In case you’ve been living under a rock, cold brew refers to coffee made with cold or room temperature water. The result is much less acidic than normal coffee and extremely tasty.
As in, I drink it black! No milk or sugar required.
It’s that good. Of course, you can add whatever you want to your cold brew. But I feel best on a diet very low in dairy and sugar.
Prior to discovering cold brew I had gone without coffee for years (gasp!) because I couldn’t stand it black.
So happy to have coffee back in my life.
The basic process of making cold brew is simple:
1. Take coarsely ground coffee beans.
2. Combine with cold or room temperature water. (This is often done in a mason jar).
3. Steep overnight. Strain.
It’s really that last part that I found to be a pain in the butt. Without Mr. Coffee doing the job, straining proved to be a bit tedious and sometimes messy.
Enter stage left: The French press.
A French press can be used for regular “hot brewed” coffee, but without a built-in timer I always found it annoying. However, it’s perfect for cold brew’s overnight soak.
In the morning, all you have to do is PRESS. And it’s done.
The cold brew method creates a coffee concentrate. If you want to drink it hot, add hot water. If you want to make iced coffee, just add ice. As the ice melts, it will become diluted but not taste super watered-down.
I use a simple 34 oz. French press, like this one.
And I use organic, decaf, coarsely roasted coffee beans. It works just the same with caffeinated beans but, alas, I stick to decaf to keep my adrenal glands happy.
To make your cold brew iced coffee:
1. Add 3/4-1 cup coarsely ground coffee to a 34 oz. French press. (That’s about the same size as a quart mason jar.)
2. Fill with water.
3. Mix well.
4. Insert plunger but do not press down. Let it steep overnight, on the counter or in the refrigerator. (I never have space in my fridge.)
5. In the morning, press the plunger down. Fill a glass with ice, then pour your cold brew and enjoy.