Forget Starbucks: The Best At-Home Cold Brew Coffee Maker, Per Consumer Reports
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A Grande Cold Brew at Starbucks can cost $5 or more. If you regularly drink two or more coffees each day, ordering out can really add up. Making your own Starbucks-style cold brew at home couldn't be easier, especially when you find an affordable coffee maker. Plus, you'll enjoy greater control over coffee taste, quality, and customization options, and can skip drive-thru lines and online ordering fees. But which coffee maker is best for your at-home cold brew creations?
Consumer Reports has ranked the Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker highest among five other cold brew coffee makers. The independent review organization performed expert lab tests to evaluate these appliances on convenience, ease of cleaning, capacity, brew time, taste, and claimed freshness period. The Primula earned the highest possible marks for convenience, a better-than-average rating for ease of cleaning, and a middling score for taste. Convenience is determined by how easy the appliance is to assemble and use, while ease of cleaning considers the process of removing spent grounds and cleaning all components according to the appliance manual. Taste is measured by a coffee expert using medium and dark roast coffee grounds and following the manufacturer's cold brew recipe for optimal water and dilution ratios.
This coffee maker has a 51-ounce glass carafe that is top rack dishwasher-safe and easy to clean. It's also the least expensive model that Consumer Reports tested; you can grab a Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker in one of six designs on Amazon for $19.99 or less. It features a borosilicate glass carafe, fine mesh filter, non-slip base, and BPA-free plastic components. The manual recommends brewing the coffee in cold or room-temperature water for at least 24 hours for a smooth, less acidic taste.
It's one of the highest rated cold brew coffee makers on Amazon
The Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker is one of the absolute best cold brew coffee makers according to reviews. It has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon with over 22,000 reviews. Shoppers rave about its price, quality, and how easy it is to use and clean. In one review, a customer claims it is the best option they have tried, saying, "I have gone through several cold brewers from the cheap to the fancy Japanese imported ones. The Primula Burke Deluxe checks off a lot of boxes the other ones don't." They go on to praise its lightweight feel, ease of handling, non-slip base, and ergonomic construction, claiming it's easy to use and clean.
In another 5-star Amazon review, a customer who used to buy Starbucks Cold Brew regularly turned to this appliance as a way to save money by making cold brew at home. They exclaimed, "I love it! I can make a $10 bag of coffee go way further than I ever can from the cold brew I get from the store. This pitcher is easy to use and gives me just what I need." They continued, "It's been really nice to get more coffee for the money I'm spending this way, rather than spending upwards of $7.00 for the cold brew in the store!" All in all, if you're looking for an affordable, beginner-friendly cold brew coffee maker that allows you to experiment with different coffee grind sizes, roasts, and flavors, this one will give you the most bang for your buck.