Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Crafting a beautiful, space efficient home brewing system
OXO
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ClientOXO
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IndustryConsumer Goods
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ServicesCustomer Research, Industrial Design, Human Factors, Design for Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, Prototyping
Love homemade cold brew but don’t have a lot of room?
Enjoying a premium cup of coffee is an important part of many people’s morning routines. However, when your countertops and refrigerator shelves are short on space, you need a compact coffee maker that will deliver cold brew without taking over your kitchen.
Smart Design and OXO collaborated to design a compact cold brew coffee maker that is small but mighty. The OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker simplifies the cold-brew process to deliver a smooth, low-acid coffee concentrate.
What makes a perfect cup of cold brew?
Traditionally, cold brew is made by soaking coarsely ground beans overnight before straining the beans the next morning for your coffee ritual. While an effective method for producing a good cup of coffee, we wanted to simplify this process so that users could get their coffee with less hassle.
To understand the methods that produce the best taste, clarity, and concentration, we tested a variety of brewing methods. Our research found that infusers were intuitive but produced cloudy, poor coffee. Slow drippers deliver a smooth, clear coffee but can be finicky. Infuse and drain brewers that steep overnight are the best of both worlds: they’re a foolproof way to make smooth, flavorful coffee.
Inspired by iconic urban architecture
Taking cues from familiar New York City structures, we made multiple foam form studies to iterate quickly and refine proportion. Once we had a promising direction, we began to prototype a hollow brewing chamber to see how proportions affected the brew taste, clarity, and concentration. Our final design mimics the shape of New York City’s water towers and allows for a fast and easy brewing experience.
Even distribution
The perforated Rainmaker™ top distributes water over the grounds evenly, ensuring a smooth coffee that’s less acidic than more traditional brewing methods. The ultra-fine, reusable stainless steel mesh filter prevents grounds from escaping, while the carafe’s cork stopper helps keep the concentrate fresh for days.
Playful interactions
Stacking the vessels opens a hidden valve and releases the brewed coffee into the glass carafe. The forms come together to create a unified, hourglass silhouette while draining.
Crafted quality
Cold brew is an artisan brewing method and the vessel that holds your coffee throughout the week should reflect that. To give the overall design a refined look, we embossed the OXO logo onto the top of the cork stopper while the borosilicate glass carafe provides an elevated touch.
Compact size. Big flavor.
Though only 24-ounces, the compact brewing container can create up to a week’s worth of smooth coffee concentrate that can easily be stored in the fridge for early morning access. When you’re done, the brewer and carafe nest for neat storage.
The final design for our Brew Cold Brew Coffee Maker simplifies the cold-brew process to satisfy both coffee experts and coffee novices alike. Just add water and let it pour over your coffee grounds to steep for 12 to 24 hours.
The OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker is available at oxo.com and other select retailers.
Images provided by Cavanaugh from OXO.