Customer Reviews
Small Stainless Steel Cold Brew Coffee System (5.5 Gallon)

Small Stainless Steel Cold Brew Coffee System (5.5 Gallon)
Product Rating

4.7 out of 5, based on 324 user ratings.
22 total user reviews.

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45 out of 45 found the following review helpful

5

Great piece of equipment - already saving time! September 10, 2015

I got a demo unit from Keg Outlet a couple weeks ago now and have run a 3 batches of cold brew through it now. After having cold brewed coffee through other methods for a long time, I must say that this system is an amazing upgrade from any previous system that I've used. Plus, I'm able to make 3 times as much coffee in a single batch! (It could be 6 times as much, but I went conservative with my purchase).

Pros of the Ss Cold Brew System:
- Large batches
- Quick filtration
- No mess / easy to clean
- Stainless steel - looks great in my shop
- Heavy duty kettle can be used for other things as well

Cons of the Ss Cold Brew System
- Price is a little high, but my system has already paid for itself
- Handle on the filter could be better - thin wire, hard to lift

All in all, I'd highly recommend this system to any coffee shop owner who currently does cold brew. The pros of the system far outweigh the cons and they guys at Keg Outlet have been great to work with.

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40 out of 40 found the following review helpful

5

Works Beautifully! January 6, 2016

We have recently amped up our cold brew production and this has made it so easy! Once we figured out the ratio we liked from coffee to water for brewing, it has been smooth sailing- this system has cut our cold brew prep time in half. Highly recommended!

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35 out of 35 found the following review helpful

5

Easiest Cold Brewer Ever April 30, 2018

I've been brewing cold brew coffee for 10 years professionally and have used many different products to do so. The Cold Brew Ave brewer has been by far the easiest to use, clean and tweak. A coffee nerds dream. Also unlike many of the more common plastic commercial brewers the stainless steel improves flavor noticeably.

I highly recommend!

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34 out of 34 found the following review helpful

5

These things are amazing! May 25, 2016

I ordered 2 of these for my shop a few weeks ago and could not be happier with them! They have revolutionized our cold brewing process and have saved us SO MUCH time in the process. No more dealing with paper filters and mesh bags which translates to less waste. And while I'm talking about less waste, we also have a local farmer who is picking up our used coffee grounds and uses them for planting/gardening soil additives. Talk about a win-win! These cold brew systems aren't just great for coffee shops, they're also great for the environment.

Cheers Keg Outlet!

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11 out of 11 found the following review helpful

5

Best Cold Brew System!!! March 14, 2019

I've worked with pretty much every commercial sized cold brew maker there is and the Cold Brew Ave line is by far the best! The filter on the Cold Brew Ave system is way easier to use and more efficient than Toddy's pro line. They're built to last, no degradation of the finish and everything feels solid after a year of heavy use. Top it off with some of the best customer service in the industry and you can't go wrong.

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9 out of 9 found the following review helpful

5

EXCELLENT BREWING POT! September 13, 2018

This pot works great. we make 11 gallons at a time and let it steep for 24 hours. The result is a delicious, evenly steeped cold brew. We had to replace the screen once (since it wore out) but that's because we use it a lot... and they improved the screen so its more durable now. This is an EXCELLENT tool for any shop that will earn back the investment in no time at all. I love this product!!!

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8 out of 8 found the following review helpful

5

Love this! December 20, 2018

This kettle has made our lives so much easier. Works great... Highly recommend!

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8 out of 8 found the following review helpful

5

Game changer for making cold brew coffee February 12, 2016

We recently upgraded to this system and couldn't be happier. I'd highly recommend this to anyone currently producing large batches of cold brew coffee. It's easy and efficient to use and produces a clean, delicious product. They are definitely worth the investment. Keg Outlet seems very knowledgeable in perfecting the art of cold brew coffee. They are quick to respond to any questions and have great customer service. Thank you Keg Outlet!

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8 out of 8 found the following review helpful

5

Excellent Quality & Very Efficient August 27, 2019

Purchasing this system is one of the best decisions I have made for my cold-brew business. It is very efficient, easy to use and cut down my filtering time to just mere minutes. The quality of the system is excellent and their customer service is impeccable. I highly recommend getting this cold-brew system!

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7 out of 7 found the following review helpful

5

LOVE IT! August 4, 2021

This has been the biggest game changer in our cold brew production. No more messy bags, and multiple buckets taking up all of our counter space. We do one large batch, and lasts us all week!

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3 out of 3 found the following review helpful

5

Consistency is key November 4, 2021

Our large batch cold coffee brewer has quickly become a fan favorite at our shop. The convenience and consistency it provides for our staff has made it a staple in our daily operations.

