Cold brew coffee ??

[Moxie]

First world problems here.

 

So, we are spending $100/month on K-cups (somebody, help Bill up, I think he fainted at our stupidity). Obviously, this is not a good thing. I really hate that stupid little refillable cup; I get grounds all over filling it and I hate emptying it.

 

I'm wondering about this http://toddycafe.com/ (sorry, links aren't working??).

 

Is there some other way to make a coffee concentrate? Then, all I would need would be a water kettle.

[nmoira]

I have a retired toddy. A mason jar and cheesecloth is easier and less messy.

[City Mouse]

I don't drink coffee, but back before K cups, I used to buy coffee that came in small packs that looked like a filter on top and bottom with coffee grounds enclosed in the middle. If someone came to visit that drank coffee, I could just throw It in the coffee maker. I also remember coffee that came in something like a tea bag.

[nmoira]

But cold brew coffee is great... flavorful and not acidic. Good for iced coffee and Thai coffee too. :D

[jhschool]

The Pioneer Woman has something that looks amazing:

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

 

I haven't tried it yet but it might work for you.

 

[Annie G]

I make cold brew coffee like Pioneer Woman and it's fabulous.  I don't know if it would heat up well because I don't do hot drinks. 

[lavender's green]

I have a toddy and really like it. It was a random wedding gift; I don't think the price is worth it for just a simple glass carafe and a couple pieces of plastic. My MIL found a DIY system on pinterest (using an iced tea pitcher and cheesecloth I think) and hers tastes great too.

 

It makes really good hot coffee. I just pour a couple ounces of cold concentrate in a mug and top it off with hot water. Nice, smooth taste.

[BrookValley.]

Oh yeah, ditch the Keurig. You can make cold brew so easy...and save so much money (and waste).

 

I just use my French press to make cold brew, then I store it in mason jars in the fridge. Easy peasy. And far more delicious than anything you can make in the Keurig!

[MomOfOneFunOne]

AMDG

 

Have you tried cold-brew coffee to make sure you actually like it?  

 

I tried the mason-jar-in-the-fridge method so maybe special kitchen gadgets make it better.  I thought it was awful.  The taste wasn't great but the feel of it in my mouth was different and not pleasing to me.

 

I love my french press. I have a single serving size and it's so very convenient: cup full of water into the kettle, scoop of grounds into the press, water boils and pour it in, give it a bit of a swirl with the spoon, cover, steep, pour, drink.  It's almost exactly like a pot of tea.

 

so nummy!

 

Oh, my sewing teacher has a Keurig and fixes me a cup each class.  It's okay . . . it lacks . . . I don't know what body means when it comes to coffee but it's the word that comes to mind.  With the french press, it has a different taste, mouth feel, and . . . elusive quality that makes it more satisfying for me.

 

 

[La Texican]

I love cold-brew and french press coffee!

1& 3/4 cup coffee (i had folgers)

3& 1/2 cups water

let set 8 hrs.

Scoop out grounds w/spoon.

Strain concentrate with coffee filter.

Dilute at least by half with milk, then add water to one glassful at a time. The rest of the concentrate is fine in the pitcher.

It is strong.

found when googling recipes for International Delight coffee that comes in a carton

I love cold-brew and french press coffee!

1& 3/4 cup coffee (i had folgers)

3& 1/2 cups water

let set 8 hrs.

Scoop out grounds w/spoon.

Strain concentrate with coffee filter.

Dilute at least by half with milk, then add water.

It is strong.

found when googling recipes for International Delight coffee that comes in a carton

[regentrude]

Why not brew your own HOT coffee (ground coffee plus boiling water) and then filter it or use a French press or leave it on the grounds? You can mak it as concentrated as you like by varying the coffee:water ratio.

I can't imagine cold brewed to be as tasty. I have never understood the appeal of the Keurig.

[nmoira]

I can't imagine cold brewed to be as tasty.

 

I was skeptical, and I was wrong. :)

[Moxie]

Why not brew your own HOT coffee (ground coffee plus boiling water) and then filter it or use a French press or leave it on the grounds? You can mak it as concentrated as you like by varying the coffee:water ratio.

