Best Iced Coffee Maker: My Top 5 Picks
Do you know which is the best iced coffee maker for your needs? Check out my curated list of the top 5 options for 2024. There's something for everyone here, so keep reading to find out more!
Do you know which is the best iced coffee maker for your needs? Check out my curated list of the top 5 options for 2024. There's something for everyone here, so keep reading to find out more!
Updated on: 9 April 2024 We aim to provide you with the most relevant content! However, prices and availability can change at short notice. That's why we've integrated fact checking into our editorial process. During this additional step, our team members make sure that every article has the most current information available. That way you're always up to date! If you happen to notice an issue, please leave us a comment. Thank you! Facts checked by Nicholas Marshall
Written by people for people
Updated on: 9 April 2024 We aim to provide you with the most relevant content! However, prices and availability can change at short notice. That's why we've integrated fact checking into our editorial process. During this additional step, our team members make sure that every article has the most current information available. That way you're always up to date! If you happen to notice an issue, please leave us a comment. Thank you! Facts checked by Nicholas Marshall
Written by people for people
Hi! My name is Arne. Having spent years working as a barista I'm now on a mission to bring more good coffee to the people. To that end, my team and I provide you with a broad knowledge base on the subject of coffee.
If you’ve found yourself searching for the best iced coffee maker of late, you’ve come to the right place. Once you’ve finished reading this guide, you’ll be armed with all the information you need to make a purchase.
You probably already know that iced coffee is big business. Supermarket sales of chilled coffee drinks are through the roof, and not just during the warmer months. Most of us are ready for our next iced coffee as soon as we hit the bottom of our glass, which means we are dropping way too much cash on something we could brew at home.
Hence, your need for an iced coffee maker to offset the cost of this addictive habit.
In this article I’ll let you in on a little secret that your neighborhood Starbucks and Dunkin’ don’t want you to know … iced coffee is super-easy to make at home!
On top of that, making your own iced coffee is ultra affordable and fast. With that in mind, I’ll help you find the best iced coffee maker for your needs.
As a bonus, I’ll also clear up the difference between iced coffee and cold brew, once and for all.
Let’s get started!
Remember the old days, when iced coffee was something you only drank on hot summer afternoons? Life was so simple back then. However, in case you haven’t been paying attention, things have changed.
Iced coffee has exploded in popularity and shows no signs it’s going to slow down. Nowadays, we don’t think twice about enjoying an iced coffee in the darkest depths of winter. Ten years ago people would have called us crazy!
Then again, maybe we are, but that’s a topic for another day.
More and more of us are experimenting with iced coffee preparation at home, as well. In a recent article I wrote about iced coffee, I offer tips on preparation as well as some of my favorite recipes.
For the purposes of this article though, let me remind you of the first rule of the Coffeeness Manifesto for good iced coffee:
Even cold coffee must be fresh!
Use high-quality beans and grind them fresh!
Master your preparation technique!
When you’re looking for the best iced coffee maker, it’s important to understand the difference between iced coffee and cold brew. After all, you want to know what you’re getting into, right?
Put simply, traditional iced coffee involves combining ice and strong or concentrated hot brewed coffee. On the other hand, cold brew requires coarse coffee grounds to be submerged in room temperature water for up to 24 hours. With that said, many people brew it in the refrigerator as well.
As you might expect, the results are wildly different. While iced coffee retains that “chilled coffee” flavor, cold brew presents a whole new set of tastes and aromas. You can find out more in my detailed guide to cold brew coffee.
Incidentally, what you get from cold brew coffee makers has more caffeine, due to the immersion brewing method. If you want to go down the rabbit hole, check out my guide to how much caffeine is in coffee.
Here’s a list of the iced coffee makers we’ll be looking at today:
High end features
Super quiet grinder
Terrific hot or iced coffee
Single serve coffee maker
Great value
Includes insulated tumbler
Terrific hot or iced coffee
6 brew Sizes
4 brew styles
SCA Golden Cup certified
Award winning design
Great hot or iced coffee
I know what you’re going to say: “Can’t I just use my regular coffee maker to make iced coffee?” Well, yes and no. You can simply brew double strength coffee in an AeroPress or French press then add ice, but you might find it hard to get satisfying results.
Here, I’ve curated a selection of electric coffee makers that specialize in producing iced coffee that won’t taste watered down. Just for fun, I’ve also included an affordable manual iced coffee maker that really delivers.
I just have to include the Jura Z10 because it’s such a cool espresso maker. Sure, you’ll likely have to shell out $3,849.99 for this super automatic espresso machine, but if you’re looking for a high-end coffee maker that also brews superb iced coffee, the Z10 could be just the ticket.
As an added bonus, the Jura Z10 will look amazing in your kitchen. In fact, you should prepare yourself for jealous friends if you buy this beauty!
In my Jura Z10 review, I came up with the term “coldpresso” to describe the iced coffee this machine produces. I’m still quite proud of that.
Essentially, the Z10 creates iced coffee by reducing the temperature and pressure, during the brewing process, allowing the water to slowly drip through the coffee puck.
The results are simply delicious, especially if you throw some milk or a scoop of ice cream into the mix!
See Also: Jura Z10 Review
For the best single-serve iced coffee maker, you might not want to look further than the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker. Costing just $24.90 on Amazon, this nifty little machine is designed to do just one thing and to do it well.
