Cold-Brewing Coffee

Again, I have a new way of making coffee... (If you remember, I recently cut out sugar and posted about going through that. Yay!) I had heard about cold-brewing a couple times, especially through reuseit.com, since they sell stuff for that and promote it. But I hadn't seriously thought about trying it out. Then a friend posted Pioneer Woman's way of making cold coffee. Again, still didn't think about it seriously.

And then Aiden's birthday came around again. (Yes, another post I haven't gotten to, yet... August is a busy, busy month.) Whenever we have a crowd over, we serve a cold coffee drink that is always a big hit. But we don't have a coffee pot. We only have a filter-thingee that makes one cup. One. Last year, we borrowed a pot from a neighbor to make enough coffee for the party, but I once was told, "If you have to borrow it twice, you should buy it." So, I didn't want to do that again. But we also didn't want to buy a coffee pot to use just a couple times a year.

Then I remembered the post on cold-brewing. I actually read it, realized how easy it was, and went for it.

And it was more than easy. I will be doing this from now on.


I've also learned a thing or two... Cold-pressed is not only easy and results in some super yummy coffee concentrate (you use half coffee and half water to make a cup of hot coffee), but there are actually other benefits to making it with cold water versus using heat. For one, cold-pressed coffee is much less acidic. If you're one of those folks who gets tummy irritation from drinking coffee due to the acidity, cold-pressed might just be for you. It's around 60% less acidic. For those of you who want coffee that tastes really good, cold-pressed coffee is also less bitter.

Think it sounds tricky to brew coffee with cold water? Here goes...

Start with ground coffee. Use 1lb (about 5 cups) of coffee with 8 quarts of water. Or 2 1/2 cups coffee to 4 quarts of water. Or 1 1/4 cups coffee with 2 quarts of water. We do either of the last two. During the week, I'm the only one that drinks coffee at home, and I only drink one cup. (Ryan just gets coffee at work, so he doesn't get it from home except on weekends.) Keep in mind, this is concentrated coffee, so it will make twice as much once you add the water for your cup of coffee. The concentrate, stored in the fridge, will last for 2-3 weeks (when left alone - don't flavor or add anything until after you've poured some into your cup).

 

Add water. And stir it all together, gently.

 

Now...wait. Let it sit overnight or 8-10 hours. This is pretty easy, huh? 

 

This part takes some time, depending on how you strain it, but it's not really active time. Just place a filter or cheese cloth over strainer, and strain the coffee into another large container... If you are using a coffee filter, it will take a while for it to all strain through, since there are so many coffee grounds. Just let it do its thing... If you use a cheese cloth, it will be MUCH faster. As in minutes. I usually will go through a cheese cloth twice, just to make sure the grounds are all out. I prefer the cheese cloth simply due to how much faster it strains the coffee. Then pour into a container you can keep in the fridge. And you're done.

When you're ready to drink, fill your cup about half full with coffee concentrate and then add water. Heat and drink! You might think it wouldn't taste that good reheated, but this is *not* the same as coffee made with heat. It will still taste good. We had guests staying with us recently, and they all agreed it was very, very good.

I immediately took out the ice after taking
the picture... I'm not a big fan of ice.

Now, back to that cold coffee drink we like to make when we've having friends over. I found out about this from other friends who had served it, and it is soooo delicious. It's not an every day drink for us, that's for sure. We mostly serve it when we have a group over. Or every now and then (not often, trust me), when half of my cup of coffee is left and has gotten cold, I'll fix it and have it myself... You can find the recipe for the Mason Jar Frappuccinos on Tasty Kitchen here. I make it without the added sugar. The creamer and chocolate add more than enough sugar to it, in my opinion! I certainly have to limit how often I'll allow myself to drink this because of all the add-ins and how much sugar is in it, but it's certainly a good treat every now and then and is great for get-togethers. 

Yum.

Whether you plan on drinking your coffee hot or cold...or if you like a mix...or your spouse likes one and you the other, this is perfect. I'm really loving having a big pitcher of coffee concentrate in the refrigerator, now that I've started cold-brewing my coffee. It's nice to just pour and heat in the mornings. It's especially nice on those mornings when I'm rushing out the door and want to have my coffee on-the-go. I can easily have enough to last a couple weeks or more with it tasting just as good on day 13 as it does on day 1!



PS - The Pioneer Woman's post has pictures that are way, way better than mine. She also has more sugary ways to enjoy your cold-brewed coffee. Feel free to check out her post, too.