Cold brew is steeping the nation and it’s not hard to see why. Cold brewing takes the acidic bite out of coffee, leaving you with a deliciously smooth cup. Add a splash of milk and, well, the taste speaks for itself. Cold Brew is definitely a favorite at Seattle Coffee Gear. With the rise of cold brew drinkers, there are bound to be lots of questions like, what cold brewer is right for me? We’ve a couple of great cold brewers to answer that question! The The Toddy comes with a brew container and glass carafe for serving.
Immersion vs Drip
Both products make cold brew but use different brew methods that make a different cup. The Toddy Cold Brew Coffee System uses the immersion style, which adds ground coffee and cold water into the reservoir to steep for 12 to 24 hours. When the time’s up, release the valve and allow the Toddy to drain into the included glass carafe. The result is a seriously concentrated cup of coffee! On the other hand, the Osaka Cold Brew Dripper uses the slow drip method. Using a spigot to control the flow rate, the Osaka drips cold water from the reservoir onto the grounds basket and into the glass carafe—sort of like your favorite drip brewer, but longer! This method takes three to four hours to brew when you filled the 19-ounce water reservoir. We recommend one drip per second to get a cup that’s more concentrated—but it’s nothing like the immersion style!
Different Filters, Different Flavor
Good cold brew needs a good filter. The Toddy Cold Brew System gained popularity for its innovative reusable filters that remove more bitter acids and oils from coffee. You can use the same filter up to 10 to 12 times or up to three months if it’s stored properly in the fridge between uses. The Osaka Cold Brew Dripper’s fine mesh filter made from stainless steel allows more oils to pass through filtration than the Toddy. But, since cold brew uses cold water, there is less acidic oils—especially compared to hot brews, which pull acidic oils into your cup. With that in mind, the Osaka also uses the drip-brew method, which creates a lighter and brighter cup. If you want to get geeky with your coffee, the total dissolved solids (TDS) in immersion brewing is higher than drip through. What this means is during immersion brewing, the water has more time to extract the grounds and collect more solids. This results in that dark, stout cup of coffee—you’ll often hear it referred to as body like in French press. With drip brewing, the water spends less time on the grounds and therefore picks up less solids. Less TDS, less body. Pour over is a great example of a flavorful cup that’s lighter.
Ease of Use
Hands down, the Toddy Cold Brew System is the easiest coffee maker to use. In the white brew chamber, place the filter down at the bottom then add your coffee and water and start the clock! The only difficulty we have with the Toddy is the cleanup. After you’ve drained the coffee, the grounds are everywhere and harder to scoop out in one go. By default, the Osaka Cold Brew Dripper requires more finesses. You’ll spend some time adjusting the spigot to achieve the desired flow rate before you can walk away and let it brew. That said, you have more control over the Osaka’s extraction time to create a unique brew that fits your tastes! It should be noted, that it flow may need adjustments. As the volume in the reservoir decrease, so does the pressure and that cause the flow rate to change. So, if you want to maintain consistency, you’ll want to tweak the spigot.
Home Size
Perfectly sized for the home, the Osaka Cold Brew Dripper has a 19-ounce water reservoir, grounds chamber and small glass carafe. With three separate parts, it’s easy to dissemble the Osaka and store it away in the cabinet until your next brew. On the opposite end, the Toddy Cold Brew System yields up to 48-ounces of coffee concentrate! That makes the Toddy 6 1/2-inches taller than the Osaka when the carafe and brew chamber are stacked. That said, no one ever said no to more cold brew! And since you’ll want to dilute the concentrate, there’s plenty to sip on for weeks (by the way, the concentrate is good for about two weeks in the fridge).
Conclusion
We know you love cold brew, but which brewer is right for you? The Toddy Cold Brew System is easy to use and makes a big batch of cold brew. On the other hand, the Osaka Cold Brew Dripper gives your control and a lighter, brighter cup of cold brew. Which one would you take home?
