Takeya vs Toddy System Side-by-Side Comparison

The Takeya cold brew coffee maker doesn’t require any gradual wetting of the grounds. Just put 170g of grounds in the filter (it should come to 2 inches from the extender rim) and you’re ready to go. 

Then, you screw on the lid and immerse it into the pitcher with 7 cups of cold water. If you prefer metric, that’s roughly 1,680 ml — about an inch from the top of the vessel. 

After inserting the filter with the grounds, we shook the container and let it sit for 10 minutes. The brewer was shaken thoroughly once again before going into the refrigerator on its side. We shook the container periodically another four times over the 18 hours of brewing. This device therefore takes a little more attention than other methods, but overall it’s quite straightforward.

A key selling point for this brewer is its airtight seal. This means coffee odors will not contaminate your refrigerator while brewing. There is also less oxidative stress, so you can store your coffee longer.

The Toddy Cold Brew System’s felt filter demands a bit more precision than most other brewers. You must add water and grounds in a staggered manner and be careful not to stir the contents. Also, it takes some time to properly wet the grounds by gently pushing them down and mixing in. 

If you use a paper bag filter for brewing, it’s a lot easier. Just add the grounds and water, and you can stir around the contents all you want. If you try to stir without the paper bag, the felt filter will clog. The process takes a few brews to master. 

The lack of measurement markings on the brew vessel is an unfortunate oversight. Therefore, we had to weigh grounds for each brewing. The brewer vessel may also be a bit heavy for some. We found it best to carry with two hands, but removing the detachable handle made it easier to fit the refrigerator.

Decanting the Takeya simply means unscrewing the lid and taking out the attached filter. Next, unscrew the filter from the lid and then screw the air-tight lid back onto the pitcher.In this sense, it’s one of the most convenient immersion brewer designs. 

After removing the filter, the manufacturer recommends you place it in a tall glass for 45 min to catch remaining concentrate. You should also clean the lid of any grounds before screwing it back onto the decanter. These tips are only found on the product homepage.

As pointed out, if you fail to attach the filter extender securely, or shake the vessel too vigorously, you may have to decant the contents a second time.

When you need to decant some coffee to drink, partially unscrew the lid to align the gap to the spout. It’s safe to pick up the container by the lid handle because the lid ring remains securely attached.

• Total height when decanting: 15 in (380 mm)

Decanting is simple enough. You hold the brew vessel by the handle, pull the stopper, and slip it onto the decanter. The liquid won’t immediately come out, so it’s unlikely to make a mess.

We found, however, that the lively stream can slow to a steady drip. The felt plug filter was temperamental. We actually had to remove the contents of the brew vessel, clean the filter, and then resume. Decanting can thus take 20 to 40 minutes.

Alternatively, you can use a paper bag filter. This works out better and decanting takes 20 minutes or less.

The filter pad, despite its drawbacks, produced the best filtration results. It may also help remove coffee oils, especially if you use an additional paper brew bag. The biggest disadvantage is that you’ll need to continue buying replacement filters and/or bags.

In total, the Takeya separates into seven cleanable parts. The online instructions state that all parts, including the filter, are dishwasher safe. We presume, however, that it would be better to not put the rubber gasket for the screwable lid into the dishwasher. For hand washing, it’s very easy to reach inside the brew vessel.

The filter itself is quite long, and was difficult to clean without a bottle brush. Without proper cleaning, over time coffee oils can clog the fine holes and produce a stale smell. For deep cleaning, you should soak in a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. 

Cleaning was not as straightforward as it seemed like it should be. The handle has a nice silicone sleeve for comfortable gripping. It took a little effort to remove that for cleaning and to replace it again.

Storage is easy enough because all parts screw together and you are unlikely to misplace any parts if you reassemble properly. Replacement filters can also be purchased online.

• Storage diameter: 8.6 in (220 mm)
• Storage height: 11 in (280 mm)

The Toddy Cold Brew System has minimal components, so storage is straightforward. The brew vessel is easy to clean and all parts can go into a dishwasher, but hand washing is recommended for a longer lifespan.

The decanter neck is wide enough for all but the largest of hands to reach in and clean. It fits comfortably into the brew vessel for storage. Since the silicone lid is flexible, it too slips in nicely.

The felt filter, however, must be placed in a plastic bag while wet and then put into the refrigerator, which is a little inconvenient. You can easily keep the silicone stopper in the brew vessel when not in use, or place it into the empty decanter.