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I'm Making Barista-Level Cold Brew With This Easy Machine
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More After learning I spend over $1,000 a year on coffee shop runs, this was such an easy money-saving swap. Like a lot of people, I’d gotten into the habit of stopping for an iced coffee as part of my morning tradition. At roughly $7 a cup, three to five mornings a week, it didn’t feel like a huge expense in the moment. Then I grabbed my calculator. On average, I was spending about $28 a week. That’s roughly $112 a month — or a stomach-turning $1,344 a year. On coffee. Yikes. I sincerely hope my husband never reads this. Thankfully, I’d already started making my iced coffee at home with this $130 cold brew carafe, which made the realization sting a little less. Looking at the numbers, it only took about a month for the brewer to offset its own cost. The brewer arrives almost completely assembled, so there’s very little setup involved. Right away, it feels substantial in your hands. The thick glass carafe has a nice weight to it, while the brushed stainless steel handle and base gives it a polished look that feels much more premium than I expected. Another small detail I appreciate is the stainless steel pouring spout. Unlike some beverage dispensers that rely on lightweight plastic components, this one feels sturdy and pours smoothly without feeling flimsy or fragile. Even my husband, who rarely comments on kitchen gadgets, mentioned how nice it looked sitting in the refrigerator. And because we love a multi-use kitchen appliance, once you remove the stainless steel filter basket, the carafe doubles as an attractive beverage dispenser for serving other types of drinks. Or you could keep it in and fill the filter basket with loose tea, fresh fruit, cucumber slices or mint to make infused water, iced tea or other chilled drinks — think homemade sangria (if you catch my drift). All this is to say, it is just as useful for entertaining as it is for your daily cup of joe. The standard cold brew carafe (the unit I have) holds 1.7 liters, which has been more than enough for my daily coffee habit while still fitting comfortably in my refrigerator. Measuring roughly 8 inches deep, 7 inches wide and just under 7 inches tall, it doesn’t take up too much space. If you go through cold brew more quickly or are brewing for multiple people, the 38-ounce XL version offers about 35% more capacity while remaining similarly compact, measuring 8 inches deep, 7.2 inches wide and about 8.5 inches tall. That one will normally run you about $140, though it’s also on sale for $120 right now. “This has been perfect for my family! We love cold brew but wanted a more cost-effective option. I prepare the cold brew at night, and by morning, the concentrate is ready to mix with water. It’s incredibly easy to clean, and I love that it’s completely plastic-free, made of glass and stainless steel. While the spout pours a bit slower than I’d prefer, the overall system is fantastic!” —Emily “A great product. Easy to use and clean. Makes great iced coffee easily” —K Poe “The brewer was pricey compared to other offerings here, but I’m thrilled with it and have no regrets. This is the best kitchen purchase I’ve made in years. It’s really heavy, the glass is thick, the metal parts are hefty, and it’s also just really nice to look at. It’s easy to clean and starting a new brew cycle takes just a couple of minutes. The whole family is in love with it and I love that I’m saving a lot of money on bottled and takeaway cold brew. I’m trying to think of who I can give this to as a gift because it’s so awesome.” —Ms Primenesia “I love this cold brew maker. So easy to use. Not cheap material. Great quality. So easy to clean and brews delicious coffee. Definitely need to use coarse grounds but dang I have used it religiously since I bought it and no longer go to Aroma Joes!!! I have saved sooooo much money.” —Caleb Godette “Bought this for my wife last Christmas and she has used it pretty much every day since. I haven’t heard her complain about it once, so that tells me it must be well made. I don’t use it or drink coffee, so couldn’t tell you how well it works, but again, I’d have heard if it sucked. We had a Ninja countertop machine before, and she stopped using it for this thing.” —Z. Woodard
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