12 Essentials to Fuel Your Cold

Aug 06, 2023

Switch up your daily routine with these expert-recommended finds

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On a hot day, cold coffee can really hit the spot. And if your daily ritual entails home brewing, having the right tools and accessories will go a long way. Think of a cold-brew coffee maker that churns out a concentrated blend or a travel cup for an iced latte that can keep it cool in the summer heat—even when you can’t.

In a personal quest to reinvigorate my daily coffee routine, I turned to experts for a peek at theirs and even got a little inspiration from CR’s tests. Below, easy swaps and manageable ways to elevate your morning brew.

Asobu Insulated Portable Brewer KB900

For a tried-and-true cold-brew maker that ranks high in our tests, consider the Asobu Insulated Portable Brewer. It may be more expensive than most of the other manual models we tested, but it’s a superior performer. It offers outstanding convenience and is the only model in our ratings with a score near the top for taste. It comes with a stainless steel insulated carafe (rare for a manual model) and brews in 12 to 24 hours, depending on how strong you want your coffee.

Filtron 30L Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewing System

When it comes to whipping up cold brew for a crowd, Cafe Grumpy founder Caroline Bell highly recommends the Filtron brewing system because it’s user-friendly, easy to clean, and by extension, a hassle-free process. It’s also the model used across the brand’s cafes as a vessel for experimenting with different coffee flavors when making cold brew.

Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker

This cold-brew maker from Oxo is a favorite of Claire Chan, founder of The Elk, a specialty coffee shop and general store in New York City. It’s fairly easy to clean, thanks to its dishwasher-safe glass carafe, and has a claimed capacity of 40 ounces.

For more options: Best Cold-Brew Coffee Makers

Simple Modern Insulated Tumbler with Lid and Straw

Chan’s preferred method of drinking cold brew is with a straw and over a lot of ice. So whenever she’s whipping up a batch at home, the coffee pro makes sure to put it in an insulated tumbler like this colorful option. “The insulation keeps it cold for much longer, and the straw is built in,” Chan says. “I know it might sound silly, but it really makes a difference.”

Ball Sip & Straw Lids

When making and enjoying iced coffee at home, Bell has found that a simple Mason jar can be a great choice, especially when paired with this lid and straw combo for on-the-go convenience. This version comes with two lids and two straws, and fits regular-mouth Mason jars.

Created Cold Cup

Another favorite of Bell’s is the 16-ounce stainless steel Created Cold Cup—available in six subdued colors—which can be used for hot and cold beverages. “It’s a practical and stylish option for enjoying your favorite iced coffee creations,” she says.

Yeti Rambler 30 oz. Tumbler

“I know it’s not as trendy as Stanley tumblers, but I love my blue Yeti 30-ounce tumbler,” says CR’s Daniel Wroclawski, who has reported extensively on topics such as the best coffee makers and how to make a great latte at home. “It keeps my iced coffee cold for hours and looks good while doing it.”

Wroclawski also purchased the Yeti straw lid for the tumbler so that he can get the perfect sip. “I’m of the opinion that straws are the best delivery method for iced coffee and cold brew.”

As with any type of brewing method for coffee, precision is key, Chan says. The best way to ensure that you’re grinding your coffee beans to perfection is with a reliable grinder. “Make sure you use the right grind setting for your coffee beans [coarser than most other brewing methods] and you have calculated the right amount of water to use to steep with,” she adds.

The coffee pro also recommends experimenting with beans from different origins when making cold brew to find a flavor profile that best suits your tastebuds. Chan’s go-to is a Colombian or Guatemalan bean because it will typically feature nutty and baking spice flavors that she loves.

Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder

The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder is a top performer in our tests for coarse- and fine-ground coffee, making it a great choice for espresso as well as cold brew. This machine is very easy to clean and convenient to use.

Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

The Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is a less expensive model that does well in our tests. It receives strong scores in our grind-performance tests, making it a good choice for any brew method you want to use, including cold brew. It also earns a solid rating for convenience, thanks to its clearly marked and easy-to-use controls. Our testers found it quite easy to clean, too, because of its removable hopper.

Some may prefer a no-frills approach to their coffee routines, but there are a handful of tools and accessories that can take your brew to the next level.

Ello Impact Reusable Stainless Steel Straws

Since Wroclawski prefers straws for his iced coffee, he opted for this set of stainless steel reusable straws that are dishwasher-safe to boot. “They work well, are easy to clean, and don’t make me feel bad about using straws and contributing to plastic pollution!”

Oxo Ice Cube Tray

Adding ice to your cold brew or iced coffee may go without saying, but the ultimate hack is to freeze coffee in an ice cube tray for a less diluted cup of joe. This version from Oxo is a CR editor favorite and is made of smooth plastic that leaves no flavor on the ice. It makes the smallest cubes of all the trays we tried in a recent evaluation, with 16-gram water cups that are rounded on the bottom for easier removal. It features a blue lid that makes for easy stacking in your freezer and prevents any crumbs, dust, or fridge odors from marring the purity of the cubes.

Aerolatte To-Go Milk Frother

The Aerolatte To-Go is a nifty little handheld frother that’s capable of frothing up a variety of milks both hot and cold, including plant-based ones. Because it’s handheld, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but we were able to get the hang of it in just a few minutes. This Aerolatte is also a cinch to clean. You simply run it in a cup of soapy water for a bit, then run it out of the cup to dry.

Anna Kocharian

Anna Kocharian is a shopping editor at Consumer Reports who focuses on home, organization, and the consumer marketplace. She previously covered interior design, product reviews, and market trends as the digital editor of Domino. Anna has over a decade of experience in lifestyle journalism and has written extensively on the subject matter for publications including Apartment Therapy, Food52, and more. She currently resides in New York City.