The short answer
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for hours - 8 to 24, depending on the brewer - which gives a smooth, low-acid cup. Iced coffee is coffee brewed hot and poured over ice, which is ready in minutes and tastes closer to hot coffee. Choose cold brew for smoothness and a batch that lasts; choose iced coffee for speed.
How they differ
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Quick picks
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1. Cold brew concentrate
Toddy Cold Brew System
Mid tier · A concentrate brewer: a high coffee-to-water ratio steeped long, then diluted to taste.
A concentrate steeped 18 to 24 hours that keeps about two weeks.
The Toddy steeps a high coffee-to-water ratio for 18 to 24 hours, then you dilute the concentrate to taste.
Concentrate keeps about two weeks in the fridge, so one brew covers a fortnight.
Its felt filter produces a very low-acid, very smooth result.
It uses a lot of coffee per batch, and 18 to 24 hours means planning a day ahead.
Specification
- Type
- Concentrate system
- Steep time
- 18-24 hours for full extraction
- Fridge life
- Concentrate keeps about two weeks
- Yield
- One batch dilutes into dozens of servings
What it does well
- Concentrate keeps for around two weeks, so one brew covers a fortnight
- You dilute to taste per glass rather than being stuck with one strength
- The felt filter produces a very low-acid, very smooth result
Where it gives ground
- Uses a lot of coffee per batch, because concentrate needs a heavy ratio
- The reusable felt filter has to be stored wet and replaced periodically
- 18-24 hours means planning a day ahead
Skip it if
Skip it if you want iced coffee today. Cold brew needs hours.
2. Smaller-batch cold brew
OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Mid tier · A concentrate cold brewer with a rainmaker lid, a brew-release switch and a glass carafe.
A concentrate brewer with a rainmaker lid and a brew-release switch.
The OXO makes up to 32 oz of concentrate from 10 oz of coarse coffee - up to 14 drinks - over 12 to 24 hours.
A rainmaker top distributes water evenly, and a brew-release switch drains the concentrate with one touch.
It is a smaller batch than the Toddy.
Concentrate still means diluting every glass.
Specification
- Type
- Concentrate
- Yield
- Up to 32 oz of concentrate from 10 oz of coarse coffee - up to 14 drinks
- Steep time
- 12-24 hours
- Carafe
- Borosilicate glass with measurement markings
What it does well
- The rainmaker top distributes water evenly for balanced extraction
- A brew-release switch drains the concentrate with one touch - no straining through cloth
- A smaller batch than the Toddy, which suits less frequent cold brew drinkers
Where it gives ground
- Concentrate means diluting every glass - it is not pour-and-drink
- Up to 32 oz of concentrate is a smaller batch than a Toddy's
- More parts to wash than a single-vessel brewer
Skip it if
Skip it if you want pour-and-drink cold brew. The Mizudashi is ready to drink.
3. Ready-to-drink cold brew
Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot
Budget tier · A one-piece fridge jug with a mesh basket - the simplest cold brewer that works.
A one-piece fridge jug with a mesh basket.
The Mizudashi holds 1,000 ml and takes up to 80 g of coarsely ground coffee, steeped for 8 to 12 hours.
It is ready to drink, not a concentrate, and pours from the same vessel it brews in.
It has three parts - jug, lid and filter basket.
Its fine mesh lets fines through, and 1 L is one or two days of iced coffee.
Specification
- Capacity
- 1,000 ml
- Dose
- Up to 80 g of coarsely ground coffee
- Steep time
- 8-12 hours
- Type
- Ready to drink
What it does well
- Cheapest genuinely good cold brewer, by a wide margin
- Fits in a fridge door and pours from the same vessel it brews in
- Three parts total - jug, lid, filter basket
Where it gives ground
- Fine mesh only, so a grinder producing lots of fines will show in the cup
- 1 L is one or two days of iced coffee, not a week
- Glass, in a fridge, among other things
Skip it if
Skip it if you want a week's supply. A concentrate brewer makes more.
4. Iced coffee, brewed hot
Breville Precision Brewer
Upper-mid tier · A programmable drip brewer that exposes bloom time, temperature and flow rate.
A drip brewer with Over Ice and Cold Brew modes.
The Precision Brewer brews up to 60 oz, and its modes include Over Ice and Cold Brew alongside Gold, Fast and Strong.
Over Ice brews hot coffee for pouring over ice - iced coffee in minutes rather than hours.
My Brew mode sets bloom time, brew temperature and flow rate.
It is large and heavy, and its flexibility is wasted if you only ever press one button.
Specification
- Capacity
- 60 oz
- Certification
- Gold Cup setting meets SCA home-brewer requirements
- Custom control
- My Brew: bloom time, brew temperature, flow rate
- Modes
- Gold, Fast, Strong, Over Ice, Cold Brew, My Brew
- Pour-over
- Optional adapter for a V60 or Kalita Wave
- Size
- 9 in D x 14 in W x 16 in H, 10.63 lb
What it does well
- The only common drip machine that hands you the brew variables directly
- The pour-over adapter turns it into an automated dripper stand
- Cold-brew mode is genuinely useful rather than a marketing mode
Where it gives ground
- The flexibility is wasted if you only ever press Gold
- Large and heavy
- The adapter kit is a separate purchase on most listings
Skip it if
Skip it if you only drink cold brew. A dedicated cold brewer is simpler.
Which to make
- Cold brew if you drink iced coffee most days and want a batch in the fridge.
- Iced coffee if you decide on the day and want it now.
- Both from one machine with the Precision Brewer's Over Ice and Cold Brew modes.