Gaggia 90901 Platinum Swing Up Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Island

Purchased from Whole Latte Love / IMPORTIKA in March 2009 STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY

After about 5 months of usage the machine started leaking water from underneath. I called in for warranty service and was advised to drop off the machine to my local authorized repair center. The repair center has replaced parts and charged $100.00 stating this is not warranty covered. They have never informed me until after the fact. Apart from that, they also damaged front panel, all scratched up and said that I did it during time I was using it. I contacted Whole Latte Love and GAGGIA distributor IMPORTIKA. Importika denied warranty, said it was normal for any superautomatic machine to leak water after few months part of wear and tear. I was also told that it might have been due to me incorrectly attaching milk island. I don't own or ever used milk island. Tech could not believe when I told him that.

Importika/Whole Latte Love initially said they would look into the matter and never did anything, never contacted me back.

-The machine makes good espresso. Steamer is rather weak and the frothing attachment is horrible. If you are serious coffee drinker, like lattes, know anything about microfoam and would like to make it with this machine's steaming ability FORGET IT (no, it's not that I don't know how). You can make hot milk with some foam on the top.

-Coffee beans container is not air tight around the inlet for ground coffee, as a result air gets it and contributes to coffee getting stale if left for longer period.

-Click wheel works good.

-Constantly need to refill water container, empty drip tray

-Only 10.5 g max ground coffee per cup. Perfect shot has 7 g. So not even close to make 2 shots once, unless you hit button twice to make 2 separate shots.

WARNING: I would strong avoid buying any espresso machine (or anything for that matter) from Whole Latte Love or Importika (pretty much same company). Do your own research. Very deceptive business practices. They would not even post my review. Ordinary review, nothing inappropriate or anything like that. Also, Whole Latte Love advertised full warranty (not limited) but would not honor the agreement.

Well we tried the Gaggia Titanium and we did not like it at all (too loud, too big, odd settings).. This one, the gaggia Swing up is PERFECT! We can do Ristretto (tiny concentrated espresso). Noise level is very good. and the machine is too big at all! The only small minus is that the water tank coud have been a bit bigger but it would mean a bulkier machine (can't have it all). Access to the tank and the coffee dumps is very easy (much easier than the titanium model). I highly recommend it! oh I almost forgot the milk island attachment is SO good too! THe milk is froth to perfection, easy to do a creamy hot chocolate with it in less than a minute!

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I've had my Gaggie Platinum Swing for around two years now. When it works well, it's great. But it is very finicky as to coffee beans and often will grind a brew's worth and then throw it out, unbrewed, saying Fill Container With Coffee. The machine is clean and there's lots of coffee beans in it.

This happens less with Lavazza beans, but even with them. Support claims the beans are "oily", but the real problem seems to be the design.

Avoid this machine unless you're willing to fiddle with the machine a lot and waste 1/3 of your coffee beans.

This is my third Gaggia/Saeco super-automatic. Next time I'm switching to a different brand that doesn't suffer this problem!

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After using a semi-automatic espresso maker for a few years with ok but inconsistent results, I put it away in the garage and started just going to the local coffee shop for my latte fix. Recently, I decided to try a super-automatic espresso maker for the quality and convenience. I read a lot of reviews, and thought about different manufacturers and models, including Jura Capresso, but eventually I decided on this Gaggia after watching videos of it in action on another website (Wholelattelove).

The machine was easy to set up and I was making espresso in no time. Ater using the Gaggia Swing Up for a few weeks all I can say is WOW. This is one product that lives up to its billing. No buyer's remorse on my part.

There are a lot of really good features on this model but the most important thing to me is the quality of the espresso. I'm not exaggerating when I say it makes absolutely perfect, beautiful espresso every time. I've used Lavazza Super Crema, Lavazza Qualita Oro, and Illy espresso beans so far and all have made great espresso with gorgeous crema. This machine also makes a great long coffee for the travel mug.