I can't imagine cold brewed to be as tasty. I have never understood the appeal of the Keurig.

The appeal is that, with the touch of 2 buttons and in about 3 minutes, DH can have his super dark coffee and I can have my chocolate raspberry coffee.

[Peach]

I love my Keurig, but I am the only coffee drinker in the house. It actually saves me money and coffee as even with making just a little in the regular coffee maker, I was wasting a lot. 

[DawnM]

I have a coffee toddy.  I haven't used it in a while, but you are inspiring me to dig it out and give it another go.

[DawnM]

I personally do not like hot coffee that has been cooled and reheated.....blech......the cold brew is totally different.  It doesn't have that "re" heated taste.

 

Dawn

 

 

Why not brew your own HOT coffee (ground coffee plus boiling water) and then filter it or use a French press or leave it on the grounds? You can mak it as concentrated as you like by varying the coffee:water ratio.
I can't imagine cold brewed to be as tasty. I have never understood the appeal of the Keurig.

 

[regentrude]

I personally do not like hot coffee that has been cooled and reheated.....blech......the cold brew is totally different.  It doesn't have that "re" heated taste.

You cold brew in order to HEAT it??? Why?

 

If I want hot coffee, I make hot coffee. I completely agree, reheated coffee is yucky.

 

Back home, when we make *iced* coffee, we do not use ice cubes that dilute the beverage. We brew strong hot coffee and cool it, and the only thing that might go in it is vanilla ice cream ;-)

[regentrude]

No you brew it cold and either drink it cold or heat it up.  It's not heated when you brew it.

 

It doesn't taste reheated because it isn't being heated twice.

 

Hopefully that makes sense.

No, it still does not.

I corrected my imprecise languae in the previous post and removed the prefix "re". Of course cold brewed coffee was not heated in teh brewing , I get that.

What I do not get is why I would cold brew my coffee if I intend to heat it later.

[regentrude]

Well you can do it without a coffee maker.  Although you can do that with hot coffee too (but I don't care for it done this way).

Just curious: what was the difference to you, and which method did you use?

There are several methods for brewing coffee without a coffee maker. If one does not like the grounds in the Turkish method, one can either French press it, or simply pout fresh boiled water over ground coffee in a mesh filter that is set on top of the cup; my grandmother made her coffee like this. The main difference to a cheap coffee maker is that the water can be hotter (although there are better coffee makers that heat the water to boiling and simulate this method)

[redsquirrel]

I love cold brew coffee.

 

We make it in the french press and use that as the 'filter'. It is just wonderful. Plus, one side befit we have discovered is that the cold brew process makes such a smooth drink, that it is possible to use supermarket brand coffee,and it still tastes great.

 

We use a ratio of 1/3 cup coffee to 1 1/2 cups water. You dilute that with half water when you prepare your drink. So, for my coffee I use 1/2 cup iced coffee concentrate, with 1/2 cup cold water, plus I add a dash of sugar syrup and a bit of milk.

 

Here is the NYTimes story that convinced us to give it a try:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/dining/27coff.html

[redsquirrel]

No, it still does not.

I corrected my imprecise languae in the previous post and removed the prefix "re". Of course cold brewed coffee was not heated in teh brewing , I get that.

What I do not get is why I would cold brew my coffee if I intend to heat it later.

 

Well, for one thing it is a handy thing to know if you have a power outage or go camping.

 

And we like it even for heating up later because it makes a very smooth coffee with a nice depth of flavour. One of the things I have noticed is that cold brew makes even cheap-o supermarket brand coffee taste fantastic.

[nmoira]

No, it still does not.

I corrected my imprecise languae in the previous post and removed the prefix "re". Of course cold brewed coffee was not heated in teh brewing , I get that.

What I do not get is why I would cold brew my coffee if I intend to heat it later.

