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I’m not exactly sure where you live, but here it’s 90 degrees plus, with a hundred percent chance of heat and humidity every day. I love coffee, but come mid-afternoon when the sun is beating down, even I have to admit that it’s too hot for for hot coffee. I crave coffee with ice cubes, a cup of Joe that will cool me down and keep me caffeinated. That’s when I turn to cold brew coffee.
What Is Cold Brew Coffee
Iced coffee and cold brew coffee are not the same. Iced coffee is brewing coffee like you normally would with a drip coffee maker or French Press, then adding ice cubes (use coffee instead of water for best results). Cold brew coffee is brewed without heat. Instead, the water sits in the grounds for 12 to 24 hours, slowly taking on the delicious flavors of the grounds. The result is a unique tasting concentrate that is smooth, full of flavors and with no bitterness. It also has very little acidity. I like to add a ¼ cup of the concentrate, then fill the rest of the cup with water, ice cubes and sometimes milk to make the perfect hot summer afternoon beverage.
Cold Brew Option #1
I’ve tried a handful of cold brew systems, so far this is my favorite cold brew system that I’ve tried and the one I currently have in the Daily Shot Of Coffee kitchen. It’s fairly easy to use, makes great cold brew coffee without the the grit (I’ve read the reviews of other systems that result in a gritty concentrate) and it’s relatively easy to clean.
- Designed to brew coffee with 67-percent less acid than coffee made with hot brew methods
- Patented cold brew system uses regular coffee beans to create super smooth hot coffee, but with no electricity required
- The Toddy Cold Brew System also makes tea, served hot or cold
- Set includes brewing container with handle, glass decanter with lid, 2 reusable filters, 1 rubber stopper, set of instructions, and recipe guide
- Get more out of your coffee beans, since the coffee concentrate stays fresh for up to 3 weeks
Cold Brew Option #2
Making Cold Brew With A French Press
You don’t have to buy something new just for cold brewing coffee. If you own a French Press, you can use it. The resulting concentrate is just the same, or at least pretty damn close to using the Toddy. Plus, it makes smaller batches at a time, which is a plus if you’re not sure that you’re going to need a lot or if you’re not sure if you’re even going to like it.
What You Need
- French Press
- Coffee – I like a medium roast whole bean that is coarsely ground. The medium and even light roasts, create a concentrate that still has a strong coffee flavor, but also has hints of spices or other flavors.
- Clean Water
Instructions
- Add the coffee to the French Press. For my eight cup French Press, I use 8 tablespoons of ground coffee.
- Add water to fill the French Press.
- Stir it to make sure all of the coffee grounds are wet. You may want to stir, wait a few minutes and stir again just to make sure.
- In the refrigerator, let the coffee brew for 12-24 hours depending on hold strong you want your concentrate.
- Press down the plunger like you normally would and pour the concentrate into an air tight container. Resist the urge to pour every last drop and leave a little bit in the French Press. This should keep most of the grit out of your concentrate.
Remember that that this is concentrate so you’re going to want to add water or milk.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different grinds, different coffees and different water-coffee ratios. Let me know what you find.
What’s your favorite way to keep cool and caffeinated during the summer?
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Photo by rfong.
Great minds think alike! http://www.coffeekrave.com/how-to-make-iced-coffee-at-home/
Still torn between cold brew and iced brew. Each does highlight a distinctly different flavor profile.
I think I have iced coffee in my veins right now!
I know that feeling, iced coffee is my best friend right now!
Hi, Mike
I was never a fan of cold brew coffee for some reason, but I did like the post. Nice work.
Thanks Danijela!
Mike,
One way I like to prepare my cold brew concentrate is to steep the grounds in water overnight. The next morning I filter the coffee/spent grounds through my Chemex filter. Really smooth coffee that has the Chemex smooth flavor.
I think there is a very good chance I’ll be trying that tonight. Thanks Jason!
This isn’t a cold brew method, but I use my Aeropress to make iced coffee at the office everyday.
