KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker: versatile, delicious cold brew

You probably know KitchenAid for their iconic stand mixers, but it’s time you got to know them for their coffee products. I’ve tested the best cold brew coffee makers on the market and this is my favorite.

After seeing this cold brew coffee maker everywhere, I was desperate to take it to our test kitchen. This stainless steel cold brew coffee maker is signature KitchenAid; it’s premium, effective, and a just a little retro.

You can make smooth cold brew, that caters for up to 19 people. The reusable filter will save you money and it’s incredible easy to store.

As a barista, I’m passionate about all things coffee. Recently, I’ve been testing a range of the best coffee makers and KitchenAid makes some of the best.

Specifications

Unboxing

This coffee maker comes with a thin plastic bag to protect it from scratches, but everything else is already assembled. As soon as it’s out the box, you can get brewing. 

It’s quite big on the countertop, but the design is subtle. It would easily blend in with your countertops or you could place it on a refrigerator shelf for storage. The stainless steel and glass feels luxurious and professional.

Who would it suit?

This is an extremely easy coffee maker to use. You don’t need careful placement of filter paper or delicate pouring, you just fill it up and go. The tap at the bottom makes it easy to help yourself to a cup fresh from the refrigerator shelf, so if you lead a busy life, you’ll find that this naturally becomes part of your morning routine. 

This also feels like the most luxurious cold brew coffee maker that I’ve tested. The brushed stainless steel and thick glass make this feel like a product you’ll have for life. 

The metal filter also makes this extremely versatile. I’ve been infusing tea and water with this KitchenAid and both have turned out perfectly. If you’re looking to infuse lots of different drinks, this is a good choice.

What is it like to use?

I’ve stressed how easy this is to use, but you’re about to see why. After rinsing all the parts, I weighed out 3 oz of freshly ground coffee (I used the Fellow Ode Grinder) and poured it into the filter basket. I poured 42 fl oz of filtered water in circular motions over the coffee grounds. If some of them aren’t covered with water, use the back of a spoon to submerge them. People approach this with varying degrees of caution. Some would stir vigorously, some would want to touch the grounds. I think it’s always good to ensure that your grounds are saturated, but not to be too aggressive with them.

This is literally all you need to do to make cold brew. Leave the KitchenAid on the side or on your refrigerator shelf for 12-24 hours. I think 18 hours is the sweet spot, because your coffee can start to over extract if you leave it too long. 

The KitchenAid makes cold brew concentrate which you will need to dilute in a 1:1 or 2:1 water to cold brew concentrate ratio. I err on the lighter side and add nut milk for extra sweetness, because the KitchenAid makes pretty strong cold brew. It’s not the smoothest (you could fix that by using a reusable filter and double filtering your cold brew), or the sweetest, but that’s really down to the grind. However you cut it, this is definitely the easiest cold brew coffee maker I've tried. 

The metal filter basket is excellent. Not only is it reusable, but you can use it to experiment with a range of infusions. I placed tea leaves, fresh fruit, and herbs in (not at the same time) and made delicious infused water and cold brew tea. The lip before the tap prevents any sediment, seeds, or leaves from getting into your cup, which is extremely useful. 

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance

The only downside to having a reusable filter is cleaning it. There’s lots more opportunities for grounds or coffee to get stuck and ruin your next batch of cold brew. I would recommend buying a bristled brush and thoroughly cleaning the filter basket. The rest can go in warm water and they wipe clean.

This is quite big and heavy, but is a very easy shape to stack things on and around. However, since opening mine from the box, it’s been in constant use in my refrigerator. 

How does it rate online?

I have seen this cold brew coffee maker everywhere. It's easy to use and that's reflected in the reviews. People found it easy to clean, use, and store. They liked not having to use filter paper and the straightforward tap. However, I also saw that lots of people opted for the smaller 28oz model, because the 38 oz model was excessive.

The only criticisms people had were the cost. It's much more expensive than most cold brew coffee makers. The coffee that it makes isn't as consistently smooth, either. Some people also found that their tap dripped and made a mess, but I never had this problem, because I secured my tap really tightly. However, if you're in a rush or just forget to close it firmly, this could be an issue. 

How does it compare?

My other favorite cold brew coffee maker is the OXO. This is cheaper than the KitchenAid and offers double filtration, so makes a smoother overall brew. However, even though the OXO is cheaper, you will always have to buy filter paper, so there’s an ongoing cost. This is easily solved with reusable filter paper like this Hemp bag from Amazon.

The OXO also feels much less durable. It’s made of thin plastic and delicate glass, which I could easily break. The KitchenAid is hardy. I also like the tap and easy storage of the KitchenAid. It’s easier to integrate into your everyday life and more effortless to use. I would use the it for water infusion, so the KitchenAid is also much more versatile.

Should you buy it?

Having tested out some of the best cold brew coffee makers on the market, this is now my go to. It feels the most premium, it’s the easiest to use, and I really love how versatile this is. It was the most seamless model to integrate into my everyday life and when I double filtered my cold brew, the flavors were unparalleled. 

How we test

We take everything we review to our dedicated test kitchen where our team of experts puts products through their paces. Laura, a former barista, tested this KitchenAid out in our test kitchen. She made notes on the process from unboxing, to cleaning, and the all important taste test. If you would like to know more about how we test coffee makers, you can visit our dedicated page.