 

Cold brewed coffee is concentrated. One part coffee to three or four parts boiling water will get you a cup of good coffee in the time it takes to boil the water, and the concentrate can be used straight in drinks like Thai iced coffee. I did have to fiddle a bit with different roasts to get one I liked -- light roasts are too anemic and dark roasts too strong, so I usually use a 50/50 mixture of medium and dark roast.

 

ETA: I like that I can make a single cup of coffee, with no waste and at a moment's notice. It has the convenience of instant but without sacrificing the quality.

[lavender's green]

I agree with people that you lose a certain something with cold brew, probably related to the acidity. In the summer I don't mind it, it's actually really nice and smooth and somehow cool even when you drink it hot. But for winter it's just not quite right, IMO. There's not enough kick to it, especially when I lived in a colder and darker climate and have the temperament of a hibernating bear without a little outside help.

[GSOchristie]

You guys have convinced me to try this. For the past month coffe has been tearing my stomach up. Since I need it to function, maybe this is my solution.

[La Texican]

I love perculator coffee, coffee pot coffee, french press coffee, campfire coffee (dumped in a pot of hot water), Starbucks coffee with extra shots of expresso. I think they're going to do a blood test one day and draw out coffee instead. I drink coffee like other people drink beer or iced tea. I tried the cold brew to hopefully cut down on my sugar content. It's less bitter, needs less sugar, while still being strong. What I really need is one of those cappiccuno/expresso machines.

 

 

Dear Santa,

I've been super good this year...

[DawnM]

I have just gone down and gotten a full toddy cold brew going and will see how it is in the morning.  The only huge issue with doing this at night is that I smell coffee and can't have any tonight!!!!!!!!!   :drool5:

 

I too like some acidity and even some bitterness in my coffee.....but I have been having some stomach issues from it and am going to give it another go and see if I like it better this time around.

 

It certainly is convenient to have the concentrate in your fridge and just add hot water to it or hot milk (that is even better!)

 

Dawn

 

 

Well you can do it without a coffee maker.  Although you can do that with hot coffee too (but I don't care for it done this way).  Also, some people do it so the coffee is less acidic.  That is why I did it for awhile.  I have acid reflux so the less acidity the better.

 

But without the acidity it did seem to be missing something so I didn't last long doing that way.

 

[Moxie]

I love perculator coffee, coffee pot coffee, french press coffee, campfire coffee (dumped in a pot of hot water), Starbucks coffee with extra shots of expresso. I think they're going to do a blood test one day and draw out coffee instead. I drink coffee like other people drink beer or iced tea. I tried the cold brew to hopefully cut down on my sugar content. It's less bitter, needs less sugar, while still being strong. What I really need is one of those cappiccuno/expresso machines.

 

 

Dear Santa,

I've been super good this year...

Cold turkey is the way to get rid of the sugar. I used to drink my coffee with 2 heaping teaspoons of sugar. When I decided to lose weight, that had to go. I even dumped out the little sugar container and put the sugar bag up high. The first day was awful! The second day less so and on and on for probably two weeks. After that, my old coffee was like syrup and I couldn't stand it. Just stop!

 

Cream..that's another story. Don't make me drink black coffee!!

[DawnM]

I love, love, love my espresso machine.  I used to use it daily.....I haven't use it as much recently, but do use it a few times per week still.  It is several years old now.  It is a good one (pump driven KitchenAid Proline) but they don't make my particular model anymore.  It does have a few issues (still works well, but DH has had to minor repair it twice.)  Now I want a Rancilio Silvia!

 

Dawn

 

 

I love perculator coffee, coffee pot coffee, french press coffee, campfire coffee (dumped in a pot of hot water), Starbucks coffee with extra shots of expresso. I think they're going to do a blood test one day and draw out coffee instead. I drink coffee like other people drink beer or iced tea. I tried the cold brew to hopefully cut down on my sugar content. It's less bitter, needs less sugar, while still being strong. What I really need is one of those cappiccuno/expresso machines.


Dear Santa,
I've been super good this year...

 

[DawnM]

I have never put sugar in my coffee, but I can't drink tea without sugar and milk.