The steam wand is easy to use with a frothing pitcher and thermometer because the wand swivels, making it easy to get the pitcher out from under it. I liked the milk island at first but cleaning it is a little tedious and it started to leak after I mistakenly put the pitcher on the stand without the plastic housing. Oops, my fault. So now I just use the steam wand exclusively and I'm still completely happy.

The menu is fairly intuitive and it is programmable if you choose. I also like the ipod-like wheel but the next model up, the Platinum Vision, has a touch screen which some people might like better. Another thing I like is that the machine swivels making it easy to put in the beans even though I have the machine on a counter with a cabinet above it -this swivel feature does not make the machine unsteady or wobbly at all. So far, cleaning has been easy and the machine tells you when it is time to empty the grounds drawer and put in water. One other feature worth mentioning is the tray which lifts and lowers electronically -at first I didn't think I would use this much but it is nice to be able to raise the tray closer to the espresso dispenser when using espresso cups and lower it when using a mug.

Yes, it is a lot of money to spend on an appliance but I've already saved money by not going to my local coffee shop a few times a week so I figure I'll eventually get a good chunk of my investment back. Now if I could just stop drinking more than one latte per day...

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From a Mechanical Engineer who bought one:

I bought one without being able to see it first. First mistake, gearing, grinder and all machine parts are plastic. So, they wear with little usage and then screw-up. If I was able to see one, I would have never bought it. I looked at other design features and they too were poorly designed like the chutes the grinds have travel thru. You don't want to buy GAGGIA! Get yourself a simpler machine that works manually.

In not quite 2 years, I have had 3 major breakdowns to the grinder, pump and dispensing solenoid. Each time you must pay for your own shipping, at least $50 each way, warrenty or not. I guarrantee if you buy this machine, you will have to have periodic major repair work that is expensive.

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Capresso 3011.01 4-Cup Glass Replacement Carafe with Lid for Mini Espresso Machine

About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.

In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee.

Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso.

After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.

I bought this machine after looking around for the perfect one for quite some time. This Espressomaker is unique because of a clever semiautomatic mechanism that doesn't require the usual, messy tampering and cleaning innate to traditional machines. This device comes at a fraction of the cost of the fully automated ones, but is almost as easy to use. The only little flaw I noted is that the frother will spill a relatively large amount of water (5cc or so) during the first couple of seconds before the full steam gets going. Usually no big deal, but if you froth a small amount of milk, you may want to "catch" these first cc's first. Otherwise, this machine is perfect. The pump is very strong 18bar, I think) and the crema is excellent. Baseline: If you want a traditional machine, go for a Gaggia or something similar; if you are a (lazy) millionaire, consider one of the fully automated machines ($1000-2000). Otherwise, there is currently no alternative to the "Ultima".

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If the technical aspects of a cappuccino before the crack of dawn have you actually contemplating drip coffee again, check out this machine. You'll have to re-learn how to make a cappuccino, but once you get the hang of it, you can break speed records. For double caps, two scoops of pre-ground espresso go in the coffee spout. Turn the bizarre looking top a quarter turn, push down the lever and turn the pump on. You'll instantly get a perfect espresso with more crema than I was able to get with any kind of consistently from our many previous machines. And it takes less than a minute for the water to heat in the unit for making coffee or arming the frother with steam in this sturdy machine. The best part comes in the clean-up. When you're ready to make the next cup, turn the lever on top a 3/4 turn and it will simultaneously dump your old grounds in a hidden bin and stage itself automatically for the next cup. That's zero coffee grounds on the sink and the ability to crank out a cappuccino every two minutes.

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... the Capresso Ultima is just a wonderful espresso machine regardless of the price/performance ratio. It is very well engineered. You can tell the refinement of the design simply by looking at the layout of the compartments, the water tank with a clever fold-in handle that is very well balanced while you are adding water, the perfect tamping mechanism, the layout and feel of pressing the buttons and rotating the lever arm, and the matte surface finish. All accolades about this machine from previous reviewers are true so I won't be repeating them here.

Some reviewers have pointed out, however, that (1) the espresso and/or the milk is not hot enough to their liking; and (2) the frother spills large amount of water. These claims are just not true.

