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Coffee Gator Cold Brew Coffee Maker In-depth Review

Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker - hands-on testing scores. Best added extras. Find out if the brew test score matches its snazzy design.

By ·Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
The Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker standing to the right of its box.

Overall Verdict

Coffee Gator is a good value cold brew coffee maker. It comes with a personalized message and an extended warranty with discounts on future purchases upon registration. The airtight lid is well-designed for easy pouring and the silicone funnel and measuring spoon make all the difference with brewing. The carafe is a good fit for any kind of refrigerator door, but the plastic-framed filter may not be for everyone. The brew itself is strong enough to drink as it is but lacks complexity and character. All in all, it’s an average-ranking brewer, but the extras are nice.

Things We Like

  • Quality of glass carafe
  • Additional spoon and funnel
  • Neat and clever lid
  • Twist to pour lid
  • Personalized extras

Things We Don’t Like

  • Grip and length of handle
  • Brew rather average

Coffee Gator is a small coffee brand that manufactures other manual coffee brewers including French press and pour-over coffee makers. They also have an espresso machine and a range of coffee paraphernalia.

Key Specs

Brewer HxW
10.2 x 6.7 inches
Brewer Diameter
3.9 inches
Brewer Materials
Borosilicate glass, plastic
Filter Type
Plastic, nylon immersion
Filter HxDia
7.8 x 2.5 inches
Decanter Weight
1.2 lbs

Where to Buy Price at publication $26.28

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Compared to Other Cold Brew Coffee Makers

Ranking by
Showing: 9/15 Items

Analysis and Test Results

7.2 Brew Quality

The brew quality of the Coffee Gator was fairly average and much in line with other immersion brewers with a similar ratio. The brew lacked complexity overall but was drinkable enough without dilution. Hot blooming may be an option, but many people prefer a stainless steel filter for this.

7.0 Bouquet

The bouquet of the coffee gator was of a slightly medium strength. We detected a mild roasted note, as well as a definite woodiness. There was a slight hint of caramel. This suggested that the extraction was either average or a little under par.

7.0 Drinkability

A small glass of coffee standing in the foreground and the Coffee Gator cold brew coffee jug-carafe in the background.

The Coffee Gator produced a mild to medium strength brew. It had a dominant roasted flavor, but no real complexity. The aftertaste had a very slight sourness with a watery finish. It’s a nice enough brew especially if you prefer a little sweetness added. We don’t recommend diluting it, but the addition of a little milk or mixed as a smoothie or protein drink would work fine. You may want to brew for longer than 18 hours.

8.0 Sediment

An inside view of a cold brew coffee carafe showing remaining sediment after all the brew has been carefully decanted.

After decanting the brew, there was a moderate amount of fine granular sediment remaining. This was typical for the type of brewer and filter, or as good as one could expect. If you prefer, you can decant the brew a second time, but there is no grittiness to the final drink.

8.9 Design

The overall design of the Coffee Gator is simple and practical. The way the lid works is particularly nice, but the handle needs rethinking. The stainless steel measuring spoon and silicone funnel are also quite versatile in and of themselves.

In the Box

An unboxed Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker. The box is to the left, a measuring spoon and silicone funnel are upfront.
  • Borosilicate glass jug brewer
  • Stainless steel measuring spoon
  • Silicone funnel
  • Instruction and message card

Our first impressions of the Coffee Gator cold brew setup were very positive. The carafe has a solid look and feel, the black and white design is very catchy, and it’s not heavy to lift. The stainless steel spoon is something you won’t get with other brewers, and the silicone funnel for pouring in grounds was very thoughtful. 

We liked the personalized message card and instruction card too. The box had a seal saying ‘This product is not dishwasher safe’. The box also says if you register for a Platinum Membership, you get an additional year’s warranty, priority access to new products, discount codes, and coffee masterclass brew videos. They have full social media profiles and you can view their videos on Youtube.

