Cold-brew coffee at home is actually very easy to do and much less expensive than buying it at your local coffee house or chain. Unfortunately, it has been sweltering outside. I will admit I am one of those people who usually like a good hot cup of coffee or espresso even when it’s sweltering out. However, I also enjoy a good glass of cold brew. There is something so satisfying about a nice big glass of cold brew on a hot summer day. The smooth, almost sweet flavor can be sipped over time, enjoying the cold brew’s incredible richness. Cold-brew almost has a chocolate flavor to it.
What is the difference between cold brew coffee and Iced coffee? Well, iced coffee is just brewed coffee that has been chilled down and poured over ice. Cold-brew is intentionally brewed slowly, over many hours, using cold water and using no heat in the whole process. Cold brew is much smoother, almost sweet, and less bitter than Iced coffee. It also has more caffeine than a typical iced coffee, yet it is easier on your stomach. I am more of a purist; I enjoy my cold brew, simple and plain. However, cold brew can be all gussied up with everything your heart desired, from chocolate syrups and whipped cream to hazelnut and coconut. I have even seen a Snickers flavored cold brew here in Colorado.
It seems the world has embraced cold brew as the new iced coffee, and you can find it in almost any decent coffee shop. There is even a cold brew liquor from Australia called Mr. Black that is incredible. I have used it in a couple of cocktails, and it is absolutely fantastic. Cold-brew can be expensive to buy at a coffee stand. I have seen it as much as 6 bucks for a large one without all the flavors and additions. But why spend so much money buying a cold brew when you can make a week’s supply easily at home much cheaper? It is easy to make for a fraction of the price you’ll pay at the shop. The one thing you can’t easily do at home is the newest trend in cold brew, Nitro. Infusing Cold brew with Nitrogen adds even more texture and smoothness to cold brew. It needs to be kept in a pressurized container and is hard to do at home. That being said, regular cold brew is delicious all on its own. Coffee houses are raking in the funds for calling it Nitro that is not that much better than the regular cold brew and not worth the extra couple of bucks.
All you need to make a delicious glass of cold brew is a nice container or jar, some coarsely ground coffee, a filter (otherwise, you have coffee sludge), and 12-22 hours. Of course, if you don’t have a good grinder like this one, you can always have the coffee ground at the store. (It should be very coarse, similar to French press grind.) The jar I used is this fabulous one from amazon, it is big enough to hold a week’s worth, and I love the blue lid. (I get a small commission if you use any link on this page at no cost to you. Please consider helping fund this blog.)
I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe out there. Times are still troubling and worrisome. But there is still a big light at the end of this crazy journey we all are on. If we can just hold on and continue to think of others in our choices, we can get through this. So please think of the bigger picture, and someday we will all be able to hold hands, hug, and have grand gatherings of friends and family again. Well, that is all for this week, until the next one!
- 1 ½ quarts of filtered water 6 cups
- 6 oz coarsely ground coffee or about 3 cups
- A clean container large enough to hold it all I used an 8 1/3 cup, 67.5 oz jar.
- Paper coffee filters or cheesecloth
- Combine the water and ground coffee in a clean container and let sit for 12-22 hours. It will start to get bitter after 24 hours.
- Double strain through two paper coffee filters or several layers of cheesecloth.
- This is a concentrate so dilute before serving by double.
- This will keep in the fridge for a week or 2.
