A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine. Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an inert material and will hold at least one standard bottle of wine (0.75 litre). A similar kind of vessel, the carafe /kəˈræf/, is used for serving wine as well as other drinks, but is not supplied with a stopper.
Decanters are very useful in cold brew coffee in order to maintain a high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Because cold brew has an inherently low TDS, a paper filter is avoided for this coffee brewing method. In order to increase the clarity of the final cup, coffee is filtered into decanters to allow sediments to settle.
With regards to coffee, a decanter could refer to any receptacle that coffee is brewed into or stored in but is not consumed out of. Examples of this would be a filter coffee decanter as well as decanters that are used for brewing pour-over filter coffee such as with the Chemex, Kalita Wave and Hario V60, before it is then decanted into cups for drinking. A coffee decanter is also sometimes referred to as a beaker.