 

 

Cold turkey is the way to get rid of the sugar. I used to drink my coffee with 2 heaping teaspoons of sugar. When I decided to lose weight, that had to go. I even dumped out the little sugar container and put the sugar bag up high. The first day was awful! The second day less so and on and on for probably two weeks. After that, my old coffee was like syrup and I couldn't stand it. Just stop!

Cream..that's another story. Don't make me drink black coffee!!

 

[UrbanSue]

We like cold brew coffee quite a bit and often make big batches of it in the summer using a big jar and then a cheesecloth and strainer or our French Press.  But when my kids knocked the press to our tile floor and shattered it for the second time in six months we bought an Aeropress.  It is fabulous and makes a coffee concentrate very quickly.  And it is one of the most inexpensive "coffee makers" you can buy.  We really, really love ours.

[FriedClams]

I LOVE iced coffee. Unfortunately, I didn't have luck with the toddy or the Pioneer Woman recipe. When I'm in New Orleans I buy the coffee concentrate there. It's awesome. Sadly it's too expensive to ship. :-( Normally I k-cup over ice but I limit myself to 2 k-cups a day.

[La Texican]

 

I don't know about cold turkey. It's pretty bad. Several cups in the morning with sugar, & brown sugar, & cinnamon, & milk or creamer. <<ashamed smilycon>>

[DawnM]

Does it do a cold press?

 

I have seen these but never tried one.

 

 

We like cold brew coffee quite a bit and often make big batches of it in the summer using a big jar and then a cheesecloth and strainer or our French Press.  But when my kids knocked the press to our tile floor and shattered it for the second time in six months we bought an Aeropress.  It is fabulous and makes a coffee concentrate very quickly.  And it is one of the most inexpensive "coffee makers" you can buy.  We really, really love ours.

 

[Moxie]

I don't know about cold turkey. It's pretty bad. Several cups in the morning with sugar, & brown sugar, & cinnamon, & milk or creamer. <<ashamed smilycon>>

Wow! That's like a melted candy bar!

[Spy Car]

I've finally regained consciousness :D

 

Cold water method is pretty good. Nothing beats it for iced-coffee drinks.

 

For "hot coffee" it is a matter of taste. Cold water method is very "clean" with low acidity (which is good for people with sensitive stomachs) and low sediment. If people like "chewy" coffee, as with French Press or Turkish coffee, cold water method concentrate may (or may not) be your thing "hot."

 

I tend to like French press as my usual hot brew, but certainly enjoy the concentrate hot too. As others have, the concentrate is not heated—other than by having boiling water added to make a sort of "instant coffee." It is much better than Keurig. More cost effective. Very convenient. And doesn't create the petrochemical waste of kcups.

 

It is a very easy thing to try. You don't need any specialized "toddy." Just a jar and something to filter. I have a large fine-mesh strainer, but lacking that I would use muslin (a clean old cotton sheet) and a colander. It is very easy.

 

ONE WORD OF WARNING! The concentrate is very tasty. It is very easy to over consume it without realizing how big a dose of caffeine you may be consuming, so be careful out there (or you may have a sleepless night).

 

Try it.

 

Bill

[Liz CA]

The Pioneer Woman has something that looks amazing:

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

 

I haven't tried it yet but it might work for you.

 

I just set a little sample pot up for tomorrow. Ree's recipes are usually really good, so this should be a treat, especially when we are set to hit F100 and beyond...again.

 

Thank you for linking!!

[Liz CA]

I've finally regained consciousness :D

 

 

 

ONE WORD OF WARNING! The concentrate is very tasty. It is very easy to over consume it without realizing how big a dose of caffeine you may be consuming, so be careful out there (or you may have a sleepless night).

 

Try it.

 

Bill

 

If I cannot sleep tomorrow night, I'll be visiting here, looking for entertainment. :)

 

[Liz CA]

 

Back home, when we make *iced* coffee, we do not use ice cubes that dilute the beverage. We brew strong hot coffee and cool it, and the only thing that might go in it is vanilla ice cream ;-)

 

...or healthy dollop of whip cream!  :)

[redsquirrel]

 

ONE WORD OF WARNING! The concentrate is very tasty. It is very easy to over consume it without realizing how big a dose of caffeine you may be consuming, so be careful out there (or you may have a sleepless night).