The espresso that comes out of my machine is just so hot that it burns my tongue, not to mention the perfect crema that comes out with it. I actually tried to stick my finger (like a naughty boy) inside the espresso glass and it burns my finger like boiling water. The "secret" is to push the pump button right after the thermostat light (yellow) goes off. It's really no secret because that's what the manual receommends.

Also, the steamer/frother is capable of heating up a cup of milk that is so hot that practically you can't drink it right away. Note that the steamer/frother has got an automatic 80sec cut-off. Everytime the milk is really hot after this 80sec of steaming/frothing (not to mention how nice and thick the froth becomes I usually froth half a cup of cold 2% milk and the froth is like 2/5 cup thick YES. CLOSE TO HALF A CUP OF FROTH within 80sec of frothing). For those who really want to burn their tongue, they could always repeat this steaming/frothing for another 80sec (again read the manual to see how). I tried this and it always ends up boiling the milk (implying that it has reached 100C or over). Frankly, I don't know who would like to drink practically boiling coffee. It just takes the taste away.

For the water spill problem from the frother, I actually experienced once. But quickly I found out that it's due to the fact that I didn't screw the frothing tip tight enough so the steam leaks into the metal slieve and as soon as it gets to the rubber holder on top, the steam condenses and becomes water spill. From then on, I screw it finger tight and it does not spill any more.

What more can I say? For those who are in the market to buy an excellent espresso machine at a good price, stop searching right now. This is THE ONE.

After you got the machine, Get excited, Read the manual, Practice a few times, Enjoy the coffee, and Stop complaining!

Cheers!

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Wow, so this machine makes GREAT cappuccinos! Just a few points from a non expert who loves to have her morning cappuccino:

1. The coffee/espresso is really good! There is a good crema layer and it comes out very strong (not too strong) in my opinion. I haven't alwys found it to be 100% consistent, but, nonetheless, over 95% of the time it has been great.

2. The unit is kinda.... ugly! I'm sorry, but this is the truth. It's not like soemthing you would display in a very nice kitchen it's a bit cheap looking. It doesn't even look like a traditional espresso machine. Also, what is up with the blue strip on the tray? That really makes it look cheap. Nonetheless, because I am so plesed with this product, I am willing to overlook this flaw.

3. When they said semi-automatic, I thought I would have to do a lot of work. Not true! This is the EASIEST espresso/cappuccino to make even over my sister's semi-automatic that she paid a lot more money for (not to mention the espresso/cappuccinos taste the same, except hers is much better looking!) All you have to do is rotate the handle on top, put in coffee, rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise, push the knob down and turn on the espresso switch. When done, you turn the knob 270 degrees and it dumps the coffee. VOILA! No coffee cleanup today or tomorrow... or for a while (this is my FAVORITE part).

4. A few annoying things Whoever it was that says when you froth milk, there is first a spurt of water is correct. However, when you have frothed an entire cup of milk, you can't tell the water was added. Also, when pushing the know down to make espresso, sometimes it has been a crap shoot and no espresso came out. I had to repress the knob down and try again.

All in all, I give this a B+ because it is ugly and a bit cheap looking. However, if I rated it on taste, it would be an A. If I rated it considering that I got a great price on it and relative to other units and prices, A+!

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Cloer 12-Cup Bitterness Eliminating Coffee Maker

Update 9/27/12 Strange all of the negative reviews. Other then the original carafe which they did replace I have been using this every day for close to a year and have not had a single problem. Buying great coffee in the first place is important...

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Update: They have a new all glass carafe that has no spill.

I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to coffee but flavor is most important to me. For over ten years I have been roasting my own. I also use a burr grinder the second most important step in coffee flavor. The third step of course is brewing which requires the water temperature to be about 200 degrees F when it hits the coffee grounds.

I have a vac pot which guarantees the temperature is correct due to the fact it has to get that hot for the water to get to the top. But it takes time and requires cleanup. I have a French Press which is also great for flavor but requires clean up and to some can be a bit muddy. For weekday use when time is limited first thing in the morning I have had a Technivorm which is the only brewer certified by the national coffee association for its temperature. But for brewing coffee it fails for how expensive it is. It is built more like a backyard still. I prefer a cup of coffee so I've never owned an espresso machine. I've been searching for a new brewer for quite some time until I came across the Cloer.

