Can you speak to the efficacy of the filter? I have a different one i got from Amazon and at the bottom there’s always sludge and/particulate. I’ve gotten into the habit of running the finished product through my Aeropress to filter that out.
@thechilipepper0 The travel one seems better for keeping the sludge out (maybe because it doesn’t brew as long), but yes, you will still find some sludge in the bottom of the big one. I doubt it helps, but I swirl the carafe around every time I pour some coffee.
The last cup is definitely stronger, but if you pour slow enough, you can master keeping the sludge in the carafe without additional filtering.
@thechilipepper0 I use the big brewer- yes, the last cup does have some grounds in it. I heat it in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and am able to decant the good stuff off and leave the solid stuff.
Both styles of this are really good, but IMO the travel brewer does the better job of making coffee, since the grounds are always submersed during the cold brew process. I’d buy these in a heartbeat, if I didn’t already have a bunch of them! I give this deal ‘3-stars,’ or three ‘negative-mehs.’
@cbl_wv I agree. I have used both consistently since we bought them last year. I’m not sure I can tell the difference in the flavor between the pitcher and the travel brewer (I’m new to coffee nerdness). My mom uses the travel brewer for her Friday mahjong games–just the right size for 2 hours of tile tossing.
Bought one of these on a previous sale, love it and use it on a daily basis. It uses a lot more grounds than a regular drip coffee pot does, but it works great, definitely vouch for it.
/giphy buy it
I only use the carafe. I refill the water TWICE as I use it. Maybe because after I refill I also stir the grounds (within the filter tube), trying to move the grounds at the bottom towards the top, then replace the lid and shake it (with my thumb over the spout) the intensity of the coffee changes very little.
You will probably/certainly have to experiment to suit your taste.
Although I have never attempted to calculate, I believe it makes MORE coffee per oz if grounds than my Breville YouBrew (also ground coffee) or my Breville Barista Espress (whole beans).
Bought this last year July 20th the deal was 1 glass bottle with the coffee brewer for 20 bucks ,to be honest its 2 beautiful items don’t know if the glass bottles are worth 10 bucks but the retail box says $19,99, just for the flask, i kept the brewer and gave a female friend the flask she enjoys it, Really lovely present to give someone . hope this helped.
This is really a meh deal…it is really overpriced for what you get…cold brew at home isn’t complicated - just a glass jar filled 1/4-1/3 grounds, add water, put on jar lid, shake, wait 12-48 hours then pour the coldbrew goodness through a cheese cloth (to filter out the grinds) into a bottle. Done.
What is the point of a travel cold brewer? For starters it won’t stay cold, leading to a more acidic and bitter coffee. Additionally, you need to steep cold brew for days sometimes. Am I meant to haul this around for a day and a half while pretending it’s more convenient than leaving a mason jar of coffee brewing in the fridge?
Wow, there are a scary high number of complaints about these things breaking suddenly in the reviews on Amazon. At first I thought it was just the pitcher, but the travel models have a MUCH higher 1-star propensity and many of those were about them breaking or leaking really badly. The pitcher’s 1-star reviews were riddled with it breaking without any real reason.
Don’t think this will be my foray into the world of cold brew.
I bought a set of these way back- I’m a one cup a day coffee drinker and cold brew is drinkable for a week so the pitcher is perfect. I bought a second one on Morningsave so I don’t have to throw out partial cups to make a new batch. I usually microwave it.
I haven’t used the small one- don’t really understand its usefulness.
@richferg
Nah, I love my aeropress and hot espresso with milk, I use metal filter because the paper filter removed the oils, so I like strong coffee - but cold brew is the strongest, smoothest coffee ever. I have been brewing some weekly and it was disappearing, I asked around and my 12 year old says she’s been drinking it, black, from the pitcher. Her comment was “yeah it tastes really good by itself”.
It’s not weak or like decaf, it’s very coffee very strong, and extremely caffienated, just less bitter.
If yours was too wimpy, perhaps it needed more time to brew. It does take a long time. But no effort.
The travel mug is good, but the brew pitcher isn’t great, the center filter is too narrow and too short to accommodate anything less than 4 cups of water for 1 cup of grounds. If you’re looking to make less than that, the water line doesn’t come up high enough to fully submerge the required amount of grounds.
@sammydog01 True, but even then, I feel like it just comes out better if I make it in a french press where the grounds are free to move around freely. I do stir my grounds when I get them in water, then again when I get home, and one last time before bed.
Stirring does seem to make a slight difference, but more than that I think the mess just keeps things too tight. My cold brew simply tastes better without this pitcher. Although I did once for-go the center strainer and instead used it to filter the cold brew as I poured it into a jar, and that came out great, but defeats the need for the pitcher in the first place.
