in a 24-ounce brewing container, which yields about a week of concentrate for one person. The point is storage: brewer and carafe nest into each other, so the whole system occupies about the space of a large mug in a cupboard rather than a permanent shelf. The carafe has a cork stopper with a silicone seal, which keeps concentrate from picking up fridge smells — a real problem with jars sealed by a screw lid alone.
Owners praise: footprint, nesting storage, even saturation, the sealed cork carafe. Owners gripe about: small yield, a slow drain, and plastic parts that stain with dark roasts. Check price.
6. Bodum Chambord — Best Dual Purpose
Included honestly rather than enthusiastically: if you already own a French press, you already own a cold brew maker. Coarse grounds, cold water, twelve to eighteen hours in the fridge, press and pour. The single mesh screen filters less well than any dedicated system here, so expect some sediment, and the press has to be decanted immediately because leaving concentrate on the grounds continues extraction. For anyone unwilling to buy a second device, it works, and the coffee is good.
Owners praise: dual use, no extra purchase, replaceable parts, simplicity. Owners gripe about: sediment from the single screen, small capacity, and the need to decant immediately. Check price.
What Owners Actually Complain About
Weak, watery cold brew is the most common complaint and it is nearly always ratio rather than equipment. People use a drip-machine dose of coffee for cold brew and get a pale result; the correct starting point is 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight for ready-to-drink, or 1 to 4 for concentrate. If it still tastes thin after 16 hours, use more coffee, not more time.
Sediment and cloudiness come from grinding too fine. A mesh filter cannot hold back anything approaching drip grind — go as coarse as a French press. Clogged filters and slow drains have the same root cause, and they are worst on the systems with a drain valve. Leaking lids are the failure that ends a cold brew maker's useful life, and they are almost always a hardened or misaligned gasket rather than a crack; several brands sell replacement lids. Fridge odours in the concentrate catch people out — cold brew absorbs smells readily, so use a sealed carafe rather than a jar with a loose lid. And felt filters going sour is the specific Toddy complaint: rinse thoroughly, store wet and sealed in the fridge, replace on schedule.
How to Choose a Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Three questions decide it. Ready-to-drink or concentrate? Ready-to-drink is simpler and you pour and go; concentrate stores in less space, lasts longer and lets you make an iced latte at full strength. How much do you drink? One glass a day suits a quart brewer refilled weekly. Two or more people means 64 ounces or a concentrate system, or you will be brewing every three days and stop. Where will it live while it brews? Measure your fridge shelf height before buying anything that must stand upright.
Then buy the grinder before you upgrade the brewer. Cold brew is more forgiving than any hot method, but grind consistency still determines how much sediment ends up in the glass and how easy the cleanup is. If you also want hot coffee from the same beans, our best French press and best pour over coffee maker rankings cover the manual options.
The Verdict
The Takeya Deluxe is the cold brew maker most people should buy: twenty-five dollars, brews on its side in any fridge, shatterproof, dishwasher safe, and nothing to replace. Buy the OXO Good Grips if you want strong concentrate and even saturation, the Toddy if the smoothest possible cup is the point and you will maintain a felt filter, and the County Line Kitchen 64 oz if your household drinks it faster than a quart a week. Check price on Amazon →
More from this hub: small kitchen appliances · best coffee maker · best coffee maker for iced coffee · best French press · how to choose a coffee maker · how we rank.