Best iced coffee makers and accessories

Several coffee machines now come with a range of settings that make the process quicker and simpler, while others are designed specifically for making iced coffee and cold brew. Iced coffee accessories like ice cube trays, flasks and reusable straws can also come in handy, so we've added some of our favourites below, too.

Read on for our recommendations of the best iced coffee makers and accessories for every budget, to help you make refreshing chilled beverages from home. For more, visit our reviews section and find over 600 practical buyer's guides offering unbiased advice on what equipment is worth investing in.

It's important to know how to dispose of gadgets responsibly at the end of their life, too. You can read more on this in our guide on how to recycle your electricals and appliances, which includes a list of retailers that can recycle your appliances for you.

For more on coffee, discover our tried-and-tested favourite picks of the best bean-to-cup machines, best espresso machines, best coffee pod machines best filter coffee machines, and cafetières. Plus, we bring you the best coffee grinders and our favourite reusable coffee cups.

Jump to section:

• Best iced coffee makers and accessories at a glance
• Best iced coffee makers and accessories to buy
• What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brew?
• How we tested iced coffee makers

Best iced coffee makers and accessories at a glance

• Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for cold brew: De'Longhi Eletta Explore, £898
• Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for versatility: Jura Z10, £1,915
• Best single-serve iced coffee maker: Breville Iced Coffee Maker, £44
• Best budget iced coffee maker: Drew & Cole Barista Iced Cafe, £39.99
• Best ice cube tray for making large quantities: Oliver's Kitchen 4-pack ice cube trays, £9.99
• Best clear plastic reusable ice cubes: Kikkerland reusable ice cubes, £8.48
• Best coffee syrup set: Monin flavoured coffee syrups set, £14.99
• Best travel cup for insulation: Klean Kanteen Insulated TK Wide, £19.85
• Best metal reusable straws: National Trust eco reusable steel drinking straws, £5

Best iced coffee makers and accessories to buy

De'Longhi Eletta Explore

Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for cold brew

Pros:

• Quality cold brew coffee
• Varied functionality
• Sleek and stylish
• Multiple accessories included

Cons:

• Large footprint
• More expensive price tag
• Lots of non-recyclable packaging

Star rating: 5/5

Wattage: 1450W

The best bean-to-cup machines are versatile, but only a handful – like this newer model from De'Longhi – come with cold brew functionality. The Eletta Explore has hot and cold settings for a number of drink options, including cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, americanos, espressos, and flat whites, plus space for up to four user profiles so you can save your favourites.

The digital display communicates each part of the coffee-making process so there's little room for error, and there's adjustable grind and temperature settings, too. Bear in mind it's a chunky machine, so better suited to those with larger countertop space.

Jura Z10

Best bean-to-cup coffee machine for versatility

Pros:

• Variety of functions
• Produces quality espresso
• Intuitive digital display
• Has a product-recognising grinder

Cons:

• Large footprint
• More expensive

Star rating: 5/5

Wattage: 1450W

With this attractive bean-to-cup machine, you can customise the brew time, strength and level of milk froth precisely to your liking. The in-built grinder even uses precision technology that automatically adjusts the fineness of the grind, depending on which coffee you've selected.

Among the 32 drink specialities are several cold brew options, including cold brew cappuccino and cold brew latte – both of which we found to be creamy and perfectly chilled in testing. The hopper also has an aroma-locked lid that's designed to keep your coffee beans fresher for longer.

Read our guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines.

Breville Iced Coffee Maker

Best single-serve iced coffee maker

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Intuitive controls
• Easy to use
• Runs quietly

Cons:

• Drips after brewing
• Excessive plastic packaging
• Needs large ice cubes

Star rating: 4/5

Wattage: 1100W

This single-serve Breville gadget produces solid results for a reasonable price. It's a little plasticky, but its simple controls are doddle to master, with just two buttons to press before the coffee can start brewing (an on-off switch and a start button).

A reusable filter basket, plastic scoop, 600ml tumbler and reusable hard-plastic straw are included, all of which are robust, though it's worth bearing in mind that none of them are dishwasher-safe.

Our first batch of coffee took around four minutes to brew, but was too watery as we used average-sized ice cubes, which quickly melted as the hot water ran over them. For our second batch, we used extra-large cubes and this worked much better: the coffee tasted pleasant with just a touch of bitterness.

We found the machine continued to drip after brewing, even when switched off and with the drip-stop closed, leaving us with a mess on the counter as there's no tray underneath.

These flaws aside, if you're a frequent iced coffee drinker and want a machine with basic functionality, it offers good value in the long-run.

Drew and Cole Barista Ice Cafe

Best budget iced coffee maker

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Easy-to-use controls
• Filter basket is dishwasher-safe
• Comprehensive instruction manual

Cons:

• Wobbles on worktop
• Needs large ice cubes
• Materials feel plasticky

Star rating: 4/5

Wattage: 700W

A great pick for students, this is a no-frills coffee machine that – while a little flimsy and wobbly on the worktop – does the job well. It's essentially a drip-coffee maker, and comes with a 600ml double-walled tumbler (with a lid and straw), a scoop, and a reusable filter basket, the latter of which can be popped in the dishwasher afterwards.