My first interest in the Cloer was its maintaining correct temperature which is very important. I don't have a thermometer that would accurately measure the temp but the flavor is as good as the other brewing options that I have.

I have always filtered the water. The Cloer accepts a water filter model MAXTRA by Mavea.

It has a builtin timer so that you know when to replace the filter.

There are two sets of markers in the water reservoir to determine the correct level using a filter or not.

The basket swings out after pressing the button on top and is removable for cleaning. It will stop the flow so that you can remove the carafe during brewing.

You can brew up to 12 cups.

There is an automatic setting to turn on at a specific time but I will never use it as I prefer fresh ground coffee (immediate).

The brewer will shut off after two hours. The digital readout counts out how much time has passed after the brewing has stopped.

You can easily adjust the warming plate temperature by simply pressing the up and down buttons. There are indicators on the display. This is a nice feature as the plate on most brewers gets too hot.

This is a great little brewer with some nice features that isn't over priced, easy to use and brews at the correct temperature!

I compared the new Cloer 12-cup coffee maker to my go-to machine, a Bunn ThermoFresh, using my favorite beans, freshly ground in a Breville conical burr grinder; filtered water and paper filters in each machine. Cloer's machine produced a cup of coffee with more body and more complex and lasting flavor, which I believe is due to better extraction from the bean during brewing. Cloer uses a 'pulse' brewing system due to the way its two-tank hot water system works: cold water is taken from a reservoir about a half-cup at a time and heated to 200 F. before it is released through the grounds. This results in a more stable water temperature throughout the brewing cycle in comparison to machines that heat the water all at once and then begin cooling down until their heater cycles on again. The Cloer machine has water measurements marked on the inside of the tank and on the stainless steel strip on the control panel, with cups of coffee marked on the glass carafe as well. I find this handy for making a partial pot of beverage. Unlike the Bunn, which has a stainless steel thermal carafe, the Cloer machine includes a warming plate (temperature adjustable by set levels)to keep the coffee uniformly hot for the life of the brew.

The Bunn machine also has a two-tank system but its system serves a different purpose: a full pot of water is heated and then continuously showered through the grounds. Meanwhile, a separate tank of cold water is waiting to be drawn into the system in case a second pot needs to be brewed. The Bunn system is fussy in comparison to Cloer: to get a new pot of coffee out of the Bunn, I always have to put a new pot of cold water into the first tank. For me, this leaves day-old filtered and once-heated water sitting in the system, waiting for me to make a pot of coffee that will never be truly 'fresh.' It is not that Bunn's engineers are 'lame'; their machine is designed for holding hot water all the time and for being on day and night. Their first pot of coffee can be made without waiting for water to come up to temperature, which can be an advantage getting ready for work at home or in keeping the coffee flowing at the office.

As with so many things today, coffee machines are made in China to engineering specifications from elsewhere. Cloer is engineered in Germany. The materials used in making the machine are 'upmarket' where plastics are concerned, having a pleasant 'soft touch.' Parts seem hefty and solid and tolerances on the coffee maker for fit are good. As with all button displays/controls, it helps to read the users manual to set the machine up. The process is not tricky, just different. Where things need to come apart for cleaning they do and they give the assurance that they will fit securely back together as well.

NEW DATA: THE ORIGINAL CARAFE HAS BEEN REPLACED! This new carafe features a simple glass pot with a 'typical' plastic top that doesn't have any place for water vapor or coffee liquid to seep into before it leaks all over your tablecloth. Materials are still up-market but now the design works! Many of us found that the original carafe developed a small but annoying leak around the rim or spout. This did not make the machine unusable but minor mopping was required. I passed this problem on to Salton, the machine's importer, and they 'kicked the problem up the line' and I now have a new and completely functional carafe, provided free of charge. I am advised that future shipments will include the improved pot.