Decanter

The Coffee Gator glass brew jug standing on a countertop. There is no filter inserted.
Height with Stopper Lid
10.2
Base Diameter
3.9
Width
6.7" (17.0 cm)
Weight
19.3 oz (547 g)
Material
 borosilicate glass

The decanter is of excellent quality and the glass is quite thick, but not heavy. The full capacity is 1.2 liters. The plastic neck handle screws on tightly and the only fault is the handle. It’s a little short and uncomfortable while the grip is not so secure.

10 Stopper / Lid

A close up of a screw-on rim handle and lid stopper of a cold brew coffee maker.
Diameter
4.3
Material
BPA-free plastic
Additional Features
2 white silicone gaskets

We loved the design of the Coffee Gator lid. It’s made of clear see-through plastic with a silicone gasket around the inner rim. It fits very neatly into the hole of the screw-on handle rim. The rim handle has an additional silicone gasket for proper air-tight sealing. If you turn the lid slightly to one side, the spout opens up to pour.

The lid design is very practical, however, it’s practically identical to that of the Coffee Bear. Upon reaching out, we confirmed that there is no relationship between the two coffee brands.

8.0 Filter

A close up side angle of a plastic and mesh filter used in a cold brew coffee maker.
Length
7.8" (19.8 cm)
Diameter
2.5
Material
White plastic & nylon mesh
Additional Features
 Detachable base

We loved the refreshing white design of the filter, and how it clips securely into the rim. The base of the filter unscrews and comes off for cleaning. Since the brew ratio is only 1:14, and the filter had a fair amount of solid plastic, we wondered how well it would actually brew. The mesh filter seemed porous enough on first inspection.

9.0 Build Quality

The disassemble Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker showing all 9 parts.

The overall build quality is really good. The carafe is solid and the lid an excellent design. On the downside, the handle lacks a solid grip and feels uncomfortable. The silicone gaskets seem good quality, and the stainless steel measuring spoon and silicone funnel add excellent value to the product.

9.2 Ease of Use

Coffee Gator is exceptionally easy to use because of the included measuring spoon and silicone pouring funnel. The filter attaches securely and effortlessly, and the lid design is most practical. Hand cleaning is also no issue.

9.5 Brewing

A short video showing how to brew with the Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker.
The Coffee Gator cold brew coffee maker set up for brewing with measured coffee grounds on a scale.

The addition of the silicone funnel and the measuring spoon made brewing practically effortless. The recommended amount of grounds is 75 g or 2.6 oz, however, we put in eight spoons to top off some of the space. One level spoon is 11 g, so the total weight was 88 g or 3.1 oz.

The silicone funnel was also perfect for pouring water around the edges so the flow was more gentle and gradual. If you pour too fast, liquid and grounds will move up the funnel, so be careful when you take the funnel out. You can use a teaspoon to push any grounds around the edges into the filter. The lid also made for a perfect air-tight fit.

9.0 Decanting

Like any immersion filter brew, decanting was effortless. All you need to do is pop off the lid and carefully twist loose the neck ring. We detached the filter immediately and left it to rest in a jar to collect the last few drips. After rinsing the screw-on neck ring, we immediately resealed the carafe to protect the flavor and aroma. We returned the brew to the refrigerator to await our brew score testing.

9.0 Cleaning and Storage

To clean the filter, you need to rinse out the grounds and then gently clean with a bottle brush and a small amount of liquid soap. We noticed a fair amount of coffee oil that required soap for cleaning. Also, the filter lost its pearly white appeal after the first brew. However, you can see the residue oil to wash off more easily than with a black-colored filter.

The carafe itself also cleans easily. We had no problem getting our hands inside, but larger hands may be a problem. You can put the glass carafe in a dishwasher, but Coffee Gator recommends hand washing.

Behind the review

Headshot of Roger Shitaki
Roger ShitakiReviewer

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.