Luckily, it makes a rich, full-bodied cold drink that tastes just as strong as any other method I’ve tried, sometimes even better. Those pads and paper filters are annoying, but they work. If you’re okay with a few inconveniences, the toddy makes one hell of a cold brew concentrate. It is similar to the Filtron Brewer but better constructed. There’s even a giant 2.5 gallon toddy used in coffee shops. —Jeff Van Camp
A fantastic French press
As a quasi-control, I used French presses in my testing, and the Secura is the nicest one I’ve ever tried. To my dismay, I haven’t been able to get a French press to make cold brew coffee with a flavor as smooth and rich as other methods. It is usually a bit bitter and too grainy. But it’s still quite drinkable, and if you play around enough or find the right coffee grounds, you can probably make a batch that you like.
You may already own a French press for hot coffee; If not, I recommend Secura. It’s made of stainless steel and is well insulated to keep cold brew cold or hot coffee hot, and the handle doesn’t get too hot. —Jeff Van Camp
Best compact brewer
If kitchen space is a bit tight, the Oxo Compact Cold Brewer is a good choice. First of all, it’s adorable: It comes with a cute little glass carafe with a cork lid, and the brew cone features the rain head that we enjoy so much on the full-size Oxo cold brewers. It’s small enough to sit on your countertop, and it looks good there too.
The small size makes it great for a finer grind and produces a stronger brew that can be diluted more when drinking, which is what I’ve come to prefer. This way I can dilute it with milk to a latte-like strength or keep it a little stronger for drinking.
Coffee & Accessories
Best Reusable Filter for Aeropress Cold Brew
I like the Fellow Prismo for all of my Aeropress uses and it works great for cold brew. It comes with a reusable filter and replaces the cap on the end of your Aeropress with one that’s slightly thicker and has a single hole. This configuration allows the coffee to come out of the Aeropress under higher pressure than with the standard Aeropress cap. This gives you a bit of ventilation and, in my experience, a cleaner cup than with just metal filters in the traditional Aeropress cap.
Ideal for reducing cold brew sediment
If you prefer cold brew with as little coffee mud as possible, the shimmy can definitely help. It’s a strainer that you fill with coffee grounds and then shake to remove any additional fine particles or fines from your coffee. In testing, I found that it significantly reduced the muddy residue from the bottom of my cup, but it remained a little, although not nearly enough to spoil the final sip in the way too much sediment can.
Ready-to-prepare coffee bags
These ready-to-brew bags from Partners are like big tea bags full of coffee. They’re great for turning any pitcher or large glass into a cold brew maker. Given their size, I found that I got the best coffee after steeping for at least 24 hours, and it was full of flavor, rich, silky and sweet with just a hint of acidity.
More great cold brew beans
In my search for the perfect cold brew coffee, I tried at least half a dozen types of beans. My favorites include the Arabica Colombian Supremo Dark Roast from Stone Street and the Organic Smooth & Sweet Blend from Bizzy. They are made specifically for cold brew and are coarsely ground (a coarse grind is best for cold brew) or whole beans if you have a grinder. The 1 pound bags are not too expensive.
They were less bitter than some brands I’ve tried and were closest to the perfect, smooth cold brew flavor I was craving. Cold brew requires a lot more coffee grounds than regular hot brew, so I appreciate the lower price.