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I have owned many coffee makers over the years, but this one is perfect. The design is amazing; simple, beautiful, easy to use, functional. The coffee it produces is so smooth and bitterness free, that my husband and I talk about it every morning since we bought it. The coffee it makes is "head and shoulders" above any coffee maker I have ever owned.

The carafe pours without spilling. the reservoir is easy to access and even has a light. I am so glad I spent the extra money to buy it. It was so worth it. I had a Krupp before which i paid $83.00 for and it was a disaster.(Thankfully I took it back, and I rarely take stuff back) It dripped, the reservoir was difficult to pour into and it got coffee grounds all inside the machine and was difficult to clean, and the coffee was bitter.

I only use the best coffee and grind my own beans as it is such a treat to have great coffee in the morning. This coffee pot make the best ever!!! I just bought a second one for our office.

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I have been looking for a good coffee maker for a long time. This is my 5th machine, well the search is over. The coffee smells good brewing and tastes even better. I was getting a bitter aftertaste from my coffee I tried all different brands, did cleanings, nothing helped.

This company has won all types of awards all over the world for its'superior quality. I can see why. It looks very modern on the counter but more importantly it makes great coffee.

When you get it home all you have to do is wash the carafe and the filter holder. Plug in and set the time, run a water only cycle then you are ready to brew. After all my searching I wasn't holding my breath that this would be fantastic but as it turns out it is. You can use an optional water filter in it to remove impurities in you water if you choose. It is not included. I have a PUR faucet filter so mine is getting double filtered.

The secret to this great coffee is in the two heating chambers that make the water a perfect 200 degrees as it flows through 18 shower type holes. This is the perfect temperature for great coffee. I never knew what the problem was just that all the models I tried had the same problem bitter aftertaste.

It uses the #4 cone filters or you can use a gold or metal cone #4 filter (not included).

I had heard that the pour spout spills every time. I have not had this happen even using my left hand and I am right handed. I did notice you have to tip it more before it starts to pour but after the second time you are used to it. I really can not find any cons on this machine. It does all it says it will do and looks good doing it. I highly recommend this model to anyone who enjoys a great cup of coffee.

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I was skeptical about the promise of a coffeemaker that brews a less bitter cup of coffee. In my experience all my coffeemakers produce acidic bitter coffee. In fact, my husband and I gave up coffee for quite awhile because of the bitterness. This time I was wrong. The Cloer coffeemaker does make less better coffee. The aroma is wonderful and the flavor is full bodied.

I particularly like:

The timer. It lets me know when the heating element will shut off. That lets me judge whether I need to make another pot.

The carafe feels good in my hand. I have had no trouble with spills.

The filter is easy to install. I particularly like the ability to see how much time I have before having to buy another filter. Use the clean button to determine the state of the filter.

The brewing system is exceptional. I was surprised that heating the water in increments made such a difference.

Some things I wish were different:

While I like the carafe, I wish it wasn't glass. I have a terrible tendency to break glass pots. However, this coffeemaker makes tastier coffee that my Melita with a carafe type pot.

I wish I didn't have to keep heating the coffee for two hours to keep it serve-able. I do think the coffee tastes better over time if it's not being continually heated. However, with the Cloer, I can choose one of four temperature settings and keep it on the lowest one, so that's a plus.

I highly recommend this coffeemaker, if you love coffee.

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Bialetti Cuor Di Moka, 3 Cup Polished Aluminum

I bought this little pot to make convenient and decent homemade espresso. Yes, I know that it's only steam pressure, so it's not *really* espresso. But, used correctly this little pot does a great job. It produces a dark, concentrated double shot of espresso that satisfies. I generally pour this into a mug and add hot water to make a cafe americano (yeah, I'm not a purist).

But ... and this is a big but, using it correctly is not intuitively obvious. I searched the instructions, the internet and the Bialetti website in vain for guidance because I had problems. That is why I'm posting this review and writing up a set of instructions for using the Cuor Di Moka.

How the Pot Works: Bialetti built this pot with a valve in the stem that cuts off the flow of water from the bottom to the top at a certain point. The goal, as they state it, is to provide just the "heart" of the coffee. It's the certain point that creates the problem.