Don’t expect anything resembling cold brew coffee, though: the Mr. Coffee brews concentrated hot coffee over ice into a double-wall insulated tumbler.
Although the manufacturer throws scientific-sounding terms like “RapidChill Technology” around, there’s nothing revolutionary about what the Mr Coffee does. That said, once you’ve experimented with grind settings and water to coffee ratios, the Mr. Coffee will deliver good iced coffee every time.
The tumbler that comes with the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker has marks to help you measure water when brewing. If you commit yourself to using it or a similar reusable cup, you’ll also greatly reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating single use plastic waste.
Check Out: Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker Review
I have to admit to being pretty impressed by this machine. In fact, I’m naming it the “best specialty iced coffee maker.” And that’s after it already earned top marks in my Ninja coffee maker guide 2024!
I’m usually quite suspicious of any drip coffee maker that claims to be capable of brewing specialty coffees, but the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker is rather impressive.
This specialty coffee maker allows for six brew sizes, ranging from a single cup to a 10-cup carafe. There’s even a built-in foldaway frother for creating milk foam.
As for iced coffee, the Ninja CM401 has an “Over Ice” setting that allows you to brew double-strength hot coffee over a cup of ice. During my testing, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the Ninja iced coffee was.
Available for $160.05 on Amazon, this Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker really delivers!
See Also: Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker Review
Like the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System, the DeLonghi 3-in-1 Specialty Coffee Brewer has been Golden Cup-certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). To earn this certification, coffee makers must meet requirements including correct brewing time and brewing temperature, so you can be sure the DeLonghi makes great coffee.
I’m intrigued by the 3-in-1 Specialty Brewer’s design – somewhere between a coffee maker and a Chemex.
What’s really cool is the pulsating shower head that evenly disperses water over the coffee grounds.
For iced coffee, the machine brews at a lower temperature using the same amount of ground coffee but less water.
Costing $140.99 on Amazon, this iced coffee maker is a larger investment, and might not be worth it if you’re looking for a dedicated iced coffee maker. That said, you can’t go wrong with DeLonghi!
Related: DeLonghi TrueBrew Review
If you’re looking for a simple, efficient way to make a single serving of iced coffee at home, the HyperChiller could be the way to go.
This handy device costs $11.00 on Amazon, which might seem a little spendy to some. Still, you can also use it to quickly chill a warm beer, which might make it seem a little more worthwhile!
To use the HyperChiller, you simply add water to separate chambers inside the device and throw the thing in the freezer. Wait a few hours, and it’s ready to go.
If you have a coffee maker with a single-serve function you can brew directly into the HyperChiller. After swirling for a minute or so, you’ll have the perfect cup of cold coffee that won’t become weak and watery when you pour it over ice. After all it’s those melting cubes that dilute iced coffee!
I have no problem admitting that I’m fully on board with the iced coffee revolution. I’m a total nerd when it comes to experimenting with extraction times, teasing out nuances from different coffee beans and inventing adventurous iced coffee cocktails.
However, you might not be quite as obsessed and I totally get it. With that in mind, there are a few things to consider when looking for the best iced coffee maker:
Budget. Many of the best iced coffee makers are very reasonably priced. Still, you won’t want to spend too much if you’ll only be using the thing from time to time.
Size. This all depends on how much of an iced coffee fiend you are and how much space is in your fridge and on your kitchen counters.
Materials. I’m not a fan of plastic in general. That said, a glass carafe is way more breakable.
Filter. Not all coffee filters are created equal. In fact, some mesh filters will allow fine coffee grounds into your iced coffee.
Type of brew. Do you prefer iced coffee or cold brew? Perhaps you want to be able to make both. Either way, there’s a machine for you.
At the end of the day, choosing the best coffee maker for iced coffee at home shouldn’t be a stressful experience. After all, just think about all the money you’ll be saving by preparing your own iced coffee or cold brew. I’ve found the best solution is to own several different devices. But like I said, I’m on the nerdy side!
I hope you’ve found this article helpful! Do you have a favorite iced coffee maker I overlooked? As always, I welcome your questions and comments!
There are plenty of coffee makers out there that can make delicious iced coffee at the push of a button. Most iced coffee makers also offer the option of hot extraction, which adds to their versatility.
Choosing the best machine to make iced coffee at home really depends on your budget, how often you’ll be using it and whether or not you also want to be able to make hot coffee.
Although the terms are used interchangeably, iced coffee and cold brew are quite different. Iced coffee involves brewing coffee hot then adding ice, whereas the cold brew process requires coffee grounds to sit in cold water for up to 24 hours.
Iced coffee at home can be as simple as just pouring hot coffee over ice. However, you run the risk of ending up with a weak and watery beverage. Machines like the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker brew smaller amounts of double-strength coffee. You can then add ice to make a tasty and refreshing beverage.
You can experiment with any coffee in an iced coffee maker! For the perfect cup, use freshly roasted, high-quality beans and grind them fresh before brewing.
Hi! My name is Arne. Having spent years working as a barista I'm now on a mission to bring more good coffee to the people. To that end, my team and I provide you with a broad knowledge base on the subject of coffee.
Hi! My name is Arne. Having spent years working as a barista I'm now on a mission to bring more good coffee to the people. To that end, my team and I provide you with a broad knowledge base on the subject of coffee.