 

Try it.

 

Bill

 

Yeah, my husband did that once. Once.

 

He said his first clue was that it made his teeth feel weird, but he didn't think too much about it. And then he went on to have the fastest bike ride to work EVER! He was flying! He had a very productive morning at work, but, sadly, it wore off all too quickly. Every now and again, I see him eying the cold brew in the french press and I know he is considering it.

[BlsdMama]

I was skeptical, and I was wrong. :)

 

Me too. 

 

Bill is the reason I'm having a coffee attack at this moment.

 

Cold brew - so much better.  However, I can't do milk right now (nursing a super sensitive little one) and creamed coconut milk is shockingly expensive at $3 per can when it takes about half of a can to dilute it.  That ends up being a little over $60-$80/month just for the creamed coconut. 

 

So we bought a new coffee maker.

 

Bleh.

 

I miss my cold brew. 

 

BTW, all we did was use a couple pounds of coffee as large ground as the Costco machine grinds it, in a big metal bowl filled with water.  Soak for a day and drain using a re-useable coffee filter.  Pour into quart jars and refrigerate.  Works beautifully.

[BlsdMama]

I've finally regained consciousness :D

 

 

ONE WORD OF WARNING! The concentrate is very tasty. It is very easy to over consume it without realizing how big a dose of caffeine you may be consuming, so be careful out there (or you may have a sleepless night).

 

Try it.

 

Bill

 

Where was the warning when you hooked us, lol?  I remember that first day very well actually.  It was a Sunday.  And I think we each drank three that day...  I've never felt so jittery.  ;)

 

[DawnM]

It is still cold brewing this am and I don't want to touch it until it has steeped at least 12 hours (9:30am) so I am having my regular French Press brew at the moment.

 

Can't wait until it is ready!

[UrbanSue]

Does it do a cold press?

 

I have seen these but never tried one.

 

 

No, the Aeropress is much more like a manual espresso machine with taste/concentration results that are very, very close to espresso.  Most people can't tell a difference but purists do maintain that this is NOT an espresso machine.  I'm not going to argue with the coffee purists.  

 

Anyway, it makes hot coffee.  You boil water (the Amazon comments make it sound super fussy--we just either boil and wait 30 seconds or listen to our kettle and stop it before the whistle starts and we get great coffee.  If you have a house with an instant hot tap, you can set it for the right temp), pour it over the grinds, stir it for a few seconds, and press over a glass/cup.  Then you've got HOT coffee concentrate--basically a shot of espresso shot (but not quite!--don't hate on me, you purists!).  Think about what to do next the way you would at Starbucks--for an "Americano", just add hot water and you've got "normal" coffee.  Or you can add hot milk.  Or, since the volume of hot water is much lower than with a drip pot, you can easily make delicious iced coffee by adding ice.  You aren't over-diluting the coffee because it's already concentrated and there isn't enough to melt the ice instantly so it actually stays cold for awhile.

 

And, for $25 or so, you really can't beat the price.

[DawnM]

Ok, thanks. I knew how it made hot coffee and have read about it. I thought it might be a good alternative if my espresso machine breaks and I don't want to put the $$ up for a new one.

 

I just thought I must not know how it made cold press coffee.

 

No, the Aeropress is much more like a manual espresso machine with taste/concentration results that are very, very close to espresso.  Most people can't tell a difference but purists do maintain that this is NOT an espresso machine.  I'm not going to argue with the coffee purists.  

