Cold Brew Coffee Maker Set (Brewer & Carafe), Up to 12 Servings of Concentrate, Reusable Stainless Steel Dual Filter, Durable Borosilicate Glass & Spill-Proof Pouring Spout, 16.9 fl oz / 500ml

I’ve been using this cold brewer for eight months. It’s holding up well. I’m not that crazy about coffee. Used to be that I didn’t like it at all, not even the smell. But I guess taste and nose buds can change. I drink decaf due to caffeine issues. If I drink regularly brewed decaf coffee more than a couple of days in a row, it really starts to bother my stomach - probably the acidity. Cold brew coffee seems to be much easier on my tummy, even when I drink it every day, although I’m not at all sure that regular coffee drinkers would consider what I drink as “coffee.” My decaf coffees are more like coffee and vanilla flavored milk.This cold brewing system works perfectly for me. Easy to clean. Doesn’t take up much space. When the cold brew in the fridge gets low, I start a new batch in the other container. So easy with this system.Did some experimenting, and here’s what works for me:1.25 cups coarse ground medium-dark roast decaf breakfast blend (I really like Fred Meyer Javatopia).Slowly pour water into filter until about 1/4-1/2 inch from top of brewing container.In fridge, 20 hours, or on counter top, 16 hours.To make my “coffee:”9 oz cold milk3 oz cold brew2 tbsp cold sugar free vanilla syrupUsually I drink it cold, but sometimes I throw it in the microwave to heat it up. Other times I throw about half of it in the blender for about 45 seconds and then pour it back into rest of the cold brew for a frothy, yummy treat. Maybe that qualifies as a latte(?), although it’s not as pretty as a barista would create.If we’re traveling somewhere for a few days, I mix up a bunch of this brew and put it in an empty milk jug to take with us in a cooler - easy way to have exactly what I want to drink and have enough to share.I bought a second Shelbru for my older daughter, and she loves it too, although she makes “real” coffee with it.

So this is my second cold brew system. Over a decade ago I got the Toddy system because it was one of the only available for home use. It’s bulky and fiddly but makes great cold brew. It’s just me now and I don’t need to make the volume of coffee the Toddy makes. Thus this seemed a good alternative.It seems made of quality ingredients and all screw together easily. How to brew is not well defined by manufacturer. Lessons I learn is to not treat it like the Toddy. Grind your beans coarsely. Don’t use espresso grind, either drip or coarser. Don’t pack the coffee grounds into the filter. Just let them fall in to half way point, then tap once on the counter, start adding water until level matches the grinds. Then fill to 3/4 full. Continue adding water until at level of grinds. Then add a little more grinds till almost full. Add a little more water till it stops drawing down. I like to leave on counter for 24 hrs.Once it’s done brewing line up other jar, unscrew the top with the filter and transfer it ti empty container. Let it drain for a couple of hours. One the jar you brewed in place the pour spout and lid. Then you can transfer the drained concentrate to the brew container once done draining.Cleaning: I let the grounds dry out for a day on the counter in the drain jar for a day. They then seem to come out more easily.

At first this seems like a lot of money for a simple system, but after making a few portions of cold brew I can say it is worth it.This system perfectly fulfills the two most important requirements of a cold brew system - ease of use (including cleanup) and absence of grounds in the coffee concentrate it produces.The steel mesh tube that you put the ground coffee into does its job flawlessly . Not a single fleck of grounds gets through it. Then, after you dump out the used grinds, it’s easy to rinse out, or you can just put it in the dishwasher.You are paying for the quality of the steel mesh. Considering how many cups of coffee this system will make before it has to be replaced, the price is reasonable.Follow up - I went back to look at the listing because I was going to get another unit for my vacation home, but I see that the price, which was already high, has gone up further ($100 as I write this.) That would give me pause, considering there are many other cold brew systems for much less.

First use was great. After 12 hours in the fridge I was left with a not too strong and tasty coffee. Second use was the same story. However, when cleaning it after the second use the bottom piece of the metal filter detached from the main part of it. After frustratingly trying to get it back in to where it was originally for a few minutes, I thought I had it put back together. As soon as I began to pour water of my coffee grounds the bottom piece fell back out, dumping all the grounds into the main portion of the carafe. I attempted to put the filter back together and gave up after about 5 minutes of fiddling with the thing.Worked great, but seems to possibly have cheap materials or construction.

Amazon keeps showing my past review on their previous version so I am adding my review on top of the old review.I purchased the first iteration of the product two years ago and had to repurchase their new version as soon as I got their email about this launch. I'm impressed by the improvements that were made - sturdier filter, upgraded look and feel, and added measurement marks on the glass just to name a few.This cold brew maker has been my staple! I get about 10 cups of coffee out of each brew, it tastes super smooth, and the two-piece brewer and carafe set idea is ingenious. The gift box is also a really nice touch. Sturdy, sleek looking box that I'm definitely going to reuse for something else. It's too nice to throw away!=========The following is my old review on their previous version=================This is the only device that I have used for close to a year (11 months to be precise) while I stopped using others after a try or two. Thought about why. It produces consistent cold brew concentrate, easy to use and CLEAN. The product is composed of two parts, brewer and carafe. I initially thought it was a redundant feature but actually, this may be one of the reasons why I am still using it. Having a dedicated brewer and carafe IS much better than a maker that may be a good brewer and not a great server.