Penguin Coffee- Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker 1.2 Liter- Customers Spoke, We Listened. Version 2.0 Now Available! Thicker, Stronger Glass Pitcher. Dual Layer Stainless Steel Filter w Microscopic Holes

After trying some 10 other cold brew alternatives, I finally found the perfect product to make my Cold Brew Coffee to perfection. Because it took me so long to find Penguin, over a year buying second class options, and because it is so hidden within Amazon, and I loved it so much, I decided to write an extensive review. It has all the key ingredients necessary: 1. Dual Layer Micro Mesh with microscopic holes, so small (40 microns, or 0.04 mm) that, with coarse coffee, no particles get through. When I put it up to the light, I cannot see the holes. 2. Mesh at the bottom of the filter, versus others that have a plain piece of metal. 3. Instrument to help you raise the filter within the carafe to pour remaining coffee out of the mesh, at the bottom of the filter, recovering that remaining ¼ to ¾ cup that in other brands you lose. This alone increases your yield by 10 to 20%. 4. Huge filter that allows for a super strong formula. In my 1.6 litter carafe, it appears that that put some 18 oz. of coffee and 36 of water. The water came so strong that after diluting it in a relationship of 3:1 yielded 108 oz. 5. You can then brew a second time from the same coffee used before. This additional 26 oz. are similar in strength to the already diluted 108 oz. of the first brew. In total, as per my estimate the relationship is 144 oz. (fully 4 litters) from 18 oz. of coffee, or 8:1of pure, mostly acid free, and quite delicious coffee. 6. The bottle has a small indentation to help you pour the liquid properly. That’s nice, although common to most other options. 7. However, in spite of the indentation, it is airtight, I mean, airtight. To achieve it, it has three rubber bands (two for the filter and one for the lid), and the one for the lid is sufficiently wide to go way beyond the indentation, which is what makes it airtight (and where it differentiates from other options). When you put the lid you feel the pressure, it’s tight, tight all the way to below the indentation. 8. Wide base that makes it stable. 9. Your coffee only touches stainless steel and glass. 10. It is aesthetically beautiful. 11. Yields non-acidic, strong, good flavored coffee. In my case, most importantly, it yields lots of caffeine with no acidity; something that I had come to believe could only be achieved with black tea, which is not as good in flavor, as a good coffee can be. As far as I know, Penguin is the only brand offering points 2, 3 and 7. It also offers points 1, 8, and 10, each of which only few others provide, perhaps the top 15%, and those tend to be some 30% more expensive than Penguin. Minuses 1. The carafe, in my opinion, looks quite fragile, particularly considering that it is huge, and that it is hard to clean it in the sink without accidentally touching anything. It may be borosilicate class, but I felt it so fragile and big, that I ordered a second one. I already know it will break, and I do not want to be again without it. On the plus side, for what it offers, it is quite inexpensive. Let me put this in perspective, I have invested way over US$1,000 in different mechanism to make quality coffee, and it seems that 80% of the time I will be drinking Penguin coffee, so, if it breaks twice a year, it would be still very attractive. 2. I bought the 1.6-liter, and it’s huge. If you do not have a tall enough space in your freeze, or if you do not need 144 oz. of coffee (4 litters), I would definitely recommend the 1.2-liter instead. 3. Once you finish the first brew, and if decide to go into a second brew (get an additional 36 oz. with the same coffee), you would definitely need a separate carafe to hold your coffee on the fridge. I bought two 32 oz. amber bottles from Sally’s Organic. I refrigerate it undiluted. 4. My package came without the instrument mentioned in point 3 of the plusses. Wrote to them, and they promise to sent in by mail. Once received I will update my review. Recommendation to the Company: 1. Considering how fragile the carafe seems to be, the great beauty and efficiency of the filter (which would be left unused in case the carafe breaks), and the fact that you would need a second carafe to perform the second brew, I would strongly recommend the manufacturers to sell a replacement Carafe in Amazon, perhaps even a separate offer of the same product but with an extra carafe.

