My editor recently gave me what seemed like a simple assignment: figure out how much money I’d saved since I started making my own cold brew at home. I figured the answer would be a few hundred dollars. Instead, I discovered something I wish I’d never known... but the purchase of my new KitchenAid cold brew coffee maker may help in a major way.Like a lot of people, I’d gotten into the habit of stopping for an iced coffee as part of my morning tradition. At roughly $7 a cup, three to five mornings a week, it didn’t feel like a huge expense in the moment. Then I grabbed my calculator. On average, I was spending about $28 a week. That’s roughly $112 a month — or a stomach-turning $1,344 a year. On coffee. Yikes. I sincerely hope my husband never reads this.Thankfully, I’d already started making my iced coffee at home with this $130 cold brew carafe (which is currently only $100 on sale!), which made the realization sting a little less. Looking at the numbers, it only took about a month for the brewer to offset its own cost.What first impressed me about the KitchenAid cold brew maker, which boasts a rating of 4.4 stars on Amazon, wasn’t even the coffee — it was the quality of the unit itself.The brewer arrives almost completely assembled, so there’s very little setup involved. Right away, it feels substantial in your hands. The thick glass carafe has a nice weight to it, while the brushed stainless steel handle and base gives it a polished look that feels much more premium than I expected.Another small detail I appreciate is the stainless steel pouring spout. Unlike some beverage dispensers that rely on lightweight plastic components, this one feels sturdy and pours smoothly without feeling flimsy or fragile. Even my husband, who rarely comments on kitchen gadgets, mentioned how nice it looked sitting in the refrigerator.AmazonBrewing coffee in this thing is a breeze. Simply add your grounds, pour in water, place it in the refrigerator and let time do the rest. The removable stainless steel filter includes measurement indicators that take the guesswork out of preparing coffee or tea. Plus, it even comes with a handy pouring guide, so you can get the perfect sip catered to your liking. It takes about 12 hours to brew, so I usually prepare mine before bed, and by morning it’s ready to enjoy.And because we love a multi-use kitchen appliance, once you remove the stainless steel filter basket, the carafe doubles as an attractive beverage dispenser for serving other types of drinks. Or you could keep it in and fill the filter basket with loose tea, fresh fruit, cucumber slices or mint to make infused water, iced tea or other chilled drinks — think homemade sangria (if you catch my drift). All this is to say, it is just as useful for entertaining as it is for your daily cup of joe.The standard cold brew carafe (the unit I have) holds 1.7 liters, which has been more than enough for my daily coffee habit while still fitting comfortably in my refrigerator. Measuring roughly 8 inches deep, 7 inches wide and just under 7 inches tall, it doesn’t take up too much space. If you go through cold brew more quickly or are brewing for multiple people, the 38-ounce XL version offers about 35% more capacity while remaining similarly compact, measuring 8 inches deep, 7.2 inches wide and about 8.5 inches tall. That one will normally run you about $140, though it’s also on sale for $120 right now.As someone who drinks iced coffee no matter the season, this brewer has earned a permanent spot in my kitchen. It’s replaced my daily coffee shop runs and consistently delivers cold brew I’m genuinely happy to drink. The fact that it’s also saved me a considerable amount of money is just the icing on the cake.Promising reviews: “This has been perfect for my family! We love cold brew but wanted a more cost-effective option. I prepare the cold brew at night, and by morning, the concentrate is ready to mix with water. It’s incredibly easy to clean, and I love that it’s completely plastic-free, made of glass and stainless steel. While the spout pours a bit slower than I’d prefer, the overall system is fantastic!” — Emily “A great product. Easy to use and clean. Makes great iced coffee easily” — K Poe “The brewer was pricey compared to other offerings here, but I’m thrilled with it and have no regrets. This is the best kitchen purchase I’ve made in years. It’s really heavy, the glass is thick, the metal parts are hefty, and it’s also just really nice to look at. It’s easy to clean and starting a new brew cycle takes just a couple of minutes. The whole family is in love with it and I love that I’m saving a lot of money on bottled and takeaway cold brew. I’m trying to think of who I can give this to as a gift because it’s so awesome.” — Ms Primenesia “I love this cold brew maker. So easy to use. Not cheap material. Great quality. So easy to clean and brews delicious coffee. Definitely need to use coarse grounds but dang I have used it religiously since I bought it and no longer go to Aroma Joes!!! I have saved sooooo much money.” — Caleb Godette “Bought this for my wife last Christmas and she has used it pretty much every day since. I haven’t heard her complain about it once, so that tells me it must be well made. I don’t use it or drink coffee, so couldn’t tell you how well it works, but again, I’d have heard if it sucked. We had a Ninja countertop machine before, and she stopped using it for this thing.” — Z. Woodard