The cold-brewed coffee was ready in 12 hours. The color of the coffee was very dark, but clear. The directions state that for a stronger extract, it can be left to steep for up to 72 hours. We'll try that next. For now, we wanted to see if the we could taste the difference between a minimum brew-time cup of coffee and a "normal" one.

A simple flip of the brewer drained the liquid into the other bowl, ready for transfer to the carafe. Everything worked exactly as designed. No leaks, no mess, no electricity required. 

The other end of the hourglass funnel has a pour spout integrated into the design.  It probably would have been smarter to do the transfer over the sink, but the spout made it easy to direct the stream into the carafe. One might not have guessed by looking at the bowl and the carafe that their volumes were exactly the same.

To make the coffee, the top of the cap of the carafe served as a measuring cup. We used one shot for a cup and tried it both straight and mixed with non-dairy liquid creamer. Forty-five seconds in the microwave and the coffee was ready for the moment of truth. 

In short, this was the SMOOTHEST cup of coffee we have ever had. The taste was rich and had absolutely no trace of bitterness. We think we have a new way of making coffee and will be serving it to our guests this Thanksgiving.   [Permalink] - Cold Brewed Coffee FirstTaste

NOTE: The Hourglass brewer can be found at Everything Kitchen (less than $60 and FREE Shipping!). If you want to stretch your coffee dollars even further, the coffee in the filter may be used to brew a second round. The next batch will be weaker and may be consumed without dilution. We'll let you know how it compares.