This brewer is so much better than all the other systems I tried over the last weeks. I learned over the that making cold brew on your own is not as easy as it seems. Normal brewers with standard steel mesh filters let A LOT of coffee grounds leak into the coffee. So you either need to buy special extra coarse coffee grounds (which in my case did not really help at all), buy a ridiculously expensive coffee grinder (the cheap ones won't do, too much dust), or filter your cold brew after brewing to get rid of all the floating grounds... fun. FEATURES MOST OTHER BREWERS DON'T HAVE! I was hesitant to give Penguin a chance because of the cheap price, but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was when it arrived. All components are high quality and the system checks all the boxes: ** Micro-mesh steel filter: there will be no coffee grounds in your cold brew. The filter is so fine that you cannot even see the holes. I am still using the system with extra coarse coffee grounds. The instructions say you can use a medium grind. Based on the fact that there is nothing leaking though the filter at all I would even say you can use just standard everyday grounds for pour over filter coffee. I'll start experimenting and due to that amazing filter I am not restricted to just the few beans that are available as extra coarse grind but can just use any coffee out there. I can even get just any cheap grinder and grind by own coffee - the filter will take care of the dust! ** Airtight seal: for storage AND while brewing. Your blue cheese in the fridge won't do your coffee no harm. I'm serious - I don't like coffee that tastes like a combination of everything that happened to be in my fridge. And many other brewers have a loose filter sitting on top, sometimes even completely open for other stuff to fall in. ** Easy to clean: the filter opens to the bottom and you can get rid off used grounds in seconds. The whole thing is even dishwasher safe. This brewer was designed to be used, not merely to be sold. HOW GOOD IS THE COLD BREW COFFEE? ** The Penguin brewer has a ridiculous filter to body volume ratio. I got the 1.2 liter set, the filter holds roughly 200 grams (7 oz) of grounds (that's a lot) and the return is about 600 ml (20 oz) of ultra-strong coffee concentrate. I have to delude it with water 1:4 to make it "normal". One reason this brew is so strong is that the set comes with a filter holder that lets you drip out the super-concentrated essence that usually gets stuck in the grounds and is dumped into the trash. It just takes another 10 minutes after the brew is done to drain the entire filter. ** You can use the grounds a second time (2nd brew) and it returns another 600 ml of really strong coffee (not concentrate, but I still have to delude it a bit). In total I can get over 3 liters (100 oz) of amazingly smooth tasting cold brew from a single fill (with admittedly high quality coffee grounds and two 18 hour brews). The first batch of concentrate can also be used to make mixed drinks (you do not have to delude it with water but can mix in all kinds of milk or use it for amazing high-quality cocktails). You can also drink it pure of cause if you want to die of a caffeine overdose - it tastes amazing. ^^ The second batch is what you are used to from your favorite coffee shop - just much better tasting because you are in control of the beans you use. WHAT I DON'T LIKE ** Obviously the brewer only holds one batch of coffee at a time. You need a second carafe for the first batch while brewing the second one. I wished there was a way to just order a second airtight carafe form Penguin. But given the entire brewer is cheaper than what the single carafe is worth, I could just buy a second brewer. =P ** You are stuck with 3 liters of pure cold brew coffee after the second brew. That's just too much for a single person. I cannot sleep any more. :D I wished the system was available in a smaller size. But my office mates are quite happy that I started to supply them with coffee. ^^ ** The bottom cap of the filter has a very rudimentary thread. I wished it would be more of a screw-thingy. But the fact that you can remove the bottom cap at all is just ingenious - I really should stop nitpicking. ;) tl;dr: GET THIS BREWER. You will not regret it. It's absolutely amazing. It not only has the best filter I ever saw but it is also of excellent quality and even looks stylish. Believe me, I had a couple of standard brewing systems and they all sucked compared to this one. PS: customer service... I really don't care where a product comes from, if it's a Chinese or European or American company. But I was a bit speechless when I got a polite and personal email from Atlanta. Someone from Penguin asking me if I was happy with the brewer. Like REALLY personal, not one of these standard automated "please don't review us if you are unhappy" emails. We emailed a bit back and forth. They genuinely stand behind their product, strive to make it even better and truly value all feedback. You feel the love and dedication that went into this brewer system. To the people of Penguin: you guys are amazing!

I've tried other cold brew coffee brewing systems and have always found them tedious, messy, and extremely time consuming. The Penguin Cold Brew Coffee system couldn't make it any easier. It was packaged well and arrived in perfect condition. Although it came with detailed instructions, I still had a few questions. I contacted Penguin Coffee and they not only replied in a timely manner, but they answered every question I had and then some. They offered me some tips and suggestions and were very eager to ensure my satisfaction with their product. It's the best customer service I've ever experienced!! Now to the coffee. This brewing system is not only super attractive but makes incredible tasting cold brew coffee. I prefer to brew my coffee sitting out on the counter as opposed to the refrigerator style brewing. With the modern, attractive style of this carafe I have no worries displaying it on my kitchen counter. Another plus of this product is the filter. The filter is a fine mesh but yet is durable and makes cleaning a breeze. The bottom of the filter opens up which makes washing the filter super easy. So why four star?? My one and only concern with this product is the glass carafe. I wish it were just a little thicker as I worry about it breaking unnecessarily. That being said, if taken care of properly it shouldn't pose a problem but if your kitchen is anything like mine, accidents just seem to happen. Overall, I'm thrilled with my purchase and can't say enough about their customer service.