The Problem: Often I was only getting a tiny portion of coffee--something like half a shot of espresso, instead of the two shots that this little pot should produce. I cleaned the pot, thinking that it was clogged, but got no reliable improvement. I did, at one point, consider setting this pot aside as another mistaken purchase. But, further experimentation brought me to ...

The Solution: What I finally realized is that the certain point where the shut-off valve operates is based on temperature. A couple minor adjustments in how I set up and used the pot now allow me to consistently produce a full double shot of strong espresso. Heat is what causes the valve to shut off the flow of steam through the ground coffee into the receiving chamber. 1) Fill the bottom chamber with very cold water. It doesn't matter how full the bottom is because only half the water gets pushed to the top in any case. 2) Wash out the receiving chamber, and the stem inside which contains the shut-off valve, with very cold water as well. This is the real key. Starting with the valve very cold permits the largest volume of water to pass into the receiving chamber. 3) Use a moderately low temperature on the stove top. I use 4 (out of 10) on my stove. It generally takes 7-9 minutes for the Cuor Di Moka to finish at this setting.

Cold water. Cold stem valve. Low heat. By following these three steps I'm very happy with the coffee produced by this machine.

Coffee certainly tastes different with Bialetti's Cuor Di Moka. Much more flavor, strength and delight !

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Update: Having used it for a year, I gave it a special award on my site: acpress (it's a com)

(My "Product of the Year." Read why at the site.)

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This was my Christmas present (early) this year. I was torn between the unit that (allegedly) produces crema and this unit that (again allegedly) allows only the best, the most flavorful brew to enter the top chamber. I have owned a number of these kind of pots, including an "Alicia" electric model and they have all been marginal quality with an over extracted burnt taste. And belive me, I've tried to make them work!

This unit is FAR better. I'm not sure if it the flow is cut off thermally or by the simple heart shaped float that the coffee raises as it enters the top chamber, but I do get the top all the away full, and it is rich and dark.

I use a small Sanyo mini-hot plate (designed for portable ramen cooking while traveling!) and it seems to be just the right temp. Takes about five minutes to make a pot using very cold winter well water. One caveat: do NOT use ultra fine grind espresso! A slightly more coarse version is fine. And, unlike finicky pump machines, you CAN easily get buy with a blade grinder!

Extra points for a very classy look and the simple bayonet mount. I'd like a bit larger version, so take away one star!

UPDATE: I picked up a standard Bialetti Moka pot (no valves or other gimmicks) and got similar results AS LONG AS I watched carefully and removed the pot from the heat BEFORE the final rush of superheated steam and water. However, you have to watch carefully. If you don't this unit will do the trick for you.

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I have a regular Bialetti Moka pot and bought this one for my sister. I love my Moka pot but have to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn the coffee. Everything says once you hear the bubbling noise it's done but I have found if you take it off the heat right before it empties all the coffee it doesn't have that slight burnt taste. This Cour Di Moka pot solves this problem. No burnt coffee ever! Sooooo good and my sister was so happy with it!

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First when I opened the package it was a mess, looked like someone had returned it before.

The pot had scratches and dents. And on top of that the pot doesn't work properly, it leaks from the side! The top and bottom pieces don't attach properly, it does looks offset though...

In more than 20 years this is the first time I've had any problems with a Bialetti product

Toddy T2N Cold Brew System

This thing makes the most wonderful coffee. I am an admitted coffee snob but was suffering from the acid in the coffee I drank. It all ended with this set up. It makes great coffee that is so darn much easier on your system.

It is not without its minor flaws, however. It is a bit more expensive to make coffee this way. Clean up is a bit difficult. The rim of the plastic upper part could be an inch taller.

I am going to tell how I approached each of those problems, it seems to work well for me.

In using the full pound of coffee and 72 ounces of water called for (It soaks for 12 hours per instructions) the top container is filled to the very brim...water and grounds are easily spilled over the top when pressing the grounds down (again per instructions) to assure uniform wetness.

