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Goodful vs Coffee Bear Side-by-Side Comparison

Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 5, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 5, 2023
The Goodful cold brew coffee maker with a user guide leaflet rolled up inside.
The Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker standing to the right of its box.
Coffee Makers type
coldBrew
coldBrew

Our Verdict

8.1
Overall Score
  • Brew Quality (50%)
    7.5/10
  • Design (15%)
    8.7/10
  • Ease of Use (35%)
    8.8/10
8.0
Overall Score
  • Brew Quality (50%)
    7.2/10
  • Design (15%)
    8.8/10
  • Ease of Use (35%)
    8.7/10

The Goodful is a large jug-type 72 oz brewer that brews and stands in a refrigerator door bin. It’s an all-plastic design using an immersion nylon filter. The screw-on handle lid has an inner core that twists to pour or completely unscrews to remove the filter. A key feature is its watertight design allowing it to lay on its side after the filter is decanted.

The 44 oz Coffee Bear is quite similar though smaller and the brew quality is much the same. The Coffee Bear is heavier because the brew jug is made of glass. The airtight lid also twists to pour but you cannot lay it on its side.

The Coffee Bear is more suited to a small refrigerator but its silicone base often needs to come off to fit a smaller door bin. The Coffee Gator, almost identical to the Coffee Bear, is a much better value proposition. Likewise, the Tekeya, compared to the Goodful, is a much better choice both for design quality and brew strength.

Brew Quality

Goodful Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Coffee Bear Cold Brew Coffee Maker: Brew Quality
7.5
Performance Scores
  • Bouquet (10%)7.0/10
  • Drinkability (70%)7.5/10
  • Sediment (20%)7.5/10
7.2
Performance Scores
  • Bouquet (10%)7.0/10
  • Drinkability (70%)7.0/10
  • Sediment (20%)8.0/10
7.0

Bouquet

7.0

The bouquet of the Goodful brew was borderline medium. It had a distinctive woody aroma with mild-roasted notes coming through. Considering the brew ratio and filter design, this was not unexpected.

The Coffee Bear produced a somewhat medium-strength bouquet. It had a slight roasted note and a hint of woodiness. It had none of the complexity that you would get from a brewer that makes a real cold brew concentrate.

7.5

Drinkability

7.0
A glass of coffee resting on the product leaflet with the Goodful cold brew coffee maker behind.

Based on the brew ratio and the bouquet test, we chose not to dilute the brew. It had a mild-roasted flavor with a slight bitterness to it. There was no sourness so it was smooth to drink, but the aftertaste, although sweetish, was a little watery. You could drink the brew straight, but with a little milk, or even sugar, it’s not too bad. We would recommend adding just enough water to cover the grounds and to brew for a longer time. The brew yield of 67 fl oz or 2 liters is quite good for the quality.

A glass of freshly-poured coffee standing before the Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker.

The Coffee Bear brew was reasonable. It was of medium strength and we felt it was best to drink undiluted. There was a slight sweetness to the aftertaste, but overall it was not so full-bodied. There was little discernible difference between this brew and that of the almost identical product, the Coffee Gator.

7.5

Sediment

8.0
A view inside of a plastic cold brew coffee maker showing remaining sediment after all coffee is carefully decanted.

Surprisingly, the Goodful produced a fair amount of sediment. Of course, this is not a bad thing for an immersion brewer since it often indicates that the filter is permeable enough to produce a good brew. Very fine filters, on the other hand, tend not to brew so well. 

We would recommend letting the brew settle after removing the filter, then decant, rinse out the container, and return the brewed coffee. Make sure you have a larger container or enough on hand for two liters of liquid.

The inside of a cold brew coffee carafe with remaining sediment after the brew has been carefully decanted off.

After allowing the brew to settle and decanting a second time, there was a moderate amount of fine sediment left behind. This was in line with the quality and design of the brewer, but you may want to decant the brew a second time yourself for a smoother drink.

Design

Goodful Cold Brew

Coffee Bear Cold Brew: Design
8.7
design Scores
  • Stopper / Lid (30%)8.5/10
  • Filter (40%)9.0/10
  • Build Quality (30%)8.5/10
8.8
design Scores
  • Stopper / Lid (30%)10/10
  • Filter (40%)8.0/10
  • Build Quality (30%)8.5/10

Goodful Cold Brew Coffee Maker In the Box

Coffee Bear Cold Brew Coffee Maker In the Box
The Goodful cold brew coffee maker wrapped in bubble plastic after unboxing.
  • Assembled brewer
  • Instruction leaflet inside

The Goodful is completely made of plastic, so it’s quite durable. Perhaps for this reason it didn’t come in a fancy box. We received it bubble-wrapped and bundled with other cold coffee brewers we had purchased.

