The short answer
Espresso is brewed hot under around 9 bar of pressure in under a minute, giving a concentrated, intense shot with crema. Cold brew steeps in cold water for many hours, giving a smooth, low-acid coffee or concentrate. They need completely different equipment: an espresso machine and grinder, or a simple cold brew jug.
How each is made
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Quick picks
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1. For espresso
Breville Bambino
Entry tier · A compact 54 mm espresso machine with a manual steam wand and no grinder.
9 bar extraction and a steam wand, ready in about three seconds.
The Bambino is a compact pump machine: low-pressure pre-infusion followed by 9 bar extraction, a 54 mm portafilter with an 18 g dose, and a ThermoJet heater ready in about three seconds.
Its manual steam wand makes the milk drinks - cappuccinos, flat whites, iced lattes - that espresso is the base for.
It needs a grinder that reaches espresso fineness, which is part of the cost of espresso that cold brew does not have.
See is the Bambino worth it for the full case.
Specification
- Portafilter
- 54 mm, 18 g dose
- Heating
- ThermoJet, ready in 3 seconds
- Extraction
- Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar
- Footprint
- 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 in
- Grinder
- None - buy separately
What it does well
- Three-second heat-up means it is genuinely usable on a weekday
- The narrowest footprint of any machine here
- Real steam wand you control yourself
Where it gives ground
- No grinder, so the real budget is machine plus grinder
- Manual milk texturing has a learning curve
- Small tank means frequent refills if you pull several drinks
Skip it if
Skip it if you want a fridge full of coffee ready to pour. That is cold brew's job.
2. For cold brew concentrate
Toddy Cold Brew System
Mid tier · A concentrate brewer: a high coffee-to-water ratio steeped long, then diluted to taste.
Concentrate that keeps about two weeks, diluted per glass.
The Toddy brews at a heavy coffee-to-water ratio for 18 to 24 hours, producing a concentrate you dilute per glass rather than a finished drink.
Concentrate keeps in the fridge for roughly two weeks, so one brewing session lasts a long time.
It filters through a felt pad, which gives a very smooth, low-acid result.
Diluting per glass means you set the strength every time.
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 drink cold brew only occasionally. A concentrate batch uses a lot of coffee.
3. For 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 1,000 ml fridge jug that brews in 8 to 12 hours.
The Mizudashi is a 1,000 ml glass jug with a mesh filter basket holding up to 80 g of coarsely ground coffee, steeped for 8 to 12 hours.
What comes out is ready to drink over ice, with no dilution step.
It fits in a fridge door and pours from the vessel it brews in.
It is the simplest way to find out whether you like cold brew at all - see cold brew makers.
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 drink a lot of cold brew. A 1 L jug is a day or two, not a week.
How they taste
Hot water under pressure extracts quickly and intensely, pulling out bright acidity, sweetness and bitterness together, and emulsifying oils into crema.
Cold water extracts differently. Many compounds responsible for perceived acidity and bitterness dissolve far less at low temperature, so cold brew tastes smooth and round - and flatter, because the bright notes stay behind.
Strength
Espresso is concentrated per sip: a shot is small and intense. Cold brew concentrate is strong too, but it is diluted per glass, so the drink is as strong as you make it.
What each needs
- Espresso: a machine, a grinder that reaches espresso fineness, and ideally a scale - see the beginner setup.
- Cold brew: a jug or brewer, coarse coffee, water and time - see cold brew makers.