I now use about 75% of a pound of coffee and 90% of the water called for. I place a #4 basket filter over the round Toddy filter to make for a better flow at the end of the process. I leave it all for about 30 hours and it is at least as strong as that obtained by following the instructions provided. Remember...this is not an exact science! I get more cups of coffee per pound this way and also have much easier clean up and less mess in the making. With the coffee and water mixture about an inch below the top of the container, one simply does not make the spills normally encountered.

When done, I let the concentrate run into the carafe per instructions, but then press the outsides of the grounds and then the center to get all the concentrate out...I do this twice. A surprising amount of extra concentrate is saved in this fashion. I then remove the carafe, place a plastic bag over the top of upper unit and invert it into the bag. The round filter is right at the top and I can easily pick it out.

In the sink I have placed a very large bowl (I use a stainless one) and rinse the parts that need it into the bowl. The grounds do not get away or get down my drain. When done I can just toss the bowl of water and grounds rinsed from the filter, etc. into my back yard and the clean up is basically complete.

I have been using the Toddy for more than 2 years and here are some tips and tricks.

1. You don't have to use 16 oz of coffee to make great tasting cold brew. Fresh dark roast beans do make a difference. I tried pre-ground from a bag and it was so-so, pre-ground from a can had no taste at all.

2. Anything less than 12 oz will cause the lower glass container to overflow when you drain the upper plastic "brew" container.

3. Simply put in 12 to 16 oz of ground coffee like this:

a. 2 cups water before you put in any coffee

b. 6 8 oz ground coffee

c. 3 cups water slowly all around the ground coffee

d. 6 8 oz ground coffee

e. fill slowly to the top making sure to cover all of the grounds.

4. No mater how much coffee you use, anything between 12 and 16 oz, you will almost always have to tap on the top of the grounds with a spoon. This cause the water to rise and soak the dry spots in the grounds. It is helpful to do your tapping before you fill the Toddy to the top. DO NOT STIR the grounds this will clog the filter. You can slowly lower a spoon into the grounds, with the flat of the spoon, and slowly pull up, but do not stir.

5. You can put in a regular industrial size coffee filter along with the regular Toddy sponge like filter to ease clean up, but it does create more compostable waste. Regular coffee filters are too small.

6. I used to reuse the grounds immediately, by putting the coffee solution in another container and then adding water to the already wet grounds, with the plug in of course. Then I waited 12 more hours and doubled my yield. I no longer do this because it made too much coffee and it just sat in the fridge for too long.

7. Let your coffee "steep" cold, of course, for more than 12 hours, say 14, 16, 18 hours, and the caffeine and oil content will increase for a more flavorful cup. After a couple of years, I started going for 24 hours and it makes it even more flavorful.

8. After cleaning up, wet the sponge filter and store it in a plastic food safe bag in the fridge.

9. Tell your family members what the filter is so that they don't throw it away thinking that it is a molding chunk of cheese ;0)

Buy Toddy T2N Cold Brew System Now

Now you can taste that smell!

Let me explain: I can't call myself a coffee addict, but I really enjoy a good cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I'm a little let down when I walk into a cafe, smell the rich aroma, then taste a cup of coffee that's either weak, bitter or just too strong. The smell doesn't match the taste, and that's a bummer.

With the Toddy system however, even though I don't get the rich smell of fresh-brewed coffee in the morning, I do get a taste that reminds me of that smell, and that's far more important. Better still, my girlfriend can make her coffee weaker than mine by simply adding less concentrate. Cups of coffee tailored specifically to your taste!

I've tried espresso makers, french press, auto drip and even (dare I say it) instant coffee, and french press is the only type that comes close to the rich flavor. But that said, as I get older (early thirties) acid content becomes a bigger issue for me, and the relatively low acid content in a cup from the Toddy system is more and more appealing.

Now, as much as I like the system I do have a couple of gripes. First, I wish the brewing process was a little more intuitive since it's time consuming and messy. I brewed my coffee almost a week ago, and I'm still finding grounds hidden here and there. Hence, I wish the brew portion into which the grounds go had a lid.