@sammydog01 Yup, I unscrew the mesh filter and the discs that hold it together when I wash the whole thing anyways, so I leave the mesh filter off, and put the lid back on without the disc and mesh filter that don’t actually screw in. I only put in the 1 disc that actually screws in to the plunger rod. While it sits in the fridge throughout the day/night I will stir it by lifting and lowering the plunger.
When I’m ready to pour it in the morning, I lift the plunger, put on the mesh filter and the coiled structure disc, and then plunge it one last time to get the filtered cold brew concentrate.
I have an old 2-liter Gatorade bottle that I dump water and grounds for a “typical pot” of coffee into and let sit overnight, giving it a shake every time I happen to walk by in the kitchen. I then literally pour it through the filter and pot system on my “standard” coffee maker.
All this fancy nonsense to make minuscule portions of coffee escapes me. I don’t see the point - how are you not constantly chasing “not enough coffee”??
Even for travel this seems a bit of a PITA. But I guess it’s nice to have the option for those that want to bother…
Sorry to be off topic but I saw mention of a $10 coupon in yesterday’s forum. Assuming it’s a Meh coup. Anybody know how you earn one? I’ve been a VMP member for a couple of years and check out the site regularly but never click the “meh” button - is that where I’ve failed miserably?
Base removes for adding coffee and easier cleaning
Protective neoprene sleeve with carry loop insulates and reduces condensation
Cold brew stays fresh for 14 days in the fridge
BPA free
Top rack dishwasher safe
Instructions: Fill the coffee filter with 4 tablespoons of coffee.
Fill the water 1.5 inches from the top.
Store in the fridge for 12 hours and shake during the brewing process.
Carafe:
Model: PBPBK-5101
Condition: New
Capacity: 1.6 Qt.
Temperature-safe borosilicate glass carafe for brewing and serving
Protective plastic holder with comfortable grip handle and non-slip base
Fine mesh brew filter with removable bottom for easy cleaning
Silicone gasket top for drip proof perfection may be used with or without brew filter
Fits inside most fridge doors
Cold brew stays fresh for 14 days in the fridge
BPA free
Top rack dishwasher safe
Includes: Carafe with Protective Holder and Brew Filter
Instructions: Place coffee grounds in the fine mesh brew filter and soak the grounds in room-temperature or cold water for 24 hours. Remove the filter and pour into your glass or over ice.
@hchavers spoiled anything is usually terrible, no? At least cold brew seems to be less acidic (to me, anyway,) plus you don’t end up with overheated or burned coffee in the process. Full disclosure, I did “cold brew” decades ago, back when I learned about “Sun Tea.”
@lichme what is the purpose of drinking and enjoying if you are just going to kill the taste by adding creamers and sweetners? I’ve never understood this. Always a good black coffee for me!
I would be tempted to get these deal as I’ve been needing a cold brew maker for a long time now. But yesterday, yes, literally, actually yesterday I bought this carafe as it was on a 1-day sale at Fry’s for under $7!
I know it says temperature safe glass, but can you use the carafe also like a french press and make “hot” coffee so we can eliminate all the bitching about cold coffee in December? *
whoa brew! IDK I think I am going to not get these brew.
Perhaps you can help me out with spelling brew? Oh well I got my b’s and fene. I enjoy a teped one brew.
almost as much as a eugooglizer.
I have this, and it is totally a meh cold brew maker. It doesn’t allow for a good infusion. It’d have been relegated to the trash heap, but sometimes I use the pitcher to water my plants.
Paid $20 last time it was sold, but that only came with one travel glass. I’ve used it a lot, with no leakage, and I’ve been pretty satisfied overall.
Lots of people from the previous thread who purchased it and recommended it were what made me pull the trigger.
Also, a huge plus for me. I felt that both using it and cleaning it was super easy.
@lichme
Can you speak to the efficacy of the filter? I have a different one i got from Amazon and at the bottom there’s always sludge and/particulate. I’ve gotten into the habit of running the finished product through my Aeropress to filter that out.
@thechilipepper0 The travel one seems better for keeping the sludge out (maybe because it doesn’t brew as long), but yes, you will still find some sludge in the bottom of the big one. I doubt it helps, but I swirl the carafe around every time I pour some coffee.
The last cup is definitely stronger, but if you pour slow enough, you can master keeping the sludge in the carafe without additional filtering.
@thechilipepper0 I use the big brewer- yes, the last cup does have some grounds in it. I heat it in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and am able to decant the good stuff off and leave the solid stuff.
@lichme LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICH!!
@carl669 Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarl!
I’m gonna let my buddy Cliff Clavin explain iced coffee in winter.
