Best cold brew maker (2026)

Toddy Cold Brew System — Best overall. The Toddy has been the standard cold brew maker for coffee shops and home brewers for decades. The design is simple: a brewing container sits above a glass carafe, separated by a felt filter. You add grounds and water, steep 12-24 hours, then pull the stopper to drain the concentrate through the felt. The felt filtration produces remarkably clean cold brew — cleaner than mesh-filtered alternatives. The concentrate stores in the included glass carafe for up to two weeks. The felt filters need replacing every 10-12 uses. Use the 1:5 concentrate ratio — 340g of coarse coffee with 1700ml of water for a full batch.

Hario Mizudashi — Best for daily use. The Mizudashi is a slim glass pitcher with a built-in mesh filter column. Add grounds to the filter, fill with water, refrigerate, and pour directly from the pitcher when ready. The slim profile fits in most refrigerator doors, which is surprisingly important for a vessel that lives in your fridge for 12-18 hours. The mesh filter is coarser than the Toddy's felt, so the cold brew has slightly more body and a touch more sediment. Makes about 1 liter of ready-to-drink cold brew — enough for 3-4 servings. The glass version looks nice; the plastic version is lighter and won't shatter if dropped.

Takeya Patented Deluxe — Best mid-range. An airtight pitcher with a fine mesh filter insert. The BPA-free Tritan plastic is durable and lightweight. The airtight seal prevents fridge odor absorption, which is a real problem with open-top cold brew containers sitting near onions and leftovers for 16 hours. Makes about 1 liter. The mesh filter is easy to clean. A good middle ground between the Toddy's superior filtration and the Mizudashi's slim convenience.

Mason jar + fine mesh strainer — Best budget. A 32oz or 64oz mason jar, coarse coffee, cold water, and a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Add grounds and water, stir once, seal, refrigerate 12-18 hours, strain into another container. Second strain through a paper filter or cheesecloth if you want clarity. Total cost: under $10 if you already have a jar. The cold brew tastes identical to any dedicated maker — the jar doesn't change the chemistry.

Filtration quality. The single biggest differentiator. Felt filters (Toddy) produce the cleanest cold brew. Fine mesh (Hario, Takeya) produces slightly cloudier but still good cold brew. Coarse mesh leaves visible sediment. If clean, bright cold brew matters to you, the Toddy's felt filtration is worth the slightly higher price and the ongoing filter replacement cost.

Fridge footprint. Cold brew lives in your refrigerator for 12-18 hours during brewing and then for days while you drink it. A wide, bulky container that doesn't fit in the door or takes up shelf space is annoying in daily practice. The Hario Mizudashi's slim profile wins here — it slots in next to the milk and stays out of the way.

Seal quality. An airtight container prevents two problems: fridge odors getting into your cold brew, and coffee aromatics escaping into the fridge. Both are real issues over a 16-hour steep. Dedicated cold brew makers with sealed lids outperform open mason jars on this front. If you use a mason jar, use one with a proper sealing lid, not a loose covering.