Reviews you can trust.
See why.Bottled Cold-Brew Coffee
Once available only in high-end coffee shops, cold-brew coffees now fill supermarket shelves. We sampled both concentrates and ready-to-drink versions to find the best.
Top Picks
Grady's Cold Brew New Orleans–Style Coffee Concentrate
What You Need To Know
Once upon a time, cold-brew coffee could be found only at the trendiest coffee shops and in the home kitchens of the most devoted coffee drinkers. Now it’s increasingly available and appears to be here to stay; many grocery stores stock dozens of different cold brews, and even more are available for purchase online. DIY cold brew generally requires 12 to 24 hours of steeping time, s...
Everything We Tested
Ready to drink
“Smooth and not too acidic,” with a “subtle nutty and chocolaty flavor,” this ready-to-drink brew went over well with many tasters, especially when sampled without milk. Tasters praised its body, calling it “velvety.”
This “nutty and bold” cold brew held up well to milk, with one taster noting, “the coffee flavor and intensity come through in a nice way, and it doesn't feel overwhelmed by dairy richness.” Other tasters enjoyed its “smooth and drinkable” body and noticed notes of vanilla, chocolate, and smoke.
When tasting this coffee both with and without milk, many tasters enjoyed its intense flavor, noting its “dimension and complexity” and calling it “smoky” and “earthy.” It was too acidic for others, who called its acidity “overwhelming.” Some were put off by its “dark,” “strong” flavors, noting there was “nothing to smooth out the bitterness.”
Some tasters praised this coffee’s flavor and body both with and without milk, calling it “very drinkable with a nice, balanced flavor” and noticing notes of “maple syrup and brown sugar.” Others found it “weak” and “thin,” with one taster commenting, “I need more coffee in my coffee.”
Available for purchase at these stores: www.stokbrew.com/where-to-buy/#48oz-black-unsweet
Concentrate
This cold brew was praised by a few tasters, who called it “fruity and bright” and said they “liked that [they] could drink it straight up.” Some tasters found it too acidic but noted that milk improved it, calling it a “full-flavored, bright cup of iced coffee that's mellowed slightly (in a good way).”
Tasters picked up on a bouquet of flavors in this chicory-infused brew, including lemon, cinnamon, chocolate, and orange. If you like the unique complexity of coffee with chicory root added, this is our top New Orleans–style cold brew.
Available for purchase at these stores: www.gradyscoldbrew.com/pages/store-locator
A few tasters praised this coffee’s “balance of acidity,” deeming it “very bright” and noting that it “will wake you right up.” Others were turned off by the acidity, calling it “sour and unripe.” Though we diluted it according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, many found it too watery both with and without milk.
Available for purchase at these stores: www.bizzycoffee.com/pages/store-locator
Some tasters noted that this “smooth” brew wasn’t “too acidic or bitter” and that it was “nonoffensive,” reminding them “of iced tea.” However, many tasters said that this coffee was “weak” when diluted according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Available for purchase at these stores: www.coolbrew.com/coolbrew-partners/
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing.
Chase Brightwell
Chase is an associate editor for ATK Reviews. He's an epidemiologist-turned-equipment tester and biscuit enthusiast.
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.