A method and device for cold or hot brewing a beverage, soup, and meal using a pod containing corresponding brew material and serving the brew in a cup, bowl or directly in the pod. A brew catalyzer may be activated to catalyze the cold brewing to achieve a rich cold brew in a minute. A needle for piercing the pod may be provided with a shield for preventing injury to children and for sealing to the surface to be pierced. A holder may have an access opening movable up and down to accommodate differently sized/shaped pods and an energy emitter to cooperate with a hot fluid injected into an interior of the brew material via the needle to cook from both outside in and inside out. A bit group may be provided to determine a set of brewing conditions for the pod and allow customization and modification for the set of brewing conditions via Internet.