The Goodful reminded us of another cold brew coffee maker we have reviewed — the Takeya. Goodful, however, has a slightly larger brewer. It’s also oblong shaped to fit in a refrigerator door, the lid design is similar, but the filter is quite different. The Goodful filter is made of stainless steel mesh and not nylon, and the filter base is detachable. We were really interested to see how the two would compare.

The unboxed Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker. The box is to the left, the brewer to the right, and the user-guide in front.
  • Assembled glass brewer
  • Instruction leaflet in Brewer
  • Product message card

Coffee Bear is a good-looking cold brew coffee maker. We liked its handy size and solid design. The design, as well as the box packaging, is almost identical to Coffee Gator. There are no other extras in the package except the brew guide and care manual all on one leaflet. The greeting card by ‘the founders’ seemed a little contrived.

Goodful Cold Brew Decanter

The Coffee Bear Cold Brew Decanter
The plastic carafe of the Goodful cold brew coffee maker with the user guide insert standing to the right.
  • Height With Stopper Lid:
    11.8 in (300 mm)
  • Base Diameter:
    4.5 x 3.9 inch oblong (115 x 100 mm)
  • Width:
    7 in (180 mm)
  • Weight:
    14.1 oz (400 g)
  • Material:
    plastic

It appears that the decanter is made of Tritan plastic. However, there is no clear information about the materials used either in the included literature or on their website (Amazon store website only). There is also no information about the BPA-free status of the device, but it is made in China. 

In our small 97 L refrigerator, the brewer didn't fit in the door bin so be sure to check all measurements carefully before purchasing. In comparison, the Takeya fits a small refrigerator door bin, is made in the USA, clearly labeled BPA-free, and made from Tritan plastic.

The Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker brew decanter with no filter inserted.
  • Height With Stopper Lid:
    10
  • Base Diameter:
    3.9
  • Width:
    6.7" (17.0 cm)
  • Weight:
    30.0 oz (850 g)
  • Material:
    borosilicate glass, silicone

The brew decanter is quite solid and appears well-made. The silicone base, although non-slip, was not the most perfectly level. On careful examination, the Coffee Bear carafe, without the silicone base, is slightly shorter than the Coffee Gator.

8.5

Stopper / Lid

10
A close up of a screw-on handle frame and a screwable lid for a cold brew coffee maker.
  • Diameter:
    6.3 in (180 mm)
  • Material:
    Plastic
  • Additional Features:
    2 silicone gaskets, detachable grip

The lid consists of three parts. There is a rim with an attached handle that screws over the top, and an inner lid that partly unscrews for pouring or completely removes for brewing and cleaning. Each part has a silicone gasket, and the handle has a detachable silicone grip.

We really liked the comfortable grip and size of the handle. However, although airtight, the rim and the inner lid are rather clunky when screwing.

The screw-on lid frame of the Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker disassembled.
  • Diameter:
     4.3 in (110 mm)
  • Material:
    BPA-free plastic
  • Additional Features:
    2 white silicone gaskets

The screw-on plastic rim and lid are a very practical design. There are two silicone gaskets, but in comparison, it doesn’t screw on as easily as the Coffee Gator’s. The handle is likewise somewhat small and uncomfortable to grip.

9.0

Filter

8.0
A close up side of a plastic and nylon filter used in a common cold brew coffee maker.
  • Length:
    8.1 in (230 mm)
  • Diameter:
    2.6 in (75 mm)
  • Material:
    Plastic & stainless steel mesh
  • Additional Features:
    Flip-up plastic handle, detachable base

The brew core is of robust construction with a significant amount of plastic cover. The filter itself is made of a stainless steel mesh. We wondered if this type of design was permeable enough to produce a good brew, but the brew test results were favorable. The handle fully extended is 9.1 in (260 mm), but this function is only deployed during decanting.

A side view close up of a plastic and nylon filter for a cold brew coffee maker.
  • Length:
     7.5 in (190 mm)
  • Diameter:
    2.5 in (65 mm)
  • Material:
    Black plastic, nylon mesh
  • Additional Features:
    Detachable base

The detachable base of the filter is not unique since we’ve encountered this design before. One drawback is it takes time to drain out all the liquid. Furthermore, a permeable base could possibly help in developing a better brew quality. We were eager to see what our test results would bring.

