Best Cold Brew Makers 2026: Pitchers, Filter-and-Drain Brewers and Electric Machines
Cold brew makers for 2026, grouped by how they brew: steep in a pitcher, drain a concentrate, or plug one in. Specs checked and sortable in our database.
Research roundupUpdated 2026-10-04
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Start here · Takeya
Cold Brew Coffee Maker, 2 qt
One pitcher to brew in, store in and pour from. At 1.89 L it’s the biggest batch of the pitchers here, and it goes in the dishwasher.
A research roundup from published specs, not hands-on testing.
The real choice is how much of your week you want cold brew to take. A pitcher is the least work and the smallest batch. A filter-and-drain brewer gives you a concentrate you stretch over days, for more fuss at the sink. An electric machine skips the overnight wait and costs counter space. Every maker here is in the spec database, where you can sort by capacity, filter or material and compare three side by side.
You fill a filter basket with grounds, add water, and leave it in the fridge. When it’s done, you lift the basket out. If you’re new to cold brew, start here. For beans, see the best coffee beans for cold brew, and for the full kit see the starter kit.
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Takeya · Maker
Cold Brew Coffee Maker, 2 qt
1890 mL · Plastic
Who it's for
Someone who wants one container for brewing, storing and pouring, and a batch that lasts.
Why it's here
The body is BPA-free Tritan and holds 2 qt (1.89 L), with an airtight lid and a fine-mesh filter. It's dishwasher-safe and weighs 562 g (1.24 lb).
The tradeoff
It's 31 cm (12.2 in) tall, so it needs a tall fridge shelf, and it's plastic, so it won't pass for the glass pots below.
One or two people who want a glass pot that's easy to clean.
Why it's here
A 1,000 mL heatproof glass pot with a polyester-mesh strainer, 13.8 × 9.4 × 29.4 cm. Hario's manual says to refrigerate it for about 8 hours, and the whole pot is dishwasher-safe.
The tradeoff
A litre is a few days of cold brew for two people. Hario says to finish it within 2 to 3 days, so you'll be brewing weekly.
Someone who wants the Mizudashi's capacity in a pitcher with a handle.
Why it's here
Another 1,000 mL of heatproof glass, this time with a glass handle. The strainer is reusable stainless steel and the seal is silicone. It measures 15.2 × 10.3 × 31 cm.
The tradeoff
It's wider and taller than the Mizudashi, so it takes more fridge room for the same volume.
Someone brewing for a household who wants one big batch.
Why it's here
A plunger lid tops this 1.5 L immersion brewer, and the carafe is BPA-free plastic (17 × 11.5 × 22 cm). Every part is dishwasher-safe, and Bodum says to brew for 12 to 24 hours.
The tradeoff
A 1.5 L batch needs a lot of coffee, so it's the one that empties a bag fastest.
Someone who wants a slim bottle for the fridge door and doesn't want glass.
Why it's here
A 1,000 mL bottle in PCT resin with a polyester-mesh filter. It's 9 cm square, dishwasher-safe and hot-water-safe, and Hario says to refrigerate it for about 8 hours.
The tradeoff
At 32 cm (12.6 in) it's the tallest maker in this group, so check the shelf before you buy.
A solo drinker who wants the bottle to fit a door shelf.
Why it's here
Borosilicate glass, 650 mL, with the polyester-mesh strainer seated in the spout. It measures 8.7 × 8.4 × 30 cm, and Hario says to refrigerate it for about 8 hours.
The tradeoff
It's the smallest batch of the six, and Hario's advice is to finish it in 2 to 3 days, so the brewing never really stops.
These brew coffee strong, steep it at room temperature, then drain it through a filter into a carafe. What you get is concentrate, which you dilute at the glass. That means one batch lasts longer, and the filter is the part that wears out. For concentrates you don’t brew yourself, see ready-to-drink cold brew.
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Toddy · Maker
Home Cold Brew System
Immersion · Felt · Mixed
Who it's for
Someone who wants a fridge jar of concentrate and will wash a filter for it.
Why it's here
Toddy's instructions use 12 oz (340 g) of coarse coffee and 64 fl oz (1.9 L) of water, steeped at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours, then drained through a felt filter into a glass decanter. Toddy says that makes about 36 to 38 oz of concentrate, kept up to 2 weeks in the fridge and mixed 1 part to 2 parts water or milk.
The tradeoff
It's the slow one in this group: up to a day of steeping, then a drain. The felt is a consumable, and Toddy rates it for 10 uses or 3 months, with the reusable parts washed by hand.
Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewing System (30L)
1893 mL · Felt
Who it's for
Someone who brews a pound at a time and drinks concentrate all week.
Why it's here
Filtron uses 1 lb of regular to coarse ground coffee and a water bowl marked at 64 oz, steeped 12 to 24 hours through a wool felt pad. It says you get about 32 oz of concentrate, and to use at least 1 oz of it per 6 oz of water. All components are BPA-free.
The tradeoff
Draining takes 45 minutes to an hour, and a pound of coffee goes into every batch. Filtron says to change the felt pad every 3 to 4 months if you brew weekly.
Someone who wants a big concentrate batch and a drain that opens with a switch.
Why it's here
OXO's manual uses 10 oz (284 g) of coarse coffee and 40 oz (1.2 L) of water for 12 to 24 hours. A brew-release switch then drains it through a stainless mesh filter into a borosilicate glass carafe. OXO says a batch makes 24 to 28 oz of concentrate, or 12 to 14 drinks, at 1 part concentrate to 2 or 3 parts water or milk.
The tradeoff
It stands 37 cm tall on a 24 cm square base, which is real counter space while it steeps. Only the glass carafe is dishwasher-safe.
Electric machines move water through the grounds with a pump or pressure, so a drink takes minutes, not hours.
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Vinci Housewares · Maker
Express Cold Brew Electric Cold Brew Maker, 1.4 L
1400 mL
Who it's for
Someone who wants a full carafe of cold brew in under half an hour.
Why it's here
A pump circulates room-temperature water through a basket of medium-to-coarse grounds into a 1.4 L borosilicate glass carafe. Vinci's manual lists 10 minutes for a light cycle, 15 for medium and 25 for bold.
The tradeoff
Vinci says never to use fine grounds or cold water, and the control lid can't go under water, so cleanup is by hand. The coffee keeps up to 10 days in the fridge.
Someone who wants a glass of cold brew now, and doesn't mind a machine on the counter.
Why it's here
Instead of steeping, it forces room-temperature water through the grounds and a reusable stainless steel filter. Cuisinart's figures are up to 16 oz of cold brew or 2 oz of concentrate per cycle, in as little as 5 minutes.
The tradeoff
It makes one drink per cycle, it's hand-wash only, and the coffee comes out at room temperature, so it goes over ice.
Published specs from the brand (or a retailer where marked), last checked 2026-10-04. "—" = not published.
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