I'm having a coffee conundrum - Help!! (cold coffee people especially)

[StaceyinLA]

For a while I was making cold press coffee in my french press, and making homemade almond milk to do batches of cold coffee.

 

I then stayed with my nephew who had a superautomatic espresso maker and fell in love with the coffee. I bought a superauto myself.

 

Recently, I started having a lot of trouble with drinking the cappuccinos (I think it is a combination of the acid content in hot coffee and the dairy that affect me/my stomach), and decided to go back to my cold coffee. My trouble is, I CANNOT make my cold coffee taste like I used to. It all tastes like garbage.

 

Can you please share a GOOD cold coffee recipe perhaps with actual measurements? And what type of coffee do you use for it? I'd prefer a decaf, but I need some that is gonna taste smooth and not bitter.

 

Help!

[wintermom]

I'm no expert at cold coffee, but I have had a similar reaction to lattes when trying a new brand of coffee for a while. The old, excellent coffee, no longer tasted good. Maybe you could try taking a complete break from coffee and do tea/herbal tea for a few days just to give your body and taste buds a break. Then you could return to your original homemade french press. 

[Joules]

I'm no expert at cold coffee, but I have had a similar reaction to lattes when trying a new brand of coffee for a while. The old, excellent coffee, no longer tasted good. Maybe you could try taking a complete break from coffee and do tea/herbal tea for a few days just to give your body and taste buds a break. Then you could return to your original homemade french press. 

 

I agree.  Drink green tea for a while.  Then your old coffee will taste wonderful ;-)

[Miss Tick]

I use a ½lb ground coffee and 6c. Cold water. Refrigerate 12-15 hours, then strain.

 

I have a more fussy method for making iced coffee pourover, but it would be tricky in a French Press.

 

Good luck! Good coffee is so very important!

[Peaceseeker]

I use the pioneer woman recipe, and it is always a hit with every one when I bring it for work. I make a gallon, so you can reduce it down if that is too much, but it is great in the fridge for 7-10 days.

 

Add roughly a half bag of ground coffee or 1 1/2-2 cups ground coffee to a gallon size container (I use 2 cups of coffee). Fill with cold water, stir and leave covered overnight. No need to refrigerate yet unless you want to. The next morning, strain through a mesh strainer once into a clean container. Then rinse strainer and lay some cheesecloth over it and strain a second time. If you don't mind grit you don't have to do the second strain but it gets the last bit of sludge out if you do the second strain with cheesecloth.

 

Pour over ice, add cream or milk and enjoy. For extra indulgence or to please a crowd stir in one can of sweetened condensed milk into the gallon. If you like to sweeten your own iced coffee each day with regular sugar, you can make a simple syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water). The syrup dissolves better in cold coffee.

 

We make this often in the summer. It takes just a few minutes and we have a gallon for the week. If you want you can reduce it to a half a gallon using 3/4- 1 cup of coffee.

 

Yes it uses a lot of coffee. That is why it tastes awesome.

Edited March 13, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming

[mom2att]

I use the pioneer woman recipe, and it is always a hit with every one when I bring it for work. I make a gallon, so you can reduce it down if that is too much, but it is great in the fridge for 7-10 days.

 

Add roughly a half bag of ground coffee or 1 1/2-2 cups ground coffee to a gallon size container (I use 2 cups of coffee). Fill with cold water, stir and leave covered overnight. No need to refrigerate yet unless you want to. The next morning, strain through a mesh strainer once into a clean container. Then rinse strainer and lay some cheesecloth over it and strain a second time. If you don't mind grit you don't have to do the second strain but it gets the last bit of sludge out if you do the second strain with cheesecloth.

 

Pour over ice, add cream or milk and enjoy. For extra indulgence or to please a crowd stir in one can of sweetened condensed milk into the gallon. If you like to sweeten your own iced coffee each day with regular sugar, you can make a simple syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water). The syrup dissolves better in cold coffee.

 

We make this often in the summer. It takes just a few minutes and we have a gallon for the week. If you want you can reduce it to a half a gallon using 3/4- 1 cup of coffee.

 

Yes it uses a lot of coffee. That is why it tastes awesome.

 

You had me at "sweetened condensed milk." Totally trying this--thank you!

 

[ktgrok]

I use this for cold brew. I fill the mesh basket with coffee of my choice (I do like cafe bustelo, including the decaf) and let it sit at least 8 hours, usually overnight. I transfer the coffee to an airtight jar and store in the fridge. This thing makes it SO easy! https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mizudashi-Coffee-Maker-1000ml/dp/B00I7JKAQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489426345&sr=8-1&keywords=hair+cold+brew

[FriedClams]

This. It's so delicious. I make it with a half cup of ice, then almond milk almost to the top, then top it with the cold brew. Yum. (And I'm not crazy...our Publix ran out so I bought 6 at another one....I'll freeze 4 then ration them...LOL).

