Ever made coffee in a teapot? What about a soda bottle?
Normally, these would be strange items to make coffee inside. But cold brew coffee is different. Since it uses cold water, you’re not limited to things that can handle boiling water, like high borosilicate glass.
That’s one of the beauties of cold brew coffee: you can make it in almost anything. As long as it’s safe for food and beverages and holds water, it can be a cold brew coffee maker.
Chances are you probably already have a suitable container for cold brewing in your kitchen, on your bookshelf, or on your bedside table.
Here are eight vessels you can use to make your next batch of cold brew coffee.
1. Mason Jar
Clean and simple, mason jars offer a no-fuss way of making cold brew. They’re pretty, durable, and can be topped with a lid. Since the lid seals, you can even lay the jar on its side in the fridge if it helps with storage space.
A mason jar was my super-budget cold brewer for several months before I eventually upgraded to something more user friendly. I’m sure you have one of these somewhere, which means you can start making cold brew coffee right this minute if you want.
Read: The Ultimate Guide To Cold Brew Coffee
2. Reusable Water Bottle
Don’t use little plastic water bottles. Those are made for clean water - not acidic liquids - and tend to cause the coffee to taste chemically. Gross!
Use a nicer, reusable water bottle like a Nalgene. It’s durable, can be sealed shut, and won’t taint your coffee’s flavor.
Just make sure to wash the bottle very well when you’re finished. Otherwise, you’ll be drinking coffee flavored water next time you use the bottle for its original purpose.
3. French Press
Though it was originally intended to make hot coffee, the french press is the most simple and effective cold brew coffee vessel. It’s beautiful to look at, can make pretty large batches (up to 32 oz), and comes with a built-in filter. It’s just the right size for brewing and storing cold brew.
Read: Cold Brew Coffee VS Iced Coffee: What’s The Difference?
You may not have one already laying around, but the investment will also open up the doorway to hot french press coffee as well. You won’t find a more convenient and empowering $20 coffee maker!
4. Pots And Pans
Imagine a 5-gallon stockpot filled with cold brew coffee. Beautiful.
Pots and pans take up quite a bit of space and may not be easy to pour from, but they’re already in your kitchen. Or they should be.
5. Tea Pot
Tea pots are designed for tea, but they essentially function the same way as a french press. Just throw your grounds into the pot (bonus points if there’s an infuser), fill it up with cold water, and let the magic happen over the next several hours.
Make sure to clean it very well after using it for cold brew coffee. Trust me, coffee flavored tea doesn’t taste very good.
Read: 5 Things That Ruin Your Coffee
6. Soda Bottle
Soda bottles only allow you to make 12 oz of cold brew, but they’re a pretty neat cold brew coffee maker. They look nice, don’t take much space, and can be used to make multiple batches of different coffees.
You can top the bottle with plastic wrap while it’s brewing or being stored, but if you have a bottle capper, you have my upmost respect.
I high suggest filling soda bottles with cold brew concentrate and water to make ready-to-drink cold brew coffee servings. They’re fun to drink from, are easy to give as gifts, and make cold brew coffee even more convenient that it already is.
7. Aeropress
When set up via the inverted method, the Aeropress can make decent cold brew. It brews a very small batch size (no more than 8 oz), but it does come with its own built-in filter. Its shape may not be ideal for cold brewing, however. Being so tall, I imagine it’s an easy one to knock over and create a mess.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can rig together a slow drip cold brew coffee maker using the Aeropress, some ice, and a water bottle. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it sure makes you feel like a mad scientist.
8. Zip Lock Bag
This is a last resort option. If won’t look very pretty, but it will work. Be careful when you’re pouring the brewed coffee out. It could get messy real quickly.
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Making cold brew coffee is a surprisingly flexible endeavor. Almost any container that’s rated as food safe can be used as a cold brew coffee maker, but nothing beats the simplicity of a french press.
Happy cold brewing!
