I bought this for my husband for father''s day and he was so exited! Here is how I got to the buying, maybe I can get you to the fun part faster than I got there!
I had seen this on Amazon I don''t even know how long ago and even though we are huge coffee fans I wasn''t sure about getting it. We had a Toddy maker Toddy T2N Cold Brew System (which is fabulous btw) and I just wasn''t sure how much different this would be, plus it was fragile, not good with an autistic teenager in the house, not to mention how expensive it was. So I saved it to my list and mulled it over, and over, and over....
Meanwhile the kid moved out, and we found a great coffee house that actually had one of these. My husband tried their drink which is the coffee concentrate over ice, no water added. He loved it. Right then I decide to finally get this for him. It arrived well packed and nothing broken. He was so happy when he unpacked it and totally surprised that I had found one. :) When put together it is so cool looking. You just know a scientist in his lab was working late one night and needed coffee so he came up with this! As for my husband, he is making a batch every week now. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it has next to no instructions. Getting the brew right is quite tricky and more detailed instructions would really help with that.
So this is what I know about brewing with it...You have to refill the water (usually once) as it brews, the grind you use is important, not unlike espresso, too fine and it brews too slow (over extracted, bitter concentrate) too coarse and it brews too fast (under extracted, sour concentrate) sorry I can''t tell you more about that, but really it is going to vary based on where you live and how humid the air is, if it is anything like espresso. You also have to adjust the drip speed at the spigot several times while it is brewing. I don''t know how much you can make up for the grind with the spigot drip speed, as I have never made it. It is his, so he is the barista here. The instructions say you should finish brewing in around three hours.
I can tell you the smell of the concentrate is AMAZING! It hangs in the air around the maker like an invisible cloud from the time the concentrate hits the decanter, until you cap it and put it in the fridge. Even if it is not brewed to perfection, the coffee that comes out of this is good, when you finally get it right it is just awesome. It doesn''t make a ton though, so my husband likes to add it to his regular coffee for an extra shot of coffee goodness, that way it lasts longer.
Oh and as for the Toddy they are totally different creatures. They produce a different tasting concoction, both are a concentrate and both are lower acid than hot brew methods, but they are both worth getting if you already have a Toddy maker. As a matter of fact that great coffee house had both kinds of drinks on it''s menu. If you have never done cold brew before and are trying to decide which one to try first, you may want to start with the Toddy, it is much simpler and a good starting point.
I am planing on getting the filters for the AeroPress AeroPress Micro-Filters, Package of 350. I THINK they are the size of paper filters you need for this, and you get 350 of them in the package for very little money, worth a try anyway. I will try to update this when we try it.
Update: these filters are a great size, the fit really well, the one thing my husband said was that they didn''t wet uniformly and the water started to make a little river out of itself on the filter, he pressed the filter flat into the grounds when he saw it, that got it wet all over and solved the problem. I suggested he pre-wet the filter next time. I would think just being slightly damp would solve that problem, something to try anyway ain''t physics fun! Another thing I wanted to point out was that the maker of the filters actually suggests that you rinse and reuse the filters, if you want to do that. So if you are a green reuse type of person, or just a really cheap one (Hi Mom!) that''s another reason to like these filters.
Bottom line: this is not a coffee maker for someone who just wants an easy cup of joe. This takes some tinkering, but if you are inclined, it is fun to do, so good, and really a work of art in it''s own right.
I collect various ways to make coffee (including high-end Jura, various vacuum contraptions from around the world and the usual assorted percolators and presses) and this is hands down my new favorite. It''s easy to assemble and easy to use, despite looking like something out of a 1950''s sci-fi film. Granted, the parts are a bit delicate to clean (so be careful) and it takes a few hours to brew (so it''s not for the spontaneous afternoon pick-me-up) but if you''re looking for the smoothest, cleanest most satisfying cup of iced coffee, this is the one to get. This is true java chic!
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bought this for my brother for summer ice coffee. he loves it. i tasted some. delicious. was slightly askew when delivered but was easy enough to straighten up. It''s a big boy, so make sure you have space for it before you buy.
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The Yama Northwest Glass cold brew drip coffee maker was exactly the product I was after. I had been trying for a while to find one in Australia and eventually gave up, then stumbled upon Northwest Glass'' store on Amazon.
I was worried about international shipping there''s a lot of glass in this product and the shipping charges were very reasonable. The unit arrived well packed and in perfect condition.
The only thing I could complain about is that the unit that arrived didn''t have the straight posts as in the picture but has spindled cutouts as I have seen on other pictures. However as the wood is dark (not black as the picture appears to be) it actually looks quite good and fits well in my modern kitchen.
Use of the machine couldn''t be simpler. Every type of bean you get has different flavours. You hear wine experts talk about fruit or chocolate in wines, you''ll be able to do the same with coffee as the cold process really draws out the flavours without making it bitter. Make sure you beans have been recently roasted about 2 weeks from roasting is a good indication and grind as you need them if possible.
Once processed the coffee will taste great immediately but can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about two weeks.
If you love coffee do yourself a favour and try cold drip, then race to buy this unit you won''t be dissapointed.
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I didn''t believe this would be worth the money, but it is! I started cold brewing coffee last summer. My previous method involved steeping coffee in a big bowl of water overnight, then trying to filter the grounds out through cheesecloth. It was messy and time consuming, used tons of coffee for the amount of concentrated yielded in the end, and no matter how many times I strained it I could never get out all of the sediment.
This contraption is much, much easier to use. The setup is simple -ice water in the top, coffee in the middle, then turn the knob to start the drip. The coffee brews clean, without the mess. This is also much more efficient and uses less coffee than the steaming method to yield the same amount of concentrate. It would be perfect if it didn''t look like something out of Breaking Bad.
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I purchased these at a local floral/gift store and was blown away with how well they clean. I live in the country and constantly have dirt on my windows. It is so easy just to wet the light green cloth and quickly wipe the window and finish with the polishing cloth(dark green). I would never go back to paper towels or newspaper and window cleaner. These are fast and easy!
