While I have been a huge proponent of minimizing screentime on devices in general, I must give it to the algorithmic masters at Instagram and other social media platforms. Ever since I showed interest in coffee makers, I have been bombarded non-stop with ads, account recommendations, and videos from every conceivable brand out there. So I decided to finish my journey and continue down the rabbit hole of my coffee obsession – why turn back now? There has been a bushel of new coffee maker brands entering the market of late, several of which stand out from the crowd with sleek designs and so many configurable settings that engineers and data nerds would be in coffee heaven. For me, though, I’ll take a great-looking product with minimal design and few settings that make some of the best-tasting coffee out there, and the Cumulus Coffee Company seems to have done just that for cold brew coffee aficionados. Priced at $695, the Howard Schultz-backed company has raised more than $20 million from various investors (including One Republic’s Ryan Tedder), showing the seriousness of their mission and the evidence of their coffee quality.
Cold Brew is hot right now (er, popular, I mean) as it accounts for nearly 30% of all coffee orders according to a 2024 study by drive research – up 300% since 2016. This is particularly true for Gen Z and Millennial coffee enthusiasts. The problem is that there isn’t really a good cold brew machine out there to buy, and the ones that are out there still depend on the consumer adding cold water, ice, or what I would call “fake” measures to make the cold brew somewhat cold (or just giving up and making iced coffee instead — and yes, there’s a difference). In fact, until I tried the Cumulus Cold Brew maker, I would just recommend to folks that they add their coffee to a pitcher and set it in a fridge overnight. It’s non-decadent, for sure, but it gets the job done.
All about the Cumulus Cold Brew machine
The Cumulus machine does one thing, and it does it well – cold coffee, that’s it. Sleek in design (in the same sense that classic zeppelins were), this large machine comes in two colors (carbon and cream) and demands counter space, but thankfully, it looks good while doing so. There are three settings to choose from: Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew, and Cold Espresso. There is a built-in chiller that drops the temperature of the water, so the cold brew is actually pretty cold. As of this writing, the machine comes with a 12-pack coffee sampler, cleaning solution, water filter, and a cleaning capsule.
There are five different coffee blends to choose from, ranging from light to dark in boldness and in a variety of flavors that all tasted amazing, in my opinion. There are some days when I might want some cold brew in the afternoon, and the decaf option is just perfect for me.
One of the interesting features of the Cumulus Cold Brew machine is its ability to create a Nitro Cold Brew without a special cartridge or add-on kit. Instead, the machine pulls nitrogen from the air using a special magical technology (it’s patent-pending, but they do not explain how it works) that disperses bubbles into the brew for that smooth, frothy texture. The result? In blind taste tests, it’s just like what you would expect in texture and thickness from a Nitro Cold Brew. Overall, the quality of the coffee in my book is outstanding.
Should you purchase the Cumulus Coffee machine?
Your call – how much do you love your cold brew coffee? Are you constantly experimenting with new cold brew cocktail recipes? If you’re like me and spending $5 a pop on cold brew several times a week, you could have this baby paid off before the year ends. But how can you put a price on convenience, quality, and being the envy of your friends? Priceless for some of you.