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1 out of 1 found the following review helpful

5

Exceeded our expectations September 4, 2021

We've been using the cold brew coffee system for a few months now and it has exceeded our expectations. It's easy to use, produces a consistently high-quality product, and has saved us a ton of time and effort in the morning. We highly recommend it to any coffee shop looking to serve delicious cold brew coffee to their customers

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8 out of 8 found the following review helpful

4

Great System! July 15, 2020

Everything about this system is top notch!! The only issue we had is with the thermometer.. could not get it to stop leaking no matter what we did. Just using the plug and it works great! Recommend!

Hi Justin -

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! We've reached out to you regarding the leaking thermometer, but never heard back. The thermometer can be finicky, but it's usually a quick and easy fix. Take a look at the email we sent (if you haven't already) and you'll probably be able to get the leak to stop. If for any reason it doesn't stop, we'd be happy to replace the bulkhead and/or thermometer - maybe there was a manufacturing defect that was causing the leak.

Thanks again for leaving a review, cheers!

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5 out of 5 found the following review helpful

4

Paid for itself in a few weeks August 14, 2021

We were skeptical at first about investing in a large batch cold brew coffee maker, but it has more than paid for itself in terms of increased sales, customer satisfaction, and most importantly time saved. The coffee tastes amazing and it has saved us so much time and effort in the morning rush.

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4

Great coffee, not the easiest to clean July 20, 2023

I love this thing! The main reason I got it was to stop using the plastic Toddy container at it started to affect the flavor of my coffee and because steel is better. I love the quality of the components, but it's irritating to not have the valve handle not line up to be on top when screwed in as directed. I have to try to apply juuuust the right amount of Teflon tape to get it to work. There's also no great way to get the grounds out when you're done so I've unfortunately resorted to using the mesh screen along with the leftover disposable bags I have for my toddy. I do like that extra filtration though, honestly.



It's also not entirely useful to have the volume markers on the side because water gets displaced between additions of water but the filter and the grounds. None of this is anywhere near a deal breaker, but definitely room for improvement. I probably won't upgrade to a bigger one until some changes are made but I'm very happy with it compared to any alternatives that are out there.

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10 out of 10 found the following review helpful

3

Customer service rocks, but system has flaws October 22, 2020

I've had this system for almost two years now, and I use it roughly once a month. I just brew a batch to throw in the keg fridge (on nitro) for me and the wife. We absolutely love the finished product, but the brewing process has its issues... I'll get to that in a minute.



First of all, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out how awesome the customer service is with Keg Outlet. They answered all of my questions, quickly and always seemed happy to do so. But more than that, when I screwed up my order by asking for the wrong component, they went above-and-beyond to fix my mistake, at their expense... no complaints. That's why KO will always get my business from here on out.



OK... to the brew system. Getting the brew ready is a bit of work, but it's pretty simple. Just set up the gasket on the filter, make sure you have the angled pipe set in the valve opening inside the kettle (I've forgotten this step once or twice), slip in the gasketed filter, and add the right amount of water for your batch. Now, go make a giant mess in your kitchen grinding the coffee (that's on me), and mix it in the kettle. Throw it in the fridge for 18-24 hours... easy-peasy. Finally, you get to go clean up your kitchen... ugh. The next day when kegging the coffee is when I have some issues, and why I give this thing three (and a half) stars... The gasketed filter with its super-fine mesh to keep in the grounds, and the mass of coffee grounds "mud" create a vacuum. (I'm using a large grind... the largest my grinder can make.) So, the coffee comes out of the valve at a trickle, and the last 1/3 of it won't come out at all. I have to gently pull the filter up slightly to let air get in under it to release the coffee. As a result, I get grounds in the keg. I've added a makeshift filter system to the end of the hose going into the keg, but it's not perfect and grounds still get in. I should be able to open the ball valve and just have the coffee pour into the keg. The grounds ultimately clog the nitro tap's little filter plate, and I have to take it apart to clean it pretty often. Sure, I can buy a filtration system to help with this, but I shouldn't have to. As a design improvement, what about welding a long metal straw to the center of the filter plate to allow air flow? It'd need to be long enough so that it was taller than the top of the grounds in the kettle... maybe even have a hole in the kettle lid, that'd let the straw stick out a little. I dunno... just an idea.



Clean-up is a chore, but it should be expected when making coffee at this volume. Oh, and one tip I learned the hard way: Do not dump your grounds down the garbage disposal, unless you want to call the plumber to bring out his power auger to clean out your drain at $95 a pop. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Live and learn, right?



