I Tried the Cold Brew Coffee Maker That Amazon Shoppers Are Obsessed With
Usually when the collective folks on the internet are obsessed with something, it’s for a good reason. (Take cat memes, for example!) So when I stumbled upon this Ovalware Cold Brew Coffee Maker on Amazon and saw that it had more than 1,500 five-star reviews, I knew I had to try it. Yes, even in the fall — because I’m one of the (correct) few who believes that cold brew can and should be consumed beyond the dog days of summer. (Please raise your hand and tell me you’re with me!)
Buy: Ovalware Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $22 (normally $30)
My brewer arrived in under two days (thanks, Amazon Prime!) and here are my first impressions.
While I don’t buy things specifically because I like the packing, it certainly doesn’t hurt if something is designed well. And this coffee maker comes in some pretty packaging. The directions and the product itself are equally well-designed.
The directions call for measuring out 85 grams of “your freshly roasted coffee beans.” I did not do that because, well, I’m not that precious with my coffee. I eyeballed it, ground the beans (to coarse/medium consistency), gave the coffee maker a wash (because it was fresh out of the package), and then filled the filter until it was almost full (about 5/6 of the way). Then I carefully added room-temperature water, stirred the brew a bit, and put the covered brewer in the fridge overnight.
In the morning I removed the filter and made myself a drink: a little bit of coffee concentrate with ice and milk.
The resulting coffee was delightful and totally free from any errant grounds (something you’d expect but doesn’t always happen). While it didn’t taste all that different from cold brew that I’ve made in other cold brewers, there were certainly lots of things I liked about the maker. Again, it’s got a gorgeous design. I love that the pitcher is glass (instead of plastic, like lots of other brewers) and although it can handle up to one liter at a time (there’s a larger 1.5-liter version, too), it doesn’t take up too much room in the fridge. At $30, it’s a little more than some plastic versions on the market, but I really like this this one is glass. Plus it’s on sale right now for only $22!
I also love that it uses a metal filter (instead of paper) that’s mean to be reused and is incredibly easy to remove. And I love that it has an airtight lid, which fits on during both the brewing and the storing sessions.
Cleanup is easy too. All the parts are dishwasher-safe and, while I was worried the grounds would be hard to clean from the filter, it’s not so bad. Most of them come out with a few taps against the trash can and, to get the rest, I just used a skinny spatula.
All in all? Those Amazon reviewers are right! This will be my new go-to for all my cold brew needs.
Two questions! Do you drink cold brew year-round? And how do you brew it at home? Discuss in the comments below!