Before even writing about this wonderful product, I have to say that this is hands down the best customer service I have ever experienced. After having the Penguin system for several weeks, the carafe suddenly broke while I was filling it with water at the sink. I don't think I tapped it on the counter edge, but the entire lower half fell off. It was Friday night, but I sat down to email Penguin customer service so that they would get it on Monday. I was surprised to receive a friendly, helpful response Saturday morning and by Monday afternoon I had a new carafe (I live in Montana) and another email checking to see that I had been taken care of. There was no charge and the representative, Claire, could not have been more gracious. What a nice experience this was. Now for the system. It is so well designed, makes delicious coffee that doesn't bother my stomach and is easy to do. The instructions were clear and every piece works as needed. I especially appreciate the fine mesh filter, which means I can use the same grind of coffee for my cold brew as I do for my husband's hot brewed coffee. I also love that I can use every bit of grounds, by following the suggestion to refill the carafe after the first brew is done and get another carafe of coffee that you can drink full strength. I just pour the first batch into a quart mason jar and set it up to produce a second, less intense batch. I usually drink my coffee with a bit of cream, but the coffee produced by the Penguin system is so smooth that cream is not essential. I like my coffee dark and hot, but diluting 1/3 coffee to 2/3 water to coffee is still plenty flavorful. I heat it about 2-1/2 minutes in the microwave. Other reviewers have struggled with taking the end off the filter, but I have not found that necessary. I tap the grounds out in the trash, rinse it under running water on all sides and it is fine. My only suggestion to Penguin is to consider making the carafe a bit thicker glass. Although I am careful, anything you use as much as I will use this system is eventually going to get knocked against something. I have the 1.6 liter and love it, but if I re-ordered ( as I intend to for Christmas gifts) I might go for the one which is a bit shorter and fits more easily in the refrigerator. Order one for yourself...you will not regret it! Thanks, Penguin and Claire!

I had been looking for a good cold brew coffeemaker for a long time, but none seemed quite right until I found this one. It has been designed specifically for making cold brew coffee, and does an excellent job of it. It consists of a glass pitcher (good quality glass) with a filter inside made of stainless steel mesh. An airtight steel lid keeps the coffee fresh in the refrigerator. The mesh filter works perfectly to keep the coffee grounds filtered out of the coffee. Other cold brew makers are designed more for tea, so they don't work as well. The Penguin is designed to give you 2 brews from one filter full of grounds. The first brew is very strong, concentrated coffee. With water and milk or cream added, it tastes delicious. The second brew is also good, just not as strong as the first. But with both brews, I was able to make enough coffee to last me through the whole week of bringing a large cup of coffee to work. Cleanup is very easy. The filter has a bottom part that comes off so you can easily dump out the coffee grounds and rinse the filter. Brewing time takes 12 to 24 hours to make a good strong concentrate, which is then used all week long. The company also sells extra pitchers; I ended up getting a second one to store the first brew's concentrate in the fridge while I brewed the second brew. I like that you can get A LOT of coffee from one amount of coffee grounds. It saves me a lot of money. I was able to use regular coffee grounds but you can also grind your own coffee beans, I might try that later. I used to buy iced coffee or cold brew coffee on my way to work but that gets expensive -- now I make my own at home and it tastes just as good! The customer service was great. I emailed them with a few questions and they replied very quickly with detailed instructions. (The coffeemaker also comes with a set of instructions and some tips on brewing). I love this coffeemaker, and I may end up buying more as gifts for some of my coffee-loving friends and relatives.

EDIT: After communication with the seller/manufacturer, They deemed that there must’ve been a quality control issue as the ring was supposed to be welded to the cylinder. They sent me a new filter unit right away. I set up and made coffee immediately upon receiving the new filter unit. I am incredibly happy with this product and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to try cold brew at home. The coffee (Black Gold) came out incredibly dense and for my taste needs to be 1 part coffee with 2 parts water. During the entire time of communicating with the seller, they sent different ideas on how to dilute the condensed coffee to taste the notes of flavors, like tasting notes in wine. That was very personalized communication and very much appreciated. The black gold straight from the decanter is smooth and delicious (I normally don’t like black coffee). However, to drink more than a taste, you should dilute it. I warm up the diluted black gold to drink it as bullet proof coffee. This changes the taste a little bit but that doesn't bother me. Have not yet tried it over ice. Definitely get yourself a Penguin, because of the high quality and beauty of the unit. The decanter is stronger glass and doesn’t feel like it will break under normal use. If anything is awry with your order, their customer service is top notch and responsive. Prior 1star review: I just got this and can’t even use it. The top metal ring absolutely refuses to stay on the filter. 1) The filter came shaped as a triangle. After much manipulating to make it round again, the ring still pops off as soon as I get it on. 2) To top it off, it is incredibly difficult to get the ring down over the mesh filter part and that part bunches up. At one point I succeeded in getting the mesh tucked under the ring only to have the ring pop back off again....UGH!!!! So frustrated. I will contact the maker to see if it is user error or bad product. I will update this review if this gets resolved.

I had this product for less than a year. The metal piece that is used to pull the filter out of the pitcher broke and I have never been able to reach someone to order a new filter. Penguin Company itself was contacted by me with no response. Very poor customer service. Product does not last, and no way to re-order needed parts.

I have been rather satisfied with the product, but I started getting mysterious cuts on my fingers. When I was doing dishes tonight, I got cut from unscrewing the steel lid of the infuser, and it cut me deep enough that my middle finger started to bleed. Whoever purchased this, be careful and use a towel when unscrewing, especially when you fingers are wet! It's definitely a design flaw, please use softer materials or smooth out the edge of the lid in future designs.