This summer, I became the queen of the cold brew. It is so easy to make! After being confused by a gazillion online articles about different grind sizes, "gourmet" methods, and ratios, I decided to experiment and keep it as simple and cheap as possible.
One great thing about making cold brew coffee is that once it's brewed in a big batch, it can sit in your refrigerator for up to two weeks (I hear!) and still taste fine (although mine never lasts more than a few days). Making coffee with heated water is not the same. Hot brewed coffee just doesn’t taste fresh or stay good for very long. There are scientific reasons for why cold brew coffee stays stable in the refrigerator with no degradation of quality, but I won’t go into that here. Let’s just get to how it’s made, shall we?
One great thing about making cold brew coffee is that once it's brewed in a big batch, it can sit in your refrigerator for up to two weeks (I hear!) and still taste fine (although mine never lasts more than a few days). Making coffee with heated water is not the same. Hot brewed coffee just doesn’t taste fresh or stay good for very long. There are scientific reasons for why cold brew coffee stays stable in the refrigerator with no degradation of quality, but I won’t go into that here. Let’s just get to how it’s made, shall we?
Step 1: Get a container with a lid. I'm using a 64 oz. Rubbermaid juice thingie that I've had since about 1994.
Step 2: Get a funnel and 8 oz. of ground coffee. Any kind you like -- it can be freshly ground and gourmet straight from a local fancy roaster, or it can be the standard big brand grocery store stuff. It is strictly up to you and your taste buds. It just needs to be a medium grind.
Funnel it into the big jug.
Step 3: Pour cold water into the container and fill it up. Leave a little room for the coffee to expand. Put the top on tightly.
Step 4: Give it a good shake to saturate the grounds. Put it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. You can also let it sit on your countertop in your moderately temperatured abode.
Step 5: 12 hours later, strain your amazing and delicious cold brew coffee using a French press (pictured above), or whatever straining device you have (coffee filters, cheese cloth, whatever works).
This cold brew ratio works for me straight into a glass with a couple of pieces of ice and some almond coconut milk (and if we're being honest here, I like to add a few drops of vanilla extract). However, it can also be brewed as a concentrate if you reduce the water to about half the container. The water to coffee ratio can range anywhere from 1:2 to1:8, from the research I have done. There are a lot of opinions about this out there! Again, it's all up to you and how strong you like it.
Can you do it with decaf or half caf? YES, you absolutely can. The process is the same.
Enjoy your delicious cold brew coffee.
