Cold Brew Coffee || Recipe || katili*made

Cold Brew Coffee

By katili on July 11, 2012 in Recipe

It’s not a commonly-known fact about me (but I suppose it’s about to be!), but I’m something of a self-proclaimed coffee snob. “Real” coffee snobs look down their noses at me, but I say that just because I like too much milk and sugar in my coffee doesn’t mean that I don’t want the coffee itself to be quality!

Suffice it to say that I don’t own a drip coffee maker :) So how do I normally make my coffee? I have a small Bodum french press that I absolutely adore. I also grind my coffee beans at home, usually about a weeks worth at a time that I store in an airtight container. Is it a lot of effort for one cup of coffee? Why yes, it kind of is, but it’s a GOOD cuppa, and totally worth the trouble.

But that’s not what this post is about. This is about what I do in the summer time, when I drink copious amounts of iced coffee. Taking hot coffee and making it cold takes forever, and often involves watering down the coffee; yuck! That’s where cold brew is amazing: the coffee is already cold.

Cold brew coffee also has lower acidity, which is beneficial for dark roasts in particular as it lets you better taste the flavors in the coffee without being overwhelmed by bitterness. Finally, it has a little less caffeine, which I think is perfect since I drink more coffee when it’s iced than when it’s hot.

So how does one make this glorious cold coffee you ask? Why, it’s really quite simple! Here, have a “recipe”.

Cold Brew Coffee

Author: katili*made

Recipe type: Beverage

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 12 hours

Total time: 12 hours 5 mins

This cold brew coffee is great iced, but can also be heated if you want a smooth, hot cup of joe.

Ingredients

1 cup coarse ground coffee
4 cups cold filtered water

Instructions

Put the coffee grounds in a large jar and pour the water over them.
Stir thoroughly.
Loosely cover jar and place in refrigerator for about 12 hours.
Filter the coffee grounds out. You can do this with a paper filter, fine mesh strainer, or using a french press.
Store coffee extract in refrigerator.

Notes

This method makes strong coffee, so there’s a very good chance you will want to dilute the extract (or drink less). I usually do 2 parts coffee, 1 part water before my milk and sugar for normal iced coffee, but your mileage may vary. The coffee extract can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, though after about one week it starts to lose flavor, so drink it up!

Because of the strong flavor, the extract also makes an excellent base for all kinds of coffee drinks for those of us that don’t have espresso makers, such as the Skinny Iced Mocha that I’m sipping on as I type this post. Fear not, I will share that recipe too, but it’s for another day. For now, get cold brewing in preparation!