Bottom-line, it's a good system, other than my issue. And like I said earlier, the finished product--poured on nitro--is awesome!

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31 out of 32 found the following review helpful

5

Clean, Easy, Awesome! January 11, 2016

This system is great!!! I can't believe how easy it has made our lives to brew a full keg of cold brew coffee. We brew 1 - 5 gallon keg worth of cold brew coffee a day in this system. Transferring to our kegs through the valve and hose that come with the kit it so easy.

I think the thing I like the best about this system is how easy it is to clean after we transfer the cold brew coffee to the keg. The large lid on top allows me to remove the basket full of coffee grounds and empty. And the grounds rinse out of the fine mesh basket so easily!

Will be ordering more to do different flavored coffees in to have a variety of coffees on draft!

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14 out of 15 found the following review helpful

5

This thing is great! December 10, 2015

Well, Keg Outlet customer service did it again. They went above and beyond to help get this product into my hands by providing me with their prototype after they had tested it. These guys are great!

Enough about the great guys at Keg Outlet, onto the product review.

I had purchased the 20 gallon cold brew system from Keg Outlet a few months back and while I LOVE the ability to make large batches of cold brew, I missed the ability to do smaller batch testing and that is EXACTLY what this unit provides. At 7 gallons, I'm able to fill it half way and collect about 3 gallons for sample batches with different roasts and blends. Plus, if I decide that I like a sample, I can then fill this thing up, empty it into a 5 gallon keg (just about perfectly volume) and start serving it to customers to further test.

I only have 1 of these units right now, but I love that these are stackable. That is a great feature for coffee shops like mine that have limited space. All in all, another great product, but even better customer service.

Thanks guys!

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10 out of 11 found the following review helpful

5

The best way to brew! April 6, 2020

Our coffee shop has been using the commercial cold brew coffee system for the past year and it has completely transformed the way we serve cold coffee. The system is so easy to use and the end result is consistently delicious and refreshing. Our customers can't get enough of it!

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8 out of 9 found the following review helpful

5

AmaZing Brew/Sketchy Instructions January 23, 2021

Once you assemble System (easily+) your on your own.
For the price (Worth every penny) Step by step Suggested instructions should exceed: add water above filter before adding coffee.
Luckily it only took one brew attempt to come up with a Process that works for me:
1. 3 1/2 lbs corse ground. Percolator grind works well, there are courser grinds.
2. Pour water over coffee from as high above grounds as you can, it splashes some, I feel this “agitates” the coffee, can’t hurt.
3. Don’t stir, but I do poke surface of brew to submerge any “dry” coffee, after adding water, and every 8 hrs.
4. Drain 1/2 gallon of brew, Half way through brew, 24 hrs for me. You get cloudy water for the first 2 Quarts, then gradually looks like coffee. A Heads Up would have been too much to as for?!
5. Pour weak back into pot. Repeated 24 hrs later. Total brew time 48 hrs.
6. I set up 1/2 gallon Mason jars on a towel below Brew system, the hose is perfect length to reach from the pot to well inside the jar.
7. Tilt to empty pot, leave tube inside a jar, and tilt repeatedly for several hours. Do not press on grounds! I did once, yuk
8. Do Not Attempt to lift filter with 3+Pounds of coffee in place. Use a non-stick spoon to scoop out almost all grounds.
The hardest part is figuring out a technique to put gasket on filter. That’s my secret, but trust me, it’s a two person job until you figure something out . A little help?
Buy it, you’ll love it
Be safe
paul

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6 out of 7 found the following review helpful

4

Small learning curve, but love it! August 4, 2020

As a coffee shop owner, I am always looking for ways to improve the customer experience. The large batch cold brew coffee system has been great for our shop. It's easy to use, clean, and the coffee tastes amazing. I highly recommend it to any coffee shop looking to up their cold brew game.

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13 out of 18 found the following review helpful

5

Glad to be one of the first users! August 23, 2015

I happened to reach out to Keg Outlet brewing large batches of cold brew and they told me they had been working on a new product. They had finished their tests and were willing to part with their demo unit and I was happy to take it off their hands.

I have been brewing my cold brew in batches of 3-5 gallons at a time, so having the ability to ramp that up to 20 gallons at a times was exactly what I wanted.

My biggest concerns were:
- The speed of draining
- The ability to filter

After speaking with the guys at Keg Outlet about their test results, I was convinced, but still a little skeptical. After doing my own tests, I was 100% convinced. This thing works great! Drains fast and drains clean. Does a great job of filter all grounds and sediment out.

Keg Outlet has been great and their helpfulness and knowledge of cold brew and draft coffee has turned me into a loyal customer.

Thanks Keg Outlet!

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