Second, though it's easy to figure out through trial and error, a chart in the manual with more detail info on ratios, coffee types and strengths would be helpful. For example, I used Eight O'Clock coffee (I know, it's not designer coffee, but it tastes pretty good) which isn't quite as full-flavored a roast as some other coffees. Hence, I find I need to add more concentrate to water. I'm curious what the concentrate will be like when I use a stronger/different roast.

Nonetheless, I gave the Toddy system 5 out of 5 because when it's all said and done, a brewer is about the cup of coffee it produces, and hands down this is the best cup of coffee I've ever made at home.

Read Best Reviews of Toddy T2N Cold Brew System Here

I have been making iced coffee the cold brew way for a few months with two jars and a strainer. Since I consume so much, I thought I would give the famed Toddy system a try surely so many people couldn't be wrong. Boy, am I sorely disappointed! I open the package and all you get is a cheap plastic pitcher and a glass carafe. $30 for this is way overpriced! Even so, the price would be fine if it did anything different or better than my makeshift system but it is actually worse, way worse!!! Here are my reasons:

1) The cheap plastic brew container has NO COVER and a FLIMSY STAND. I am going to leave an open, wobbly container full of coffee concentrate on my countertop for 12 hours, does this sound like a good idea? Does it sound sanitary? Unless your house is like a museum, probably not. By contrast my $2 jars have lids imagine that.

2) The filters are so sensitive you cannot stir the grounds and water together to fully soak the grounds. What genius designed this filter? They expect you to go through a delicate dance where you add a few grounds, slowly pour the water in a circular pattern, add some more grounds, slowly add some more water, etc. All so the filter doesn't CLOG. Who has time for this!? By contrast, when I put water and coffee grounds into my $2 jar, I drop it in and stir with a spoon imagine that! My $1 strainer and 10 cent regular coffee filter removes all the grounds/residue and leaves me with pure concentrate.

3) You have to keep buying their filters and they aren't cheap! Nowhere had I seen that you had to keep buying their filters they cost $2 each and you can only use them 10 times! And you most likely will end up ordering them over the internet, where you will have to pay shipping. They might end up costing $4 each! Why wouldn't I just keep using my $1 strainer and 10 cent coffee filters, which works just fine and are easier to get!?

4) Their filters require a lot of care. Every time you use them you have to go through some ridiculous process of storing them in a zip lock bag in the fridge. Again, who the heck has time for this?! My $1 strainer takes 5 seconds to rinse and then I stick it on the drying rack and the 10 cent filter I just throw out!

All in all I am very disappointed with the Toddy system. Not only is it way overpriced, but it is worse than a $5 makeshift alternative. I am using the carafe because I might as well and the brew container is now used in my son's bath...

I hope this helps people to see the light about this product.

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This makes, quite simply, the best coffee you've had in your life. Make it any way you want--hot, cold, espresso strength, American strength. I started with expensive coffees but am now quite happily using Folger's Special Roast. The cold-brew process makes delicious coffee even with the cheap stuff. I have become something of a cold-brew-coffee snob: I only drink toddy coffee at home, and when I'm out and forced to drink regular hot-brewed coffee, I cringe and can never finish a whole cup. This is literally a life-changing brewing method. The plastic handle they now include, while not absolutley necessary, is a nice bonus. ONE IMPORTANT THING: don't follow the instructions included as far as the technique for making the coffee, namely, 2 cups then 5 cups then 2 cups water added in stages. Instead, do 3 cups 3 cups 3 cups. When I used the 2-5-2 method, the thing would get clogged every single time, which is a real problem when you're dealing with a large quantity of coffee concentrate. Using the 3-3-3 method, I haven't had a clog or a slow "bleed" once; coffee comes pouring out as if from a firehose once I pull the stopper. I also ensure no dry grounds by, about an hour after initial setup, scraping coffee up from around the edge of the brewer into a pile in the middle, leaving behind a ring of already-dampened grounds at the sides; then I add another 1/2-1 cup of water, pouring it on the pile in the middle so that the grounds level out again and the brewer is really _full_. I've found the Holy Grail of coffee makers and I won't look back my life long.

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