Both styles of this are really good, but IMO the travel brewer does the better job of making coffee, since the grounds are always submersed during the cold brew process. I’d buy these in a heartbeat, if I didn’t already have a bunch of them! I give this deal ‘3-stars,’ or three ‘negative-mehs.’
@cbl_wv I agree. I have used both consistently since we bought them last year. I’m not sure I can tell the difference in the flavor between the pitcher and the travel brewer (I’m new to coffee nerdness). My mom uses the travel brewer for her Friday mahjong games–just the right size for 2 hours of tile tossing.
Bought these last time for my wife. She drink no coffee. She drink tea. Work good for tea. She like me.
@Gordonmeh Thank you. That’s what I was curious about. Does it make a good tea.
Purchased!
Bought one of these on a previous sale, love it and use it on a daily basis. It uses a lot more grounds than a regular drip coffee pot does, but it works great, definitely vouch for it.
/giphy buy it
@jdude727
Agreed.
I only use the carafe. I refill the water TWICE as I use it. Maybe because after I refill I also stir the grounds (within the filter tube), trying to move the grounds at the bottom towards the top, then replace the lid and shake it (with my thumb over the spout) the intensity of the coffee changes very little.
You will probably/certainly have to experiment to suit your taste.
Although I have never attempted to calculate, I believe it makes MORE coffee per oz if grounds than my Breville YouBrew (also ground coffee) or my Breville Barista Espress (whole beans).
Bought this last year July 20th the deal was 1 glass bottle with the coffee brewer for 20 bucks ,to be honest its 2 beautiful items don’t know if the glass bottles are worth 10 bucks but the retail box says $19,99, just for the flask, i kept the brewer and gave a female friend the flask she enjoys it, Really lovely present to give someone . hope this helped.
Excited to give this as a gift to a newly-coffee-obsessed nephew!
/giphy afraid-marred-crack
This is really a meh deal…it is really overpriced for what you get…cold brew at home isn’t complicated - just a glass jar filled 1/4-1/3 grounds, add water, put on jar lid, shake, wait 12-48 hours then pour the coldbrew goodness through a cheese cloth (to filter out the grinds) into a bottle. Done.
@outsourced_bob
@compunaut
Fine, pour through your drip coffee machine that has a paper filter or metal mesh…
@outsourced_bob No thanks. I’ll do the OT to pay for this product.
Great product for us caffeinated folk.
Can I get this delivered in 24 hours so I can use it to stay up in till the next meh deal hoping it’s MEH face pop sockets
Perfect.
/giphy misleading-cozy-island
/image misleading-cozy-island
What is the point of a travel cold brewer? For starters it won’t stay cold, leading to a more acidic and bitter coffee. Additionally, you need to steep cold brew for days sometimes. Am I meant to haul this around for a day and a half while pretending it’s more convenient than leaving a mason jar of coffee brewing in the fridge?
Wow, there are a scary high number of complaints about these things breaking suddenly in the reviews on Amazon. At first I thought it was just the pitcher, but the travel models have a MUCH higher 1-star propensity and many of those were about them breaking or leaking really badly. The pitcher’s 1-star reviews were riddled with it breaking without any real reason.
Don’t think this will be my foray into the world of cold brew.
@Jonas4321 I wouldn’t worry about it…the way MEH packs things they’ll be broken in shipping and you won’t be able to use them anyway…
@Jonas4321 Well, it is made out of glass.
@sammydog01 Yeah, thanks. I had missed that entirely. Appreciate the enlightenment.
@Jonas4321 Glad to be of service.
/giphy you’re welcome
I bought a set of these way back- I’m a one cup a day coffee drinker and cold brew is drinkable for a week so the pitcher is perfect. I bought a second one on Morningsave so I don’t have to throw out partial cups to make a new batch. I usually microwave it.
I haven’t used the small one- don’t really understand its usefulness.
Cold brewed coffee is a waste. All the good flavor bite is taken from the taste, and it tastes like brown “water of sorrow” (decaf).
@richferg
Nah, I love my aeropress and hot espresso with milk, I use metal filter because the paper filter removed the oils, so I like strong coffee - but cold brew is the strongest, smoothest coffee ever. I have been brewing some weekly and it was disappearing, I asked around and my 12 year old says she’s been drinking it, black, from the pitcher. Her comment was “yeah it tastes really good by itself”.
It’s not weak or like decaf, it’s very coffee very strong, and extremely caffienated, just less bitter.
If yours was too wimpy, perhaps it needed more time to brew. It does take a long time. But no effort.
The travel mug is good, but the brew pitcher isn’t great, the center filter is too narrow and too short to accommodate anything less than 4 cups of water for 1 cup of grounds. If you’re looking to make less than that, the water line doesn’t come up high enough to fully submerge the required amount of grounds.
@this1 True but you can leave the coffee refrigerated for up to a week. If you don’t go through a pitcher a week it’s not worth it.