 

Anyway, it makes hot coffee.  You boil water (the Amazon comments make it sound super fussy--we just either boil and wait 30 seconds or listen to our kettle and stop it before the whistle starts and we get great coffee.  If you have a house with an instant hot tap, you can set it for the right temp), pour it over the grinds, stir it for a few seconds, and press over a glass/cup.  Then you've got HOT coffee concentrate--basically a shot of espresso shot (but not quite!--don't hate on me, you purists!).  Think about what to do next the way you would at Starbucks--for an "Americano", just add hot water and you've got "normal" coffee.  Or you can add hot milk.  Or, since the volume of hot water is much lower than with a drip pot, you can easily make delicious iced coffee by adding ice.  You aren't over-diluting the coffee because it's already concentrated and there isn't enough to melt the ice instantly so it actually stays cold for awhile.

 

And, for $25 or so, you really can't beat the price.

[UrbanSue]

Ok, thanks. I knew how it made hot coffee and have read about it. I thought it might be a good alternative if my espresso machine breaks and I don't want to put the $$ up for a new one.

 

I just thought I must not know how it made cold press coffee.

 

 

Oh, right--because that's what we're talking about!  I just meant to point out that if you don't like such low-acid coffee but you do like concentrated coffee, this would be an easy way to make it.  I used to use cold press exclusively for iced coffee but this works just as well and I can make just one serving instead of a huge jar of coffee staring at me every time I open the fridge.  Bill's warning about over-consuming the cold press concentrate is definitely one people should heed!

[DawnM]

Yeah, I think the acid is what I really DO like! But my stomach has been giving me issues lately, which may not relate to coffee, but it may.....

 

It sounds like a great little machine!

 

Dawn

 

 

 

Oh, right--because that's what we're talking about!  I just meant to point out that if you don't like such low-acid coffee but you do like concentrated coffee, this would be an easy way to make it.  I used to use cold press exclusively for iced coffee but this works just as well and I can make just one serving instead of a huge jar of coffee staring at me every time I open the fridge.  Bill's warning about over-consuming the cold press concentrate is definitely one people should heed!

[LucyStoner]

The nice thing about cold brew is that it doesn't require any specialized or gimmicky gadgets.  Jar or pitcher.  Check.  Something to strain it with (take your pick). Check.  Something to strain it into.  Check.  Water and coffee.  Done.  Easy peasy.  The only people I know who haven't liked it are using (IMO) iffy coffee grounds to start.  

[KungFuPanda]

We have this cold brew thingy. We're actually friends with French Market's oldest customers. They used to order their Coffee with Chicory (the red can) by the case before you could get it in stores everywhere. The husband was one of Dh's math professors and our Dd's namesake. They took pity on the poor college students and would give us coffee concentrate in a mason jar.

 

Personally, I cannot drink coffee at all because I'm hyper-sensitive to bitter flavors and it all tastes bitter to me even though I adore the smell. However, this concentrate diluted in hot milk IS drinkable for me. There is no bitterness and it has a creamy, chocolate-like quality when served this way with some sugar. It's that smooth. DH drank it in hot water with no sugar. I don't think he even added milk, which is all he usually adds to his coffee.

 

We eventually bought our own toddy maker. We still have it, but haven't used it in ages. I'm thinking of getting it out again since DD 16 likes to make iced coffee and DHs stomach is getting a bit sensitive in his old age. I even have a new filter around here somewhere. The filters they use are thick and spongy, so no grounds or sludge makes it into your concentrate.

 

 

ETA: When we bought this set-up almost 20 years ago, it was pretty inexpensive, so coming up with a DIY solution didn't cross our minds.

[Cindy in FL.]

We just got the Toddy and have only used it once, but it was easy and not too messy. My boys like cold coffee drinks, but said that hot coffee was too bitter. They love the concentrate that the Toddy makes!

[Guest bsgbumpersticker]

I love cold brewed cofffee. The benefits are many. The problem until I got a Fridge Barista Cold Brewed Coffee Maker was that it was messy. It is a jug with filter cup inside and a faucet so I don't have to mess with wet coffee grounds. French Press method was a pain - the plunger needs to stay up or had to cover it with plastic cling wrap. Toddy is poorly designed and you got to buy replacement filters. Got to hold up heavy coffee pitcher and pull a cork from underneath. Come on.

 

Good luck. No matter how you decide to make it. Cold brewed coffee is a great option.