Are you part of the cold brew coffee crew yet? The KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker provides a handy, low-energy method of making coffee and produces highly caffeinated results that taste smooth and rich. Keep reading to check out its features and how it makes the process of getting delicious cold brew at home simple and fun.
What’s in the box of the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker?
In the box of the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker you’ll find a glass brew jar with stainless steel tap, a black outer lid, a stainless steel steeper, a steeper lid, and a bottom cover. The glass brew jar does not disassemble. Its steeper, bottom cover, and flexible bottom tubing can (and should) be removed for cleaning.
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew coffee is a coffee concentrate made by letting coarse coffee grounds steep in chilled or room temperature water, often overnight. This type of coffee extraction is slow and delicate. Some coffee aficionados like the cold brewing method for producing mild, low-acidity results. Cold brew differs from iced coffee, which is regular drip coffee or espresso (brewed with hot water) served over ice.
How is cold brew made?
Cold brew coffee is made with time instead of heat. It features a higher grounds-to-water ratio than traditionally made coffee, and the concentrate is then diluted before serving. You can make cold brew out of more than just coffee, too: Your steeper can be filled with ground coffee or any type of tea leaves. Cover the grounds or leaves with water, then allow to sit overnight before removing the steeper. The flavours and caffeine from the tea or coffee grounds will slowly seep into the water without heat or agitation.
Unlike something like espresso, cold brew doesn’t have to be brewed down to a science. You’re welcome to play around with the brew that works for you. Try adjusting your steeping time, grounds to water ratio, and different tea or bean blends.
How do I use the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker?
To use the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker, first turn the product’s front tap/spout to the off position (to the left). Then, make sure your lower gasket is tight—I had trouble with this during my first batch. You’ll need to remove the product’s bottom cover, then twist its gasket gently until it feels tight. Replace the bottom cover and return your product to its upright position.
Next, you’ll want to assemble the coffee maker’s outer lid and steeper. Scoop your coffee or tea into the steeper and fill the coffee maker with water. For a litre of water, you should use at least one cup of coffee or half a cup of loose leaf tea. Coarser coffee grounds work best—many coffee grinders even have a coarse setting for cold brew. Finally, make sure your coffee grounds or tea leaves are covered with water. Press them down with a ladle or spoon if needed. Let steep on the counter or in the fridge. You’ll want to allow your concentrate to steep for 12-24 hours for coffee, 4-6 hours for green or white tea, and 8-12 hours for black or oolong tea.
When your concentrate is done steeping, lift the steeper and let it rest at an angle before removing. Allow the remaining concentrate to drip from the steeper for at least 5 minutes (3 minutes on one side, 2 minutes after being re-angled). Place the lid on the coffee maker and twist the tap to dispense.
This coffee maker isn’t dishwasher-safe, so rinse and soap it in warm water in the sink to clean.
Cold Brew cheat sheet
| Cold brew | Per litre of water | Steeping time | Dilution ratio |
| Coffee | 1 cup (9 oz) (250 g) coarsely ground coffee | 12-24 hours | 1:3 |
| Decaf coffee | 1 cup (9 oz) (250 g) coarsely ground decaf coffee | 20-24 hours (per this writer’s experience) | 1:3 |
| Green tea | 4 oz (120 g) loose tea | 4-6 hours | 1:7 |
| White tea | 4 oz (120 g) loose tea | 4-6 hours | 1:7 |
| Black tea | 4 oz (120 g) loose tea | 8-12 hours | 1:7 |
| Oolong tea | 4 oz (120 g) loose tea | 8-12 hours | 1:7 |
What can I do with cold brew?
Cold brew is a coffee concentrate, not a ready-to-go beverage. If you’ve purchased it at a store before, you might already know this: It’s typically sold in bottles of concentrate and then diluted before serving. That’s why cold brew itself is described as being concentrated or caffeinated, but you can still have a cold brew beverage and drink the same amount of caffeine as you’d expect from a cup of drip coffee.
Consumed straight, cold brew concentrate contains 100-500 mg of caffeine per cup, depending on its water ratio and steeping time. For comparison, drip coffee contains about 95 mg per cup and espresso contains around 63 mg per shot.
KitchenAid recommends that you use its Cold Brew Coffee Maker to mix drinks in a 1:3 ratio of cold brew concentrate to water or milk, which I’ve detailed in the table above. So, to get one cup of coffee, you’d mix 1/4 cup of cold brew with 3/4 of liquid. Whether you’re using hot water, cold water, or milk, the ratio stays the same. If you use your Cold Brew Coffee Maker to make tea concentrate, the company recommends that you dilute your concentrate even further: 1:7, so you’d use two tablespoons of concentrate for every 7/8 cup of hot or cold water.
You can use your cold brewed coffee or tea concentrate to make frozen drinks, hot coffee or tea, bubble tea, lattes, and more. My mom and I recently made a tiramisu with decaf hazelnut cold brew and it was fantastic—probably the best one we’ve ever made at home! The concentrated nature of the cold brew hit just right and helped the decaf taste stronger, so we achieved that full coffee flavour without having to caffeinate the whole family after dinner.
My experience with the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker
With a product like the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker, you’re essentially taking a simple process and making it fancy. This coffee maker is really just a filter in a jug—but it’s such a nice filter in such a satisfying jug.
One of the things that makes cold brew great its that it’s accessible. You could absolutely make a low-budget cold brew in your fridge with a glass and a fine mesh tea bag. What this coffee maker gives you isn’t a new technology, but rather a luxurious way to experience something simple. It’s easy to use, clean, and set up; you can make not just a cup of coffee for yourself, but a whole pot (and then some) for big recipes, guests, and other family members. At 28 oz. and with a dilution ratio of 1:3, one batch of KitchenAid cold brew can make 14 cups of coffee and will last in the fridge for up to two weeks when kept in the coffee maker.
I loved the quality of this product’s strainer, which was excellent, as well as its durable brew jar and branded lid. Its bottom gasket needs to be perfectly placed for each use, but its spout and handle are perfectly machined and a dream to use. This product is great for convenience and size, and is also handy for hosting larger events.
The KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker is available online at Best Buy.