Our cafeteria provides free ice from a machine machine (more like small ice slugs rather than cubes). I’ve got a reusable 16-oz cold cup which I fill up with ice, then brew a shot of Aeropress directly on top of the ice. I use about 2.5 scoops of grounds and use the corresponding amount of hot water – the same way I’d make a hot cup, but rather than topping the brew off with hot water, I let the ice in the cup dilute it to Americano strength as it melts.
It works great, and the simple clean-up is perfect in the office.
David, thanks for sharing. I’m a big fan of the Aeropress, so I think I’m going to have to try that.
i usually am in a heck of a rush
and getting coffee is smack in the
middle timewise.
also find that brewing a very strong
coffee with the drip-pour-thru system on top
of ice works for me.
strong as in more than 2x the
normal coffee amount.
it goes directly into a thermos
and out the door we fly.
excellent article Mike.
in the Summer (now) extra hot
weather calls for extra cool solutions.
I’ll second that howard! I’ve been so busy making cold brew, that I haven’t experimented much with iced coffee this summer. Might have to change that soon.
Jim B, that looks interesting I might have to try it!
Jim, thanks for sharing the link. I’ll second that having to try it out!
Ron thanks for the tips on the Chemex iced coffee. Going to try it soon.
And if I can get my hands on another Zojirushi, I might actually make drip coffee more than once a month.
I mostly make my coffee with a Chemex and find that it makes a delicious iced coffee as well. The Chemex filters seem to remove most of the bitterness which I think must help with making iced coffee.
If I am setting out specifically to make iced coffee I set the grind a bit finer than usual so that the the coffee takes a bit longer to drip, and I use about a tablespoon more ground coffee to get it a bit stronger. But usually if I know it’s going to be a hot day I will set some of my morning coffee aside for cooling off in the fridge to have during the afternoon.
I’ve wondered if it would be worth investing in a cold brewing system but the Chemex works so well for me that I haven’t bothered. Maybe I will try the Toddy.
Ron, you’re the second person to mention making iced coffee with the Chemex, I think I’m going to have to try it.
Do you use hot or cold water for that method?
I like the Toddy because it makes a batch that I can use over a week, however unless you have a need for more coffee gadgets, it sounds like you might be alright.
I admittedly do not have a Chemex (yet), but if I am in need of some quick iced coffee I use this method with my Clever Coffee Dripper or Melitta pour over.
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/ristretto-on-the-rocks/
Like Ron says, a finer grind works better.
I use hot water Mike. Grinding the beans a bit finer than usual probably helps as the water flows drips slower so the grounds are immersed longer.
I’m afraid Chemex fans are a lot like fanatical Mac users, our answer to almost everything starts with “Well if you were using a Chemex…”.
BTW I saw in one of your reviews you mentioned the Zojirushi Fresh Brew. I switched to the Chemex only after my Zoji died (on New Years morning) a couple of years ago. It was the best auto-drip coffee maker I’ve tried and if it had been in stock on Amazon at the time I would have ordered another one.
I stumbled over cold brewing last year and have been hooked ever since! I really love the smoothness and low acidity of the brew. Very refreshing! I was using my press until my sister got me the Sowden Softbrew I’ve been wanting. That’s a great device, but same concept. I’ve been considering the toddy though and might just go ahead and order it (one can never have too many coffee making devices). I am torn on that and the Hourglass coffee maker though. Have you ever seen that one? It’s definitely cool looking! But no matter how you make it, cold brew is definitely worth trying!!
Jim, I’m glad I’m not the only one hooked on cold brewing.
I haven’t heard of the Sowden Softbrew before, now you have me wanting another device!
As far as the Hourglass, I had a chance to try one out. It worked well, results were great tasting, but I didn’t think it was different enough results to justify replacing my Toddy on a full time basis.
The Sowden has replaced a few things in my kitchen.
As far as use and end results, which cold brew device would you recommend to someone without one? Or should I just save the money and buy the toddy because they’re all the same?
And am I the only one that makes coffee ice cubes so I don’t water down my brew?
The Toddy is my favorite, but as I was doing research for this article, I stumbled across a few others that I might try. However, Toddy is still the one that gets regular use in my kitchen every summer.
I used to make coffee ice cubes, but after I switched to cold brew I found that I didn’t need them as much.