 

Ok... It's this: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Brew-Fresh-Coffee-Concentrate/dp/B000MW6JXI/ref=sr_1_18_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1489429732&sr=8-18&keywords=Cold+brew+coffee ....my photo failed...and I reported my own post...

Edited March 13, 2017 by FriedClams

[StaceyinLA]

This. It's so delicious. I make it with a half cup of ice, then almond milk almost to the top, then top it with the cold brew. Yum. (And I'm not crazy...our Publix ran out so I bought 6 at another one....I'll freeze 4 then ration them...LOL).

 

Ok... It's this: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Brew-Fresh-Coffee-Concentrate/dp/B000MW6JXI/ref=sr_1_18_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1489429732&sr=8-18&keywords=Cold+brew+coffee ....my photo failed...and I reported my own post...

This is actually what I'm using right now, but I really need decaf and no one makes a decaf.

 

Actually, I'm seeing a decaf on Amazon! They never have them in the stores!

Edited March 13, 2017 by StaceyinLA

[FriedClams]

This is actually what I'm using right now, but I really need decaf and no one makes a decaf.

 

Actually, I'm seeing a decaf on Amazon! They never have them in the stores!

I see you're in LA... I bet you could get your grocery to order decaf. They have other flavors too but I'm a basic kind of girl.

[EmseB]

I use this for cold brew. I fill the mesh basket with coffee of my choice (I do like cafe bustelo, including the decaf) and let it sit at least 8 hours, usually overnight. I transfer the coffee to an airtight jar and store in the fridge. This thing makes it SO easy! https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mizudashi-Coffee-Maker-1000ml/dp/B00I7JKAQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489426345&sr=8-1&keywords=hair+cold+brew

 

I got this thing because you posted about it a long time ago and I still love it.

[arnold]

I use the recipe from pioneer woman too!

[Annie G]

I used to make it in bulk the Pioneer Woman way but I don't have enough self control...I like my iced coffee sweet and with milk or cream. So to keep me from overindulging I make one serving a day in my tiny French press.  Three scoops of coffee beans...grind those...add water...mine only holds about 8 ounces with all that coffee in there. 12 hours later I have cold brew...only enough to have one large iced coffee. 

 

Stacey, hope you find a coffee that works for you. Dh tries to buy me fancy coffee beans but some are just so bitter and they don't make good cold brew.  I'm sure it's even more difficult to find a decaf coffee that tastes right to you. 

 

 

[Plateau Mama]

This is my favorite cold brew. The one mentioned above is a close second. Unfortunately for me I can't get either locally. :-(

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017VSPP08/ref=mp_s_a_1_20_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1489439237&sr=8-20&keywords=cold+brew+coffee

[Annie G]

This is my favorite cold brew. The one mentioned above is a close second. Unfortunately for me I can't get either locally. :-(

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017VSPP08/ref=mp_s_a_1_20_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1489439237&sr=8-20&keywords=cold+brew+coffee

 

Probably a good thing I can't buy this locally. 

[RioSamba]

I choose a Mexican or Central American medium roast and grind it coarsely. Using one part coffee to two parts water, I put the coffee in a mixing bowl, and then very gently stir in most of the water. I use the last little bit of water to pour over the spoon so that all of the coffee ends up in the bowl. I cover the bowl and leave it on the counter for 24-48 hours. Its drinkable after 12 hours, but not fantastic. I strain it three times through a finer sieve each time. I keep the coffee concentrate in a pitcher in the refrigerator. 1/4 c=1 c coffee. I usually just add concentrate to milk or almond milk, but you can add 1/4 c coffee to 3/4 c water for a cup of black coffee. It sounds a little complicated but it's one or two minutes to soak it and three or four to strain it. Then I have smooth coffee for a week.

 

You could do the same in your French press, but it will yield such a small amount.

[StaceyinLA]

I used my cool brew this morning with homemade almond milk then made a simple syrup with honey to sweeten it a little. It was a pretty good batch. I made enough to last a few days because I just add the shots of cold press to my quart of almond milk then sweeten - makes enough for 3-4 days' worth. I'd definitely drink more if I did decaf, but if I have caffeinated, I can't have more than one iced coffee/day.

 

I would still like to do my own like I used to, but I'm just so lazy with stuff like this lately. Making the almond milk is frustrating enough that I don't feel like making the darn cold press too.