County Line Kitchen Cold Brew Coffee Maker Review

We purchased the County Line Kitchen Cold Brew Coffee Maker so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

County Line Kitchen is owned by a Wisconsin-based family company committed to bringing its customers high-quality home and kitchen products. Even if you haven’t heard of it, you may have heard of the brand’s popular Cold Brew Coffee Maker. Consisting of a mason jar, a stainless steel lid and filter, and silicone seals, the brewer is simple, rustic, and compact—with a price tag to match.

It’s also highly rated, with nearly 2,000 5-star reviews and counting. In hopes of determining if it really lives up to the hype, we reviewed the cold brew coffee maker, putting it through several brews and taste tests. Read on for the results.

Setup: Intuitive

In comparison to other cold brew coffee makers, which can be somewhat complex in setup, County Line Kitchen’s Cold Brew Coffee Maker Mason Jar is fairly simple: We started by attaching one of the silicone seals to the filter’s rim. Then, we placed the filter with the seal into the jar and added coffee grounds to the filter basket. The user guide recommends filling the filter basket up to one inch from the top of the filter.

Next, we poured water over the grounds to fill up the jar. The instructions don’t say how much water, but we assumed about 1.5 quarts since that is what this cold brew maker yields at its maximum. Finally, we placed the whole thing in the fridge to brew for about 36 hours (24 to 48 hours is recommended for the refrigerator), though you can also leave it out at room temperature for less brewing time (12 to 24 hours).

Once the brewing time was up, we removed the filter basket from the jar and discarded the grounds. We placed the other included silicone seal into the top of the mason jar lid to give it an airtight seal when storing back in the fridge without the filter.

Design: Great for parties

This cold brew coffee maker is made with high-quality materials. Ball mason jars are known for being very durable (they’re built for the canning process, after all), and that’s what is used for this brewing vessel. We felt confident that our container, made of soda-lime glass, wasn’t going to easily shatter.

The filter and lid are made of heavy-duty stainless steel, so it shouldn’t rust, crack, or degrade over time. In fact, the brand boasts it’s “the strongest, most durable filter available.” If you do encounter an issue, County Line Kitchen offers a 90-day warranty. 

The sides of the jar are marked with measurements (in both cups and pints) to help control the batch size. We found this to be very handy when pouring water into the jar for our cold brew.

Additionally, this cold brew coffee maker is especially great for parties. Not only can you make larger batches (up to 1.5 quarts), but the vessel itself looks great on the table. However, it is 9.5 inches tall, which makes it difficult to fit in the fridge. You may have to do some rearranging of shelves, as we did, before refrigerating.

Performance: Smooth cold brew, but some grounds seeped through

In terms of flavor, this coffee maker delivers. The cold brew we made was deliciously smooth and flavorful—though we wouldn’t consider it concentrate, as the brand claims. Still, it had a potent, rich flavor that was worth coming back for more.

The filter is partly to thank. Stainless steel filters like the one in this brewer are said to help create bold flavor, and we found this to be true. As a bonus, it eliminates the waste and long-term investment of paper filters.

However, permanent filters are also not as fine as their paper counterparts, meaning grounds are more likely to slip through. Despite the delicious flavors, we did notice some sediment made it into our brew.

Features: Includes recipe booklet, but instructions are vague

This coffee maker also comes with a few extra features that make it stand out from the rest. Beyond making great cold coffee, it can also brew teas and infuse oils with spices or water with your favorite fruits. Thanks to the included silicone seal for the lid, we were able to shake the container to stir the contents without worrying about any leakage. This product also comes with a recipe booklet—an uncommon but fun addition.

However, we found the booklet’s instructions for making cold brew coffee concentrate pretty unclear, specifying only the amount of coffee grounds to include but not the amount of water. We ended up just using a general coffee-to-water ratio to brew up a batch.

It’s worth noting that the company offers some fun extras. For the same price, you can get this cold brew maker with a flip-cap lid instead of the stainless steel lid—perfect for sipping coffee on the go. And if you’d rather just use one of your own wide-mouth mason jars, you can order the filter and seal only for around $20. 

Price: It’s a steal

Considering it brews up to 1.5 quarts of smooth, delicious coffee, is made of durable materials, and costs around $27, you’re really getting a great deal for the County Line Kitchen Cold Brew Coffee Maker. Many of the most popular cold brew coffee makers start at $35 for the same return.

County Line Kitchen’s Cold Brew Coffee Maker vs. Ovalware RJ3 Cold Brew Maker

Another popular cold brew coffee maker on the market is the Ovalware RJ3 Cold Brew Maker, which we also tested. Similar to County Line Kitchen’s version, it is very durable, with borosilicate glass and a stainless steel filter. It also features precise measurements on the vessel, and it makes delicious cold brew.

The main difference lies in the value. With County Line Kitchen’s cold brew maker, you’re able to make up to 1.5 quarts of brew, whereas the Ovalware cold brew coffee maker only makes up to 1 liter (1.06 quarts) of brew in their smallest vessel, which costs around $30. The County Line Kitchen Cold brew coffee maker brews more coffee for nearly the same price (around $27), which means you’re getting more for your dollar.