The Perfect Cold Brew

 

With summer just around the corner, this is a perfect time to enjoy a nice cup of cold brew coffee -- Ok, anytime is good for that matter. Cold brew is known for the smooth & full body taste, primarily due to it having less acidity than a traditional hot brew coffee. This is because coffee beans contain many different forms of natural acids. By brewing it cold, these acids are not released into the water as easily. This is also the reason why cold brew coffee is better for those with ingestion issues.

Besides good taste, cold brew is also easy to make. Since it uses cold water, it needs to sit at least overnight, or preferably 20+ hours (like most coffee shops) to achieve full body. Before you say, "Come on, who wants to wait 20+ hours for a cup of coffee", hear me out -- For those of us who drink coffee on a daily basis, just make it the day/night before, and let it sits your refrigerator, and it's ready to go in the morning! Seriously, I actually prefer this method to save time in the morning, because then all I have to do is pour myself a cup from the carafe. No messing with grinding beans or operating the coffee maker with your eyes half open.

So how do I make my perfect cup of cold brew? For starter, you need a French Press that has a very fine mesh filter. This is key. The last thing you want is a muddy coffee. First, pour about 4 oz or 2/3 cup of coffee ground in the French Press (I generally prefer medium ground & medium roast, but you can choose whatever you prefer) and fill it up with 32 oz of water. Let it sit in the fridge UNPRESSED until you are ready to drink. Then the next morning, press and it's ready to go! That's it! Add some milk and you also have a perfect iced latte!

You will notice that the water level will drop in the morning, and that’s normal because the coffee beans soak up water. Also, when pressing, try to apply firm, smooth pressure which helps filter out coffee grounds better. I've noticed that the flavors of different coffee beans are especially noticeable when compared to hot brew, so be sure to experiment with different coffee beans.

Note the water/coffee ratio can be adjusted to taste and is not too sensitive, so for me, I like being lazy and pour coffee grounds to level with the top of the bottom thick metal bar design of the my French Press shown in the picture, and fill water up to the top of the top metal bar. I mean who has the time for precise measuring?

Now, the longer you let it sit, the stronger it becomes (less so if already pressed). So I like to make as much as I can in the French Press, and drink the rest over the next few days (if I’m good about consuming only 1 cup/day), and it only gets tastier the longer it sits!

What if you want to drink it hot?  I love my little Breville Cafe Milk Frother -- Use it without the frosting tool to the perfect temperature. Heat it up with milk and I have my perfect cup of hot latte as well!

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

Back to Simply Home @ SoCal