I let the coffee grounds "brew" about 24 hours and then drain

It only took about a half hour to drain when done.

About 12-18 hours works perfectly for us

The device is simple to use, though you must plan ahead since it takes 12 hours for 12 ounces of ground coffee to steep in 7 cups of cold water

DO NOT STIR ANYTHING (you can gently press grounds & allow a little water to seep up)Wait 12 hours and drain into the decanter

I leave the system in the sink for the 12 hours fearing the cork may leak.

We do the first batch maybe around 10:00PM, give or take an hour, drain it 12 hours later, and immediately start the second batch, and drain it later that evening, 12 hours later

After the 24 hour steeping period I poured about a half cup of coffee into a cup added some foamed milk , heated it and tasted it

Fourteen hours seems like the ideal time to me.

Use 2/3 cup whole beans ground coarse for steeped 12 hours

Since the decanter can't hold the entire volume of brewed coffee, I have found that the toddy bottom perfectly fits re-cycled plastic ricotta cheese containers such that I nearly fill the glass decanter and then transfer the toddy onto the ricotta cheese container to capture the remaining part of the brew --- often I let this sit and drain an hour or more to fully drain the toddy.5