diff --git a/zio-kafka/src/main/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSettings.scala b/zio-kafka/src/main/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSettings.scala
index d772f9088..da5023b23 100644
--- a/zio-kafka/src/main/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSettings.scala
+++ b/zio-kafka/src/main/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSettings.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import zio.kafka.security.KafkaCredentialStore
 /**
  * Settings for the consumer.
  *
- * To stay source compatible with future releases, you are recommended to construct the settings as follows:
+ * Construct the settings as follows:
  * {{{
  *   ConsumerSettings(bootstrapServers)
  *     .withGroupId(groupId)
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@ import zio.kafka.security.KafkaCredentialStore
  * @param bootstrapServers
  *   the Kafka bootstrap servers
  */
-final case class ConsumerSettings(
+final case class ConsumerSettings private (
   bootstrapServers: List[String],
-  properties: Map[String, AnyRef] = Map.empty,
-  closeTimeout: Duration = 30.seconds,
-  pollTimeout: Duration = 50.millis,
-  commitTimeout: Duration = ConsumerSettings.defaultCommitTimeout,
-  offsetRetrieval: OffsetRetrieval = OffsetRetrieval.Auto(),
-  rebalanceListener: RebalanceListener = RebalanceListener.noop,
-  restartStreamOnRebalancing: Boolean = false,
-  runloopTimeout: Duration = ConsumerSettings.defaultRunloopTimeout,
-  fetchStrategy: FetchStrategy = QueueSizeBasedFetchStrategy()
+  properties: Map[String, AnyRef],
+  closeTimeout: Duration,
+  pollTimeout: Duration,
+  commitTimeout: Duration,
+  offsetRetrieval: OffsetRetrieval,
+  rebalanceListener: RebalanceListener,
+  restartStreamOnRebalancing: Boolean,
+  runloopTimeout: Duration,
+  fetchStrategy: FetchStrategy
 ) {
   private[this] def autoOffsetResetConfig: Map[String, String] = offsetRetrieval match {
     case OffsetRetrieval.Auto(reset) => Map(ConsumerConfig.AUTO_OFFSET_RESET_CONFIG -> reset.toConfig)
@@ -138,6 +138,27 @@ final case class ConsumerSettings(
 }
 
 object ConsumerSettings {
+
+  /**
+   * Consumer settings with all defaults.
+   *
+   * @param bootstrapServers
+   *   the Kafka bootstrap servers
+   */
+  def apply(bootstrapServers: List[String]): ConsumerSettings =
+    ConsumerSettings(
+      bootstrapServers,
+      properties = Map.empty,
+      closeTimeout = 30.seconds,
+      pollTimeout = 50.millis,
+      commitTimeout = ConsumerSettings.defaultCommitTimeout,
+      offsetRetrieval = OffsetRetrieval.Auto(),
+      rebalanceListener = RebalanceListener.noop,
+      restartStreamOnRebalancing = false,
+      runloopTimeout = ConsumerSettings.defaultRunloopTimeout,
+      fetchStrategy = QueueSizeBasedFetchStrategy()
+    )
+
   val defaultRunloopTimeout: Duration = 4.minutes
   val defaultCommitTimeout: Duration  = 15.seconds
 }