@sammydog01 True, but even then, I feel like it just comes out better if I make it in a french press where the grounds are free to move around freely. I do stir my grounds when I get them in water, then again when I get home, and one last time before bed.
Stirring does seem to make a slight difference, but more than that I think the mess just keeps things too tight. My cold brew simply tastes better without this pitcher. Although I did once for-go the center strainer and instead used it to filter the cold brew as I poured it into a jar, and that came out great, but defeats the need for the pitcher in the first place.
@this1 So you just fill the french press with coffee and water and leave it in the fridge? I like that idea!
@sammydog01 Yup, I unscrew the mesh filter and the discs that hold it together when I wash the whole thing anyways, so I leave the mesh filter off, and put the lid back on without the disc and mesh filter that don’t actually screw in. I only put in the 1 disc that actually screws in to the plunger rod. While it sits in the fridge throughout the day/night I will stir it by lifting and lowering the plunger.
When I’m ready to pour it in the morning, I lift the plunger, put on the mesh filter and the coiled structure disc, and then plunge it one last time to get the filtered cold brew concentrate.
I have an old 2-liter Gatorade bottle that I dump water and grounds for a “typical pot” of coffee into and let sit overnight, giving it a shake every time I happen to walk by in the kitchen. I then literally pour it through the filter and pot system on my “standard” coffee maker.
All this fancy nonsense to make minuscule portions of coffee escapes me. I don’t see the point - how are you not constantly chasing “not enough coffee”??
Even for travel this seems a bit of a PITA. But I guess it’s nice to have the option for those that want to bother…
I Already forgot what yesterdays deal was… whats up with that?
Cold coffee just in time for winter. Yay.
@eVil I put my cold brew in the microwave and heat it up.
@sammydog01 LMAO!
Sorry to be off topic but I saw mention of a $10 coupon in yesterday’s forum. Assuming it’s a Meh coup. Anybody know how you earn one? I’ve been a VMP member for a couple of years and check out the site regularly but never click the “meh” button - is that where I’ve failed miserably?
@carr0509 You had to buy a pile of led spinners with dead batteries to get one. Be glad you’re not part of the club.
Very funny with this email 3 hours late to keep up the joke from yesterday, but I’m probably going to get in trouble by the time I get to work.
Specs
Fill the water 1.5 inches from the top.
Store in the fridge for 12 hours and shake during the brewing process.
What’s in the Box?
1x Brewer Carafe
2x Travel Brewer mug
2x Neoprene Sleeve
Price Comparison
Travel Mug: $33 (for 2) at Amazon
Carafe: $16.29 at Amazon
Warranty
90 Day Mediocre
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Cold Coffee is proof that peer pressure rules all ages. Spoiled, cold coffee taste terrible, yet people buy it because “everyone else” does.
@hchavers spoiled anything is usually terrible, no? At least cold brew seems to be less acidic (to me, anyway,) plus you don’t end up with overheated or burned coffee in the process. Full disclosure, I did “cold brew” decades ago, back when I learned about “Sun Tea.”
@hchavers I like it because I drown it with flavored creamer and sweetener.
@hchavers @lichme
DITTO
To MY taste there is no bitter aftertaste.
@hchavers sounds like you’ve made it wrong. Good cold brew coffee is smooth and mild.
@cbl_wv Wow, everyone seems to agrees with you. Maybe I should try it too.
@lichme what is the purpose of drinking and enjoying
if you are just going to kill the taste by adding creamers and sweetners? I’ve never understood this. Always a good black coffee for me!
@dave Amazon link is to a different model (Primula PCBBK-5351)
Try this one: Primula PBPBK-5101
@2many2no thanks, switched
I would rather boil, and eat my own anus…
@Bumplepimp have fun with that!
I would be tempted to get these deal as I’ve been needing a cold brew maker for a long time now. But yesterday, yes, literally, actually yesterday I bought this carafe as it was on a 1-day sale at Fry’s for under $7!
I know it says temperature safe glass, but can you use the carafe also like a french press and make “hot” coffee so we can eliminate all the bitching about cold coffee in December? *
/image weary-wounded-doll
thanks sammydog - i feel better now!
whoa brew! IDK I think I am going to not get these brew.
Perhaps you can help me out with spelling brew? Oh well I got my b’s and fene. I enjoy a teped one brew.
almost as much as a eugooglizer.
I have this, and it is totally a meh cold brew maker. It doesn’t allow for a good infusion. It’d have been relegated to the trash heap, but sometimes I use the pitcher to water my plants.
One travel Brewer came broke today 11/15/2018
@Andy51
/image broke traveler
@Andy51 Tell someone who cares. And by that I mean customer service. They’ll take care of you.