Bruvi Review: Is the First Single-Serve Coffee Machine with a Cold Brew Option Worth the Spend?

The Bruvi can make seven different drinks: coffee, espresso, Americano (hot or iced), cold brew, iced coffee, infused coffee and tea (including matcha lattes). That being said, understand that the java brewed for cold brew and iced coffee will come out hot, but it’ll be optimally brewed at a lower temperature to hopefully minimize dilution post-ice. (This was most true for the iced Americano and cold brew; the iced coffee was hot enough to instantly melt ice.) So, it doesn’t *exactly* make cold brew from start to finish—cold brew is made using room temperature water that soaks over coffee grinds for hours, hence the name—but it will make a hot base that’s prime for serving cold.

That’s because the machine knows exactly how to tweak the brew cycle according to your customizations and the pod you choose. For example, if you select “stronger,” it increases the concentration of the grinds for a stronger taste without additional bitterness. If you select “low acid” (which is possibly our favorite feature—take note, GERD girlies), it reduces the acidity and caffeine.

Set-up also takes maybe a minute and no fuss: All you need to do is rinse the water tank and run a cleansing cycle to become brew ready. If you use a water filter, it’ll take about five minutes more.

Brewing is as simple as popping a B-Pod in the chamber and lowering the handle—but there’s actually a lot going on during this process. The Bruvi scans the pod once it’s placed in the chamber and automatically adjusts its brewing parameters accordingly. Better yet, the coffee goes straight from pod to mug instead of through the brewer, resulting in a more hygienic bev and less mess. Twenty separate streams brew through each pod, guaranteeing even saturation and extraction every time.

A few features we particularly love are the optional water filter (it slides right into the tank to remove impurities and makes the coffee taste its best, thanks to fine-grain charcoal granules in the filter), the large touch screen, the waste bin that can accommodate up to six used pods and the adjustable drip tray, which can be moved up or down to fit mugs, espresso cups and even travel mugs to minimize splatter. The machine also connects to your smartphone via an app, so you can brew remotely, schedule a brew ahead and order more pods with ease.

As for aesthetics, the design is chic and eye-catching. The machine is a bit clunkier than some other slimmer single-serve appliances, and the electrical cord is bulky and unattractive. But the touch screen is as mod and user-friendly as they come.

Sure, some single-use coffee pods are recyclable…but that may not be as effective a waste solution as you think. According to Bruvi, only about 9 percent of all plastic is recycled, and coffee capsules are especially difficult to process. That’s why B-Pods were created to break down faster than untreated plastic. They’re designed to degrade at rapid speed in a landfill (meaning you can simply toss them in the trash after using—no peeling the lid or washing the cup necessary) through an organic process that won’t leave microplastics behind.

The coffee inside the pods is also sustainably and ethically sourced. It’s produced with soil, water and energy conservation in mind and fairly priced to benefit farmers and laborers. The Bruvi is also designed to reduce coffee waste, since the pressurized extraction uses less coffee per cup for the same flavor than its competitors.

There are currently 16 types of coffee and espresso pods available, each made from 100 percent Arabica beans. The house brands, Wonderland Coffee and Mulholland Roasters, have sourced a wide range of roasts to enjoy, including two decaf options.