Best Cold Brew Maker for Home (2026): 7 Picks by Batch Size

The Toddy is the machine to buy if cold brew is a daily habit. Retail listings give the standard recipe as 12 oz (about 340 g) of coarse-ground coffee to 64 fl oz of water, and Food Network Kitchen lists the result as 36 to 38 oz of concentrate, enough for up to 19 drinks when diluted. America's Test Kitchen reports a 40 oz yield and a 12 to 24 hour steep. It named the Toddy its winner for its clear instructions and a balanced, fruity concentrate.

The system is a drawdown design. You wet the grounds in a plastic brewing container, let them steep on the counter or in the fridge, then pull a stopper and the concentrate drains through a reusable felt filter into a glass decanter. Because the output is a concentrate, you dilute it, commonly one part concentrate to two parts water or milk, which stretches a batch across a week or two.

The recurring complaint is cleanup. The filter is thick and slow to dry, and rinsing wet grounds out of the container takes a few minutes. Owners also mention that the glass decanter is easy to chip.

Skip it if you only drink cold brew now and then or have a small fridge; the OXO Brew Compact is a better fit.

OXO's 32 oz maker is built around one idea: separate the brewing from the draining. You steep the grounds in the top container for 12 to 24 hours, then slide the brew-release switch and the concentrate drips into the borosilicate glass carafe below. Food Network Kitchen picked it as its best overall, with a yield of 24 to 28 oz of concentrate from 10 oz of coffee.

America's Test Kitchen rated the OXO line "Highly Recommended" and found the coffee strong because of the high coffee-to-water ratio, though it did not find that the perforated lid improved extraction compared with pouring or stirring the water in by hand. Expect to dilute the concentrate generously.

The filter is a reusable stainless mesh. OXO sells paper filters separately for people who want a clearer, less silty cup. Owners commonly like that the carafe pours cleanly and fits in a fridge door; the usual complaint is that several parts need hand washing.

Skip it if you want the biggest batch for the money; the Toddy yields more.

OXO lists the Compact's brewing container at 24 oz (710 ml), with a yield of up to 16 oz (473 ml) of concentrate, which OXO says is enough for up to seven drinks. The borosilicate glass carafe is sealed with a cork stopper and silicone, and the water goes through a "rainmaker" top that spreads it over the grounds instead of pouring it in one spot.

The point of the Compact is footprint. A 32 oz maker plus its carafe is a lot of fridge to give up, and this one tucks in beside the milk. Owners commonly say it is the right size for one person or a couple who drink a glass or two a day, and the usual complaint is that the batch is gone in less than a week.

Like the larger OXO, it needs 12 to 24 hours to steep and the mesh filter lets a little fine sediment through. A paper filter fixes that.

Skip it if you serve a household of three or more, because the Toddy or the OXO 32 oz makes more per batch.

The County Line Kitchen jar is a strainer-style maker. You fill the stainless basket with coarse grounds, lower it into the 64 oz glass jar, add cold water and leave it for 12 to 48 hours in the fridge. America's Test Kitchen lists a 44 oz yield, rated it Recommended and noted that tasters liked the flavorful, medium-strength coffee.

The listing gives the jar's size as roughly 10.25 inches tall and 4.25 inches wide, so it stands upright in most fridges. The same jar works for sun tea or infused water, which helps if you want one container for several drinks.

The weak spots are in the basket. America's Test Kitchen found the narrow opening makes loading grounds slow, and the long shape is a nuisance to scrub. A little fine sediment at the bottom of the glass is normal with a mesh filter.

Skip it if you hate hand-washing awkward parts; the OXO carafes have simpler shapes.

The Mizudashi (Japanese for "cold water extraction") is the minimalist option. Retailer pages relaying Hario's guidance describe 80 g of coarse-ground coffee for about 1 liter of water, steeped about 8 hours in the fridge, and America's Test Kitchen gives a 12 to 24 hour range and a 35 oz yield. You drop the filter basket into the pitcher, add coffee, pour in water and refrigerate.

America's Test Kitchen rated it Recommended, with tasters liking a medium-bodied coffee that came across slightly tea-like. That lighter profile suits people who find stronger concentrates harsh. The same reviewers flagged that the lid does not seal tightly and that the long basket is awkward to clean.

Because it is a ready-to-drink pitcher rather than a concentrate maker, a batch lasts only a few days for a heavy drinker. Listings show the pot in several colors, and availability varies, so confirm the 1000 ml size before ordering.

Skip it if you want a concentrate you can dilute and stretch; the Toddy or OXO makers do that.

The Takeya Deluxe is a widely sold pitcher-style maker, and it is the most portable one here. It weighs 9.6 oz by the listing, the Tritan plastic will not shatter, and the lid is airtight. For a dorm room, a camping trip or a shared kitchen, that matters.

The coffee is where it falls short. America's Test Kitchen did not recommend the Takeya: reviewers had no good way to wet the grounds evenly, so the coffee was underextracted, thin and watery, the swirling step was awkward and misaligned threads leaked. Owner reports are more mixed, and many are happy with the convenience, but a stronger result usually means a finer-than-coarse grind, a longer steep and a stir halfway through.

The practical advice is to use it as a durable pitcher and to wet and stir the grounds yourself before sealing it. Takeya also sells a glass 2-quart version if you prefer glass.

Skip it if flavor is your priority; the Toddy, OXO or County Line makers extracted better in America's Test Kitchen's comparison.

The Dash is the only quick option in this guide. Dash's own listing describes "VacuPress" brewing, a vacuum-based process with no heat, and Food Network Kitchen's reviewer found a full 40 oz carafe took about 12 minutes; a smaller 27 oz batch took about 9. Other sources quote shorter times, so treat it as roughly ten minutes depending on batch size and strength setting.

Dash lists three strength settings and a one-year manufacturer warranty. The carafe is glass with a lid, so it goes straight in the fridge.

Food Network Kitchen named it the best quick-delivery maker. The trade-off is that fast extraction yields a different cup from an overnight steep: lighter, less syrupy. Owners commonly mention noise during brewing and uneven long-term reliability, which is common for small electric brewers.

Skip it if you plan ahead anyway; the Toddy or OXO makers make better concentrate for less money and have no motor to fail.