What is the asobu cold brew maker?
A cold brewer and a vacuum flask that are the same object.
asobu publishes a stainless steel carafe with copper insulation rated at 24 hours cold retention, a 32oz brewing chamber inside a 40oz carafe, leakproof and BPA-free construction, and a concentrate the maker says can be drunk hot or iced. It measures 5.39 by 5.39 by 14 inches. asobu cites a Europe Coffee Fest top honour.
Read the two capacity numbers, because they are not the same
The carafe is 40oz. The brewing chamber is 32oz. You get less than the headline.
Cold brewers are routinely sold on the vessel's volume rather than the coffee's, and asobu is more honest than most in publishing both. What comes out is concentrate from a 32oz brew, which is then diluted, so the drinkable yield is larger again once you add water or milk.
That matters when comparing against a 64oz jug, which brews nearly twice as much for a fraction of the price. What the jug cannot do is keep it cold or leave the house.
Why insulation belongs on a cold brewer
Cold brew is usually made in a fridge, which is why nobody thinks about it.
A glass jug has to live in the fridge for the whole twelve to twenty-four hours and then stay there. That is a lot of shelf for one drink and it means the coffee never leaves the kitchen.
A copper-insulated steel carafe rated at 24 hours means the brew can steep on a counter, go in a bag, sit in a car, or be taken to a desk and still be cold at the end of the day. It turns cold brew from a fridge product into a portable one, which is a genuine change in what the thing is for.
It is also opaque and unbreakable, which are both improvements on glass for something that gets carried.
Concentrate, and the part people get wrong
What comes out is not a drink yet, and treating it as one is why cold brew tastes harsh.
asobu describes the output as concentrate. Cold brew concentrate is normally diluted around one part coffee to one or two parts water or milk. Drunk neat it is intensely strong and unpleasantly heavy, which is the single most common complaint from people making it at home for the first time.
It also means the 32oz brewing chamber produces considerably more than 32oz of finished drink, which is the fair way to compare it on price against a larger jug.
asobu vs OXO Good Grips cold brew
Portable and insulated against fixed and cheap.
The OXO Good Grips is a kitchen device: a rainmaker lid, a switch to release the brew, and a glass carafe that lives on a shelf. It costs less and is easier to clean.
The asobu goes with you and stays cold for a day. If cold brew is made and drunk at home, the OXO. If it is made for a commute, a site or a gym bag, this.
Is the asobu worth it?
Worth it if the coffee leaves the house. Overpriced if it does not.
Everything you pay extra for is portability and cold retention, and both are real and published. For home-only use a jug does the same brewing for a tenth of the money.
asobu publishes no weight in grams, no warranty term, no parts count, no filter micron and no replacement parts availability on this listing. The award it cites is the maker's own claim.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it for cold brew that travels.
It suits a commute, a work site, a gym, or a kitchen with no fridge space to spare for a jug.
Do not buy it if the brew never leaves the fridge, where a mason jar brews more for far less. And do not drink the output neat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cold brew does the asobu make?
The brewing chamber is 32oz inside a 40oz carafe, and the output is concentrate, so the finished drink is more once diluted.
How long does it stay cold?
24 hours, published by the maker, from a copper-insulated stainless carafe.
Do you drink it straight?
No. It is a concentrate, normally diluted one part to one or two parts water or milk.
Can you take it with you?
Yes, it is leakproof and insulated, which is the main reason to choose it over a jug.
Can the concentrate be drunk hot?
asobu says yes, hot or iced.