8.5

Build Quality

8.5
The disassembled Goodful Cold Brew coffee maker showing 6 parts in total.

The Goodful cold coffee maker is pretty solid and durable. We liked the quality and build of the filter, and the detachable silicone grip on the handle. The screwable parts, however, don’t have the best feel and are somewhat clunky. There was also very little information about the materials used for the different parts.

The Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker disassembled into 8 esprit parts.

Overall we were satisfied with the build quality. The silicone base, however, seemed less than the best. Compared to the almost identical Coffee Gator, the thread quality of the lid seemed not as good nor the filter assembly as smooth. Zoopolitics aside, we felt that the build quality of the Coffee Bear was not quite up to that of the contending Coffee Gator. Not a lion’s roar of a difference, but Coffee Bear also has fewer value-added extras.

Ease of Use

Goodful Cold Brew Coffee Maker Review

Coffee Bear Cold Brew Review: Ease of Use
8.8
usability Scores
  • Brewing (45%)9.0/10
  • Decanting (35%)8.5/10
  • Cleaning and Storage (20%)9.0/10
8.7
usability Scores
  • Brewing (45%)8.5/10
  • Decanting (35%)9.0/10
  • Cleaning and Storage (20%)8.5/10
9.0

Brewing

8.5
The Goodful cold brew coffee maker to the left and its filter filler with coffee ground on a scale to the right.

As per the instructions, you fill the filter, or brew core, to the top of the mesh windows which is 16 tablespoons or 3.8 oz of grounds. After carefully inserting the filter, you should pour two cups of water to dampen the grounds. The rest of the water should rise to the top of the brew core mesh windows.

We measured the grounds to 3.8 oz (107 g) and poured approximately 68 fl oz (2 L)  of filtered water. The brew ratio was, therefore, 1:18 which suggested a weaker kind of brew. 

It took quite some time to pour all the water without the grounds overflowing. It may be better, therefore, to prefill the decanter with at least 800 ml before inserting the filter and pouring the remainder of the water. Goodful recommends brewing for 24 hours, but we brewed for 18 hours according to our testing procedure.

The Coffee Bear cold brew coffee maker with some water poured in during the brewing set up.

Brewing was a simple process of attaching the filter to the ring neck and then pouring in the grounds. The recommended amount of grounds is 95 g (3.3 oz) which is just below the mesh line.

You can pour in the grounds, but the last few inches may require a spoon. We used the silicon funnel and stainless steel measuring spoon from the similar Coffee Gator brewer. It was a lot easier but the Coffee Bear does not come with these useful little extras. 

We also found that for a small refrigerator, we had to remove the silicone base for the Coffee Bear to fit in the door. Furthermore, the base is cumbersome to reattach especially if the carafe is full.

8.5

Decanting

 Decanting

Decanting simply requires removing the filter. However, the clunky lid design can make removing and securing the lid a little frustrating. The flip handle for lifting the filter, however, is a handy feature. Based on our sediment test, you may want to decant the contents to remove the sludge settled on the bottom.

One thing worth noting is that with the filter removed, you can lay the decanter on its side when storing in the refrigerator. The Goodful is somewhat similar to the Takeya brewer. With the Takeya, the filter screws into the lid and you can brew in a horizontal position, but you can’t brew this way with the Goodful.

We experienced no issues with decanting. After slowly removing the neck ring, we checked the filter and it was still securely attached. It’s best to detach the filter immediately and leave the remaining liquid to drain into another container. We rinsed the neck ring, resealed the carafe, and refrigerated again. Our next step was to do our brew score testing for bouquet, drinkability, and sediment.

9.0

Cleaning and Storage

8.5

Cleaning the Goodful is a breeze because it has a removable filter base and it's easy to reach inside the sizable container. The filter is reasonably robust and the handle makes it easy to hang on a hook. You can also put everything in the dishwasher, but we would recommend removing the silicone gaskets first. The container is quite large, so storage may be a factor depending on your kitchen setup.

Cleaning is about as straightforward as decanting. We detached the base of the filter, shook out the grounds, and rinsed thoroughly. Afterward, we gently cleaned inside with a bottle brush and outside with a non-abrasive sponge. The black plastic containing the mesh filter makes it hard to see where the coffee oils are. The carafe can be cleaned by hand, but larger hands may not fit inside. 

The instructions say all parts are dishwasher friendly. We, however, disagree, feeling only the glass carafe should be put in a dishwasher.