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When viewing this on a shopping web site, one of the reviewers indicates "This is about 50-60 [dollars] worth of pyrex glass and another 20 [dollars] worth of wood." The company charges $499 for this setup, so I'd like to find out if there is any truth to this statement by identifying the parts and seeing how much they cost. Image of the setup below:

enter image description here

G M
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TigerCoding
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  • It might be 20 dollars worth of wood, but the glass is substantially more; I would guess about 250 dollars. I think the comment was to indicate that it was cheaply made and not on the actually cost. BTW, what is the purpose of it? – LDC3 Apr 06 '14 at 00:21
  • A well-jointed 3 litre round-bottomed flask alone can set you back at least 70 dollars. Is that bottom bit joined, or is it just a tube that drips into the flask openly? – Aesin Apr 06 '14 at 00:25
  • It's a cold brew coffee maker. The person indicated it was pyrex glass. – TigerCoding Apr 06 '14 at 02:00

2 Answers2

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I think that you can make your own cheaper Yama cold brew tower however what they are selling to you is the design! What you see in the picture is not chemistry glassware but if you want to make your own with chemistry glassware (this will cost more money because good chemistry glassware is purer and must have many expansive features that normal glassware don't have) I've written the analogous components in the figure. You need an open-top cylindrical dropping funnel with a stopcock valve. enter image description here

See here and here for reference. You can use a normal funnel and attach to it a stopcock valve if you want. Then there is something similar to a Buchner funnel, I imagine that there is a filter in the bottom, may be included into the funnel, in this case, a 90-150 micron filter should be sufficient. See here for more info. Then there is a glass coil spiral, up to my knowledge this has no practical use is only beautiful and geeky but will cost a lot. Then you have a normal carafe. (probably a piece of filter paper is placed over the grounded cafe to allow the diffusion of water in the whole volume of the cylinder and not only in the centre).

enter image description here

With some filter paper and a couple of half cut plastic bottles you can do your Yama tower with less of 5 $: you can make a little hole in the screw cap of your first bottle to make drip the first funnel, and use a piece of filter paper in the second. If you want to use glassware don't use chemistry glassware you don't need it really, try to find normal glassware to adapt to your project and you can make your own cheaper and nice Yama tower.

G M
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  • Thanks for such intricate details. I saw a plastic cold brew maker for $35, but prefer the 'Breaking Bad' style look. If not so expensive, I would consider it. – TigerCoding Apr 07 '14 at 15:38
  • @Javy yes maybe is better... Right I think I should make a link with http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/7439/chemistry-behind-gales-coffee-maker-in-breaking-bad/7491#7491 – G M Apr 07 '14 at 16:11
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No need for Pyrex this all occurs at room temp, replace the valve on any water dispenser with adjustable valve, set to drip. For the funnel, empty wine or liquor bottle, cut off bottom, you all set. For bottom flask, glass milk jug. Easily under $50 and two hours.

Scruffy Skilman
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