Why you should be cold-brewing coffee this summer
For those of us living at higher latitudes, the warm weather is back again. So are our favorite seasonal treats that help us tolerate the heat: lemonade, popsicles, sno cones, etc. But what to do about your caffeine fix? Drinking hot coffee kinda sucks when it's 90 F outside, and making an iced coffee sounds like more trouble than it's worth (and it is). Cold-brewed coffee, however, is an easy kitchen experiment you can try.
What is cold-brewed coffee? Well, it's not iced coffee. Most coffee purveyors make iced coffee by first brewing up a batch of hot coffee the usual way, and then chilling it before they mix it in with ice, syrup, and whatever else the customer wants. The "problem" with this is that hot-brewed coffee often tastes really awful when it cools past a certain point, so cold coffee drinks usually require a lot of additional work before they are tasty and refreshing. Cold-brew coffee is coffee that is brewed at room temperature for a long time, tastes great at cooler temperatures, and has a more velvety texture than hot-brewed coffee.
Why cold brew?
- No acidity, which means it's not bitter and is easy on sensitive stomachs
- Requires very little effort or expertise on your part
- Recipes generally produce a batch that will last you a week or more (resulting brew is STRONG so you need only use half the normal volume you'd usually put in your cup)
- Does not require fresh or super high quality beans to yield good results (I just made some yesterday with a bag of Peet's purchased like 6 months ago)
- Can be used to make a very quick (and tasty) cup of hot coffee
- You can make it as strong/weak as you please
What's the process?
In a nutshell: grind coffee coarsely (as you would for a french press), put it in a large container (I use a big mason jar), add water, and let it sit out overnight. Strain it, filter it, and you're done. Mix it 1:1 with milk or water (hot water if you want hot coffee, obviously) to dilute it. Enjoy neat or on the rocks. I add a spoonful of brown sugar to mine.
The acuppa-endorsed recipe with friendly measurements: http://tonx.org/cold-brew-guide
This guide recommends 12-14 hours, but I say you should brew for more like 16 or 17. I like it mostly because they use a lower water:coffee ratio than most other recipes out there. Also, I strongly recommend using a mesh strainer like [url=http://i.imgur.com/Pehh8qR.jpg]this[/url] as you pour the slurry out into a paper filter. Otherwise, the filter will get clogged.
5 Comments • Newest first
Chemex's proprietary filters are what I use. Mostly because the Chemex itself is a conveniently sized vessel, but the thicker filters are always good for a cleaner cup (i.e. free of sediment).
i am looking forward to trying this
i always do this when i buy whole coffee beans. I'm not into drinking "hot" coffee because most of the time is way to watered down for my taste
Also, if you don't have a paper filter, you can use paper towel. It just takes longer.
[quote=lettucing]the only coffee i drink is those iced [url=http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/20fb8b6d5c8c4427aec43adfefce0bbf.jpg]starbucks things[/url] in the glass bottles, and same with the frappuccinos (theyre usually too sweet though). should i try this? i hate hot coffee/beverages anyways. and i don't go to coffee shops but sometimes i like to drink coffee at work but i have to bring it from home 'cause the coffee machine only has hot coffee.[/quote]
Yeah, I think you'd be pretty satisfied with how this turns out. I've had those drinks and they are on the semi-sweet side, which is how I make my drinks with the cold-brewed concentrate. You can add as much or as little sugar as you want, or none at all. Plus, it's way more cost-effective than buying those all the time.
the only coffee i drink is those iced [url=http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/20fb8b6d5c8c4427aec43adfefce0bbf.jpg]starbucks things[/url] in the glass bottles, and same with the frappuccinos (theyre usually too sweet though). should i try this? i hate hot coffee/beverages anyways. and i don't go to coffee shops but sometimes i like to drink coffee at work but i have to bring it from home 'cause the coffee machine only has hot coffee.