Using the Barista Iced Cafe is simple: just add three scoops of ground coffee to the filter basket, fill the water tank, place the tumbler filled with ice cubes underneath the spout, and press start. The coffee brews in roughly four minutes, after which you can close the drip stop.

Our iced coffee had a touch of bitterness and good flavour overall, though we had to switch to extra-large ice cubes for a second batch – the first used average-sized cubes, which melted too quickly and made the coffee watery. The insulation around the tumbler also kept our coffee ice-cold, even when we drank it slowly.

If you're particular about how you like your coffee, the basic functionality of the Barista Iced Cafe probably won't win you over. But for those who want a cold caffeine fix quickly, easily, and for a fraction of the cost found in most coffee shops, it's worth considering.

Oliver's Kitchen 4-pack ice cube trays

• Available from Amazon (£9.99)

Best ice cube tray for making large quantities

If you're making a few iced coffees at home each day, it's helpful to have plenty of ice stocked up in the freezer. This pack of four trays makes up to 56 ice cubes, which is more than enough to keep you going – plus they're handy for parties or large families too. Each tray comes with a lid so you can stack them, plus flexible frames that allow you to remove the ice easily.

Read our guide to the best ice cube trays.

• Available from Amazon (£9.99)

Kikkerland reusable ice cubes

• Available from Amazon (£9.74)

Best clear plastic reusable ice cubes

Cold drinks taste all the better when served with ice, but when it comes to coffee, you risk diluting the taste as it melts – particularly on a hot day. This is where reusable ice cubes, like these clear, plastic ones from Kikkerland, can be a handy option. There's no risk of them melting and they freeze more quickly than ice, which is helpful if you've forgotten to stock your freezer. They also offer good value for money, as you can use them again and again.

Find the best reusable ice cubes over on our sister site, olive magazine.

• Available from Amazon (£9.74)

Monin flavoured coffee syrups set

Prefer your iced coffee sweet? Coffee syrups are a great way to elevate your morning cup of java, and this set from Monin includes caramel, hazelnut, gingerbread and vanilla. Each bottle is 250ml and Monin advises adding 20-30ml to your cup when making a frappe.

Klean Kanteen insulated TK wide

• Available from Amazon (£30.99)

Best travel cup for insulation

Travel mugs are a great way to enjoy coffee on the go without the need for a single-use cup. This stainless steel option, available in five sizes, is designed to keep drinks at the optimum temperature for up to 11 hours, so you don't need to worry about your cold brew turning lukewarm while on the move. It's lightweight and robust, and comes with a matt surface for easy gripping. The lid is simple to screw on, too, and doesn’t allow any liquid to escape.

Read our guide to the best reusable travel cups.

• Available from Amazon (£30.99)

National Trust eco reusable steel drinking straws

• Available from National Trust (£5)

Best metal reusable straws

If you're a frequent iced coffee drinker who uses straws, purchasing some reusable ones – made from materials like silicone, metal, or hard plastic – could be a worthwhile investment.

At 13.4cm, these stainless steel straws are an ideal length and thickness, and we like the slight but not-too-drastic bend towards the top. They also have a slightly ridged surface at the point where the straw meets the glass, so they don't slip around as much as others might.

You can pop them in the dishwasher, too, and they come with their own cleaning brush.

Read our guide to the best reusable straws.

• Available from National Trust (£5)

What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brew?

Making iced coffee isn't too dissimilar to that of hot coffee: simply pour hot water over the grounds, but then leave the liquid to cool, using ice cubes if you wish. This allows the coffee oxidise and degrade quickly and intensely, and can result in a more acidic, bitter taste compared to cold brew coffee.

Cold brew coffee, on the other hand, involves steeping coffee grounds in cold or room-temperature water. It's a slower process than making iced coffee and usually takes several hours, but because you're increasing the period over which you're 'brewing' or 'extracting', you're maximising the solubility of the coffee grounds. The coffee is also generally higher in caffeine.

How we tested iced coffee makers and accessories

When testing iced coffee makers, we scored them on the below criteria using our testing matrix, then marked them out of five before deciding on the product's overall star rating:

• Ease of use: We looked at how simple the gadget or accessory was to use, and if a manual was included, how helpful and easy it was to follow.
• Value for money: Does the iced coffee maker or accessory offer a good return on investment?
• Quality of materials: We assessed the overall standard of the product, how well it was made, and whether it's built to last.
• Ease of assembly and packaging: How easy were the machines put together? Was excessive packaging, including non-recyclable materials, used?
• Quality of results: We considered whether the product achieved what it was designed to do. For coffee makers, we looked at the taste and consistency of the coffee, including freshness, strength and temperature.

Coffee recipes and tips

How to make cold brew coffee
How to make iced coffee
Coffee types explained

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This review was last updated in August 2023. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.