It’s about that time of year when the weather starts to get warmer, shorts and sandals are unpacked from winter hibernation, and I start to get an insatiable craving for iced coffee! Last year around this time, my old roommate from college turned me onto a wonderful secret: cold-brewed coffee tastes amazing and is so much more economical and easy to make at home!
Cold brewing is incredibly easy but it does takes time. The room temperature or cold water absorbs only certain elements through the grounds. Surprisingly enough, about 90% of the flavor elements and the normal caffeine content come through this way, while only about 15% of the oils and acids will. It WILL change the taste of your coffee, making it super flavorful without as much bite and acidity as hot brewed coffee!
Start with 4:1 ratio of water to coffee grounds. This makes a concentrated brew that can be diluted with water and cream/ milk to your taste preference. I use 4 cups of water to about 1+1/3 cups of coffee grounds to make enough for a whole week’s worth of iced coffees. I use a big pitcher with a lid to brew and store in the fridge.
- Mix grounds into room temperature/ chilled water. Stir the mixture until its an even consistency and there are no clumps of grounds.
- Let brew in the fridge overnight or a minimum of 3-4 hours.
- Filter out the grounds. I place a coffee filter in a funnel and pour it into another pitcher. I usually filter it twice just to make sure none of the little gritty grounds got through. You can also use a french press, fine mesh sieve, and/ or cheesecloth.
Other tips:
- Freshly ground coffee and filtered water taste better.
- A medium or coarse ground coffee works great and is easier to filter than fine ground.
- Filter the grounds over the sink so you don’t stain anything with any spilled coffee or grounds.
To go one step further- freeze a batch of cold brewed coffee into ice cubes for the ultimate refreshing, super-flavorful summer beverage!
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