Ovalware vs Willow & Everett Side-by-Side Comparison
Ovalware cold brew coffee maker vs Willow & Everett mason jar. A choice between attention to design or just good cold brew coffee making.
Specifications
Design
The Ovalware has a distinguished look, but for us, the most prominent feature was the detachable silicone base stand. It made handling the carafe very comfortable. The small lip poured very nicely, and the handle was easy to grip. The only drawback was the quality and fit of the silicone seal.
Although the Willow & Everett looks neat and handy, the build quality and design didn’t quite match our expectations. The lid and filter, in particular, are poorly made and the tap mechanism is not well thought out. Cleaning is straightforward, and as long as you handle the jar carefully, you may be perfectly happy with this product.
Usability Comparison
Both brewing and decanting required little effort. However, since it is better to decant the contents twice or use a paper filter, additional work may be required. The thin neck of the decanter and the long filter required a bottle brush for deep cleaning.
Brewing with the Willow & Everett is very straightforward, as is cleaning and storage. Unfortunately, the design makes decanting somewhat cumbersome. The tap does not work so well and leaves about 20% of the liquid behind. That means you must decant it into a smaller vessel, largely negating the value of a tap in the first place.
Brew Quality
The brew quality of the Ovalware was quite in line with what one would expect from a good cold brew coffee maker. It did well in bringing out sweeter flavors, although the concentrate itself was not so strong. Brewing for longer than 18 hours may produce even better results.
We partly attributed the good brewing results to the carafe having a wide base, but narrow neck. This seems to accommodate the more favorable design of a lower-down brewing area. The filter is also permeable enough to produce a favorable brew.
The Willow & Everett produced a relatively strong and delicious brew. In fact, it was one of the best brews we got out of any immersion-filter cold brew coffee maker. Overall, the taste was defined by a deep roasted flavor and an almost bitter aftertaste. If you enjoy a strong coffee, or are looking for a quality cold brew concentrate to mix into something else, this is one of the better choices.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Brew quality
- Brew markers in cups and ml
- Silicone base pad
- Comfortable handle
- Ease of brewing
- Funky design
- Brew ratio
- Brew quality
- Tap dispenser
- Quality and fit of silicone seals
- Additional decanting
- Narrow head for cleaning
- Lid design
- Weak glass around tap
- Tap is temperamental
- No literature
Conclusion
While the Ovalware is built to look great on your kitchen table, the Willow & Everett is designed to dispense the brew straight from the refrigerator shelf. Both brewers come in smaller and larger sizes as well.
The Ovalware, however, pays more attention to the overall design quality, whereas the Willow & Everett excels in the quality and strength of its brew. The lid of the Willow & Everett is rather tinny and does not have an inner gasket. The filter is roughly sewn together, and the tap or spigot doesn’t always work smoothly.
Both brewers are ideal for hot brewing since they are both glass, using a stainless steel and mesh gauze filter respectively. The Willow & Everett, however, is a nice design for serving summer favorites such as lemonades or whole fruit teas.
In terms of the actual quality of the cold brew coffee produced, the Willow & Everett is a step ahead of the Ovalware. This is partly because it has a more favorable brew ratio of 1:9 whereas the Ovalware’s is 1:11, but the brew is still relatively good.
Behind the Comparison
Roger Shitaki is a writer, author, and editor. His niches are household appliances, health & wellness, and travel. He’s a freelance contributor to a Tokyo lifestyle website and a leading ophthalmology magazine in Asia.
