Would you buy a machine that only brews cold coffee?

On warm, sleepy days, an iced coffee is the perfect pick-me-up. But your cold brew will set you back up to £5 a shot at your local coffee shop.

So it will be good news for some that there is now a range of special machines for making the perfect iced coffee at home.

But is it really worth the space on your kitchen counter? Sarah Rainey puts them to the test. . .

THE ONE EVERYONE IS TAKING ABOUT…

Breville ice coffee maker, £39, argos.co.uk

HOW IT WORKS: Sleek and simple, pour water into the reservoir, put a scoop of ground coffee in the filter and place the plastic cup with lid filled with ice cubes under the funnel. Then flip the switch and the coffee will drip through.

TIME TAKEN: 3.5 minutes, one glass.

TASTE TEST: For each of these machines I used Rounton Coffee’s full-bodied Rwandan filter coffee (£9.95 for 250g), but I was struck by how different they ended up tasting from one to the next.

Here my first glass isn’t strong enough, and it takes a few tries to get the coffee to water ratio right (two level scoops work for me). The coffee is rich and velvety, but not very cold.

PRONUNCIATION: This machine has gone viral online with fans. It’s nice, but doesn’t live up to the hype. 3/5

DREAM COFFEE FROM ITSELF ICEROOM

Hario V60 Fretta Ice Coffee Maker, £30, rountoncoffee.co.uk

HOW IT WORKS: This has an ice chamber (a plastic funnel inside the coffee pot) that can hold up to 200g of ice cubes.

You put the ice in first, then the coffee grounds on pre-cut filter paper (included) and pour boiling water over it to melt the ice while the coffee dissolves. The pot has handy size indications that indicate how much water you need.

TIME TAKEN: Three minutes, two glasses.

TASTE TEST: This machine makes a deliciously good iced drink with notes of peaches and honey. The temperature is also just right – impressive for a gadget that you don’t have to plug in.

PRONUNCIATION: Fast and tasty. 5/5

FANTASTIC BUT NOISY NESPRESSO-LIKE

Geepas ice coffee maker, £24.49, amazon.co.uk

HOW IT WORKS: Like a Nespresso machine but with ground coffee, this is designed to boil water, pass it through a coffee-filled filter and drip it into your glass for instant iced coffee. You fill it with water, fill your glass with ice cubes and put the desired amount of coffee in the filter.

TIME TAKEN: 4 minutes, one glass.

TASTE TEST: The coffee is watery and tasteless, room temperature rather than refrigerated – and it’s the noisiest machine I’ve tested.

PRONUNCIATION: Too complicated and my coffee tastes bland. 2/5

ICE-COLD HOMEBREW — IN TWO MINUTES

Drew & Cole Barista iced coffee machine, £39.99, diy.com

HOW IT WORKS: Fill the reservoir with water, put ice in the lid glass, add coffee to the filter and turn it on.

It makes some strange hissing noises, but the coffee comes out in a steady stream and immediately feels cold in my glass.

TIME TAKEN: Two minutes, one glass.

TASTE TEST: Intense, caramelly and very after taste. The speed is impressive. My only complaint is that the machine on top gets incredibly hot.

PRONUNCIATION: Great coffee, but watch your hands. 4/5

12 HOURS… BUT WORTH THE WAIT

Coffee Gator Cold Brew Coffee Maker, £26.99, amazon.co.uk

HOW IT WORKS: This depends on you making your coffee ahead of time and refrigerating it for up to 12 hours (I found ten was about right). You simply add 75g of ground coffee, 1.1 liters of cold water, put the lid on and put it in the fridge. Once cooled, you can add lemon, sugar or milk to get the desired taste.

TIME TAKEN: 10 am, 4 glasses.

TASTE TEST: The coffee is flavourful, strong without being bitter and refreshingly cold.

PRONUNCIATION: Worth the wait for coffee connoisseurs. 5/5