I’ve loved coffee for a really long time. However, a few years ago it started to make me sick. Not badly, but enough that I knew I needed to stop. I was depressed about that for a while. Until I realized that it may not be the caffeine that was the problem, but the acidity. Cold brew coffee is less acidic than regular coffee. So I gave it a try and found I had no stomach issues. I was so happy to find I didn’t have to give up coffee completely, and I’ve been experimenting with my cold brew ever since.
It only takes five minutes of active preparation time. Then you just leave it to steep overnight and then you have a cold brew concentrate that you can use to quickly make coffee for a week or so.
Why Cold Brew?
Cold brewing coffee extracts the flavor of the beans, without all the acidity you get from using heat. This results in a more mellow flavor, and is also more gentle on the stomach. The only disadvantage is that you do need to use more ground coffee per cup than if you were making regular coffee. I’ve tried using more water to see if I could stretch the coffee further, but that just resulted in me having to use more of the concentrate to get the same flavor.
Additions
You can add all kinds of things to your cold brew concentrate. Some should be added with the coffee grounds, whereas most can be added after the concentrate is strained.
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon added with the coffee grounds works well. I prefer to add this at the beginning to infuse the flavor and then strain it out, because I find cinnamon doesn’t really dissolve in liquids.
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract can be added to the finished concentrate. I’m sure you could add other extracts too, though the ideal amounts might differ. For example, almond extract might work, but I personally feel it can be really overpowering so I would probably start with 1/2 a teaspoon.
I’m sure there are many other