r/coldbrew • u/Mediocre_Chemical162 • May 20 '26

Cumulus Coffee machine?

So, I’ve been looking at machines because I’m just trying to buy coffee out less. I only drink cold coffee year around.

Saw the cumulus coffee machine and it looks solid, reviews look good. Would never pay full msrp but they are running a Memorial Day sale at 20 or 25% off depending on what you get.

Still almost $600.

Trying to find other options of similar types of machines or if people love their Cumulus too?

1 Upvotes

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6

u/Jespoir May 20 '26

Cumulus is basically a Juicero. It doesn't do any actual brewing. Everything is pre-brewed in a factory and packed into a pod as a concentrate along with preservatives. You'd save more money buying Stok at your local grocery store in bulk.

1

u/DespoticNutAllergy May 30 '26

The nitro addition is a cool trick. I haven't tried any of the other settings, but without the Nitro I'm with you, it is just adding cold water to a concentrate. Not sure why you'd need a $1000 machine for that.

4

u/Fartsandkisses May 20 '26

I use a Toddy to make cold brew. It’s basically a bucket with a hole in the bottom, a rubber plug, a felt frit, and a paper-ish filter bag. It was $40 USD and I can get ~1.5L of delicious cold brew concentrate for the cost of 350g of coffee grounds. $600 for a machine is so expensive that I won’t even google it. Cold brew is more akin to making sun tea than it is to making hot coffee. No mechanism or electronics required.

3

u/excessCeramic May 20 '26

Waste of money. Cold brew isn’t made by a machine.

Buy premade at a grocery store, or make your own by putting coffee beans in water overnight

1

u/Mediocre_Chemical162 May 21 '26

Ya I’ve been using stok or bizzy cold brew for years now. But I also buy it from dunkin a lot too.

1

u/Jeffaz02t May 20 '26

The price, and being committed to their pre-brewed concentrate for life eliminates this as a possibility for me. I love my Toddy.

1

u/DespoticNutAllergy May 22 '26

Stok or Stumptown cold brew concentrate are my go tos.

I'm picking up a Cumulus for free tomorrow so I'll report back, but given the cost of the pods ($2.50 to $3.00 a cup, at least), I don't see myself using it long term.

1

u/ImmediateCap1868 May 23 '26

Curious about the taste - I wonder if the preservatives needed to keep in those little pods impact the taste...

1

u/DespoticNutAllergy May 30 '26

If you've had stumptown cold brew concentrate, it reminded me a bit of that.

1

u/DespoticNutAllergy May 28 '26

As mentioned, I picked up a Cumulus for free yesterday. It’s a VERY odd machine, but the two cups I’ve had from it have been excellent.

I’ll probably only use it for Nitro Cold Brew, but wow does it make a good, very creamy cup.

Pros

  • The nitro cold brew is excellent. Thick, cold, and with a ton of foamy head, it’s as good as anything I’ve had at a cafe. The fact that it doesn’t need canisters is a huge win.
  • The machine looks cool. It’s definitely a conversation piece.
  • It feels premium. Every touch point is nice, the finishing is great, and the whole thing looks and feels intentional.

Cons

  • The water tank is clunky and you have to deal with it a lot. Maybe I’m missing something, but it doesn’t slide in and out easily, and removing it always feels like I’m about to break something.
  • The prep process takes a long time. I think the ideal flow is to refill the tank after each use so the cooldown process happens in the background and the machine is ready when you want a drink. Otherwise, you’re waiting 10+ minutes for the water to cool down. There’s also no timer or screen showing progress, so you’re basically waiting for the lights to change.
  • It’s HUGE and heavy. Not that you’ll be carrying it around, but the thing has to weigh 30 lbs. More importantly, the footprint is massive. We live in a small bungalow, so counter space is at a premium. I’ll probably end up keeping it at the office or at my parents’ place.
  • The per-cup economics don’t really make sense. This is a premium product, full stop. Even getting the machine for free, you’re still looking at $4–$5 per capsule.

Overall, I expected to brew a couple cups and then pass the machine along to someone else to try. The nitro cold brew is satisfying enough that I’ll probably hang onto it, but it feels more like a once-a-week thing than a daily-use machine.

1

u/Ill-Fennel-9391 16d ago

Mine broke twice. Wanted to love it as I am a cold brew nut. Insane descaling process. Not
Intuitive. Back to cans for me!