Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers (2026): Which Style Is Right for You

The best cold brew coffee maker is the one that makes straining easy — that’s the messy part that decides whether you keep making cold brew. For concentrate, the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker drains itself with a flip of a switch. The Toddy is the classic for big, very clean batches. The Takeya lives in the fridge door, the Hario Mizudashi makes small ready-to-drink batches, and a mason jar kit is the budget option.

How we chose: We have not tested these makers hands-on. We compared how each one filters (mesh, paper or felt), whether it’s designed for concentrate or ready-to-drink coffee, capacity, and cleanup — using manufacturer information and long-term owner feedback. We’ll update this guide if we test any of them ourselves.

Quick picks

Concentrate or ready-to-drink?

Decide this first, because makers are designed around one or the other.

• Concentrate (about 1:4 to 1:8) is strong; you dilute each glass with water or milk. It saves fridge space and is ideal for iced lattes. The OXO and Toddy are built for this.
• Ready-to-drink (about 1:12 to 1:15) goes straight over ice. Pitcher-style makers like the Takeya and Hario are perfect for it.

The full ratios and charts are in our cold brew ratio guide, and the coffee ratio calculator has a cold brew mode.

What to look for in a cold brew maker

Filter type

• Felt (Toddy) and paper filters trap the most fine particles and oils, giving a very clean, smooth, sediment-free concentrate.
• Stainless mesh is reusable and lets more body (and a little sediment) through.

Straining design

Steep-and-drain makers (OXO, Toddy) separate coffee from grounds by draining from the bottom, so you never pour a heavy, wet slurry. Filter-insert makers (Takeya, Hario, mason jar) hold grounds in a basket you lift out — simpler, but drippier.

Capacity and fridge fit

Think about where it will steep. Pitcher-style makers go straight into the fridge; steep-and-drain systems usually brew on the counter and store the finished concentrate in a separate carafe.

Cleanup

Wet grounds are the chore. Fewer parts and wide openings make a difference when you’re doing this every week. Felt filters need rinsing (never soap) and should be kept damp in the fridge between uses and replaced periodically.

The best cold brew coffee makers

Best overall for concentrate

1. OXO Good Grips 32 oz Cold Brew Coffee Maker

A two-level system: you steep in the top container, then flip a switch to drain the concentrate into a glass carafe below — no pouring a slurry of grounds through a sieve. A perforated lid spreads the water over the grounds so they all get wet.

Style

Steep-and-drain, concentrate

Filter

Reusable stainless mesh (paper filters optional)

Carafe

Glass, with lid

What stands out

• Mess-free draining with a release switch
• Paper filter option for a cleaner concentrate
• Carafe stores neatly in the fridge

Trade-offs

• Takes up counter space while brewing
• Several parts to wash

Check price on Amazon

Best for big batches

2. Toddy Cold Brew System

The classic cold brew maker, used for decades in cafés and homes. Coffee steeps in a large brewing container; pull the stopper and the concentrate drains through a thick felt filter into a glass decanter. Felt filtering gives a very clean, smooth concentrate.

Style

Steep-and-drain, concentrate

Filter

Reusable felt (paper liners available)

Carafe

Glass decanter

What stands out

• Large batches of very clean concentrate
• Simple design with few things to break

Trade-offs

• Felt filters need careful cleaning and periodic replacement
• The stopper step takes some care to avoid spills

Check price on Amazon

Best for the fridge door

3. Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker

A pitcher with a removable mesh filter insert and an airtight lid. Fill the filter, add water, and the whole thing goes in the fridge — it's slim enough for most fridge doors and comes in 1-quart and 2-quart sizes.

Style

Pitcher with filter insert

Filter

Fine stainless mesh insert

Sizes

1 qt and 2 qt

What stands out

• Brew and serve from the same pitcher
• Airtight lid; fits a fridge door
• Few parts, easy to clean

Trade-offs

• Mesh lets more fine sediment through than paper or felt
• Lift the wet filter out carefully — it drips

Check price on Amazon

Best for small, ready-to-drink batches

4. Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot

A simple glass pot with a fine mesh filter, designed for ready-to-drink cold brew rather than concentrate. Load the filter, add water, steep overnight in the fridge, remove the filter and pour.

Style

Pot with filter insert, ready-to-drink

Filter

Fine mesh

Sizes

600 ml and 1 L

What stands out

• Elegant, compact and inexpensive
• Glass doesn't hold onto odors

Trade-offs

• Small capacity
• Filter basket limits how much coffee you can use for concentrate

Check price on Amazon

Best budget option

5. Mason jar cold brew filter kit

A wide-mouth mason jar with a stainless steel mesh filter tube that drops inside. Cheap, sturdy, and made of nothing but glass and steel.

Style

Jar with filter tube

Filter

Stainless steel mesh

Sizes

Commonly 1 qt and 2 qt

What stands out

• Low price
• Glass and steel only — durable and easy to clean

Trade-offs

• Mesh lets through some fine sediment
• No dedicated pouring spout on basic kits

Check price on Amazon

Don’t forget the grind

Cold brew needs an extra-coarse grind, like cracked peppercorns. Pre-ground supermarket coffee is too fine: it makes muddy, bitter cold brew and clogs filters. A burr grinder on its coarsest setting gives you even, chunky grounds; see our manual grinder guide if you don’t own one.

How to use any cold brew maker

1. Grind your coffee extra coarse.
2. Measure: about 200 g of coffee per liter of water for concentrate, or about 83 g per liter for ready-to-drink.
3. Wet all the grounds — stir gently so there are no dry pockets.
4. Steep 12–18 hours at room temperature or 18–24 hours in the fridge.
5. Strain without squeezing the grounds.
6. Store in a sealed container in the fridge and drink within about a week.

Cold brew maker or just a jar?

If you make cold brew once in a while, a jar and a paper-lined strainer are all you need. If you want it in the fridge every week, a dedicated maker is worth it simply because cleanup is faster — and that’s what makes the habit stick.

Not sure cold brew is your thing? Compare it with hot-brewed iced coffee in our cold brew vs. iced coffee guide.