Post Punk Kitchen Forum

there are other, older coffee threads that i seriously considered reviving just to make this statement, but i kind of feel like cold-brewing deserves its very own time and place in which to shine.

anyway, it is SO GOOD. i am pretty much strictly an iced coffee drinker, so i've been cold brewing some joe to keep in the fridge at all times. the difference in the character of cold-brewed coffee when compared to coffee made with hot water is nothing short of amazing. to me, at least. it's totally not bitter at all and gets this insane CHOCOLATY quality. (and i'm just using starbucks espresso roast because it's what i had in the freezer, nothing too exotic.)

bonus: the required equipment is either a receptacle + filter or a french press (which i use).

i was thinking about trying to avoid coffee this school year. now, i'm thinking of just giving myself over to it because it's so gooood.

I've never made it myself but I agree that it tastes amazing! I should really start doing it myself to save money.

yeah, that's one reason i started. i've never had great luck brewing hot coffee and don't want to get another appliance, especially if it's only got one purpose. and it's tough to find vegan creamer at coffee spots along my daily route, unless i want to pay $3+ per cup!

So - you use espresso roast but enough water to make it a coffee strength? I want to try cold-brew-espresso but don't know if such a thing exists. I always have mine iced in almond milk anyway, so it'd be great to brew cold.

What is your method for cold brew coffee? I love iced coffee, but it doesn't taste quite right when made from hot coffee that's been chilled.

This method from the NY Times is the one that I use. I use my french press as the container to brew it in, and the press the grounds down in the morning to filter it. A word of warning though, If you add this straight to almond milk it may curdle, it did to me at least. I'd dilute it 1:1 with water first and then add your milk of choice. I haven't tried it with soy, but I imagine the results would be similar.

Yeah I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self to make cold brewed coffee, it's so easy! Every night before bed put coffee grounds and water in the French press stir and put in fridge. In the morning, pour coffee in glass. Mix with coconut creamer and agave nectar if desired.

That's it! Even easier than hot coffee! You could even do it with a jar and a clean sock or coffe filter with rubber band.

In reality, "espresso roast" coffee isn't necessarily any different than regular coffee. Like, I work at a Michigan based coffee chain, and our espresso roast is just a medium roast. The difference is how it is brewed. So, no need for ice brewed espresso, just make some strong coffee and it should work pretty well!

yeah, i just french press. however, i don't add any water. i just throw in a little agave (and i mean LITTLE, because cold-brewed coffee has its own brand of sweetness) and soy creamer.

HOWEVER. i have an unfortunate update that momentarily soured me on cold-brewed coffee. i grabbed a bottle to pour myself a glass of cold water and my french press jumped out of the fridge, spilling grounds and coffee water all over the place. i have since found a new place to let it sit, but i'm pretty mad at cold brewing right now!

Can anyone recommend some proportions? I mainly make lattes at home, and I could do to get used to American coffee so that I save some calories.

When I worked at a coffee shop I loved making the cold brew. I really need to incorporate it into my daily routine.

i think it's generally recommended to do a 1:1 ratio of coffee to water, but you can use trial and error until you've hit what's good for you.

oh, or do you mean grounds to water? that NYT article says, i think, 1/3 cup grounds to 1.5 cups water?

If it helps, that mess is not as bad as bird food in an open kitchen/living area with hard wood floors. That stuff rolls into every corner and gets into every crevice. <shudder>

I need to get a French press so I can try this. (the drink, not the mess)

I meant grounds to water, yeah. I only asked because the NYT article seemed a bit much, but then again, I don't have much experience with making American style coffee. Espresso uses significantly less grounds, and is stronger.

Also, my father has our grinder permanently set on very fine (almost Turkish), is it a bad idea to use such a fine grind in a French press?

I just bought a french press. I love cold coffee and this requires the least amount of effort. And cheaper than my new habit of a daily Starbucks.

I started drinking cold brew because I had some stomach problems and was trying to limit my acidic food intake.
Couldn't bring myself to stop drinking coffee so cold brew was my compromise. It tastes SO much better. I find regular coffee hard to drink now.

At first I was just brewing it in a mason jar and filtering it through a regular coffee filter.
Eventually I bought the Toddy brewing system. It's a little bulky--but no more than a regular coffee maker and I don't have to leave it on the counter! I really like being able to make about 2 weeks worth of coffee at once.

Okay, I'm trying this tonight, with the grounds wrapped in a filter (or just strained in the morning, don't want it to dissolve). Is it better to let it sit our overnight?

LazySmurf, you brew it in the fridge and it comes out the same?

I LOVE cold brewed coffee...it is all I drink in the summer time :)

My method is a large mason jar (1/2 gallon size), I use 1 cup of coarse ground coffee and 2/3 cup of ground roasted chicory. I let it sit for 12-16 hours, then strain through a mesh colander first and then through a reusable coffee filter.

Other than just drinking it as regular ice coffee, I love to use it to make my own frappuccinos. 1 cup cold brewed coffee, 1 cup soy milk (or milk of preference), some sugar (I eyeball it), and 2 cups ice whizzed up in the blender...mmmm!

So this is pretty much the easiest way to make coffee, right? I somehow still fail at it. I've tried it a few times, and even bought a french press just for it! And I've used really good coffee. But it still somehow doesn't taste great.

Either I'm screwing something up, or I'm the only person in the world (apparently?) who doesn't like it. I spend too much on coffee though, so I really wish I could get this down!

I don't usually like coffee, but I make a killer cold brew with homemade hazelnut milk. So delicious.

I want to drink cold brew, but it's too cold here to bother with most of the time! Maybe at work...

I like the note in the New York Times article -
NOTE: To make hot coffee, dilute concentrate one-to-one with water and heat in the microwave.

Here in Brisbane, Australia, a place called "Black Star Coffee" does AMAZING cold pressed coffee, that they sell in glass bottles. You can get it straight up, but they also do a "Soy Deluxe", which has some vanilla, soy milk, and maple syrup in it.. Mmmm!

YES! Your coffee will end up way over-extracted and bitter tasting. You want to use a coarse grind for cold brew, because the grounds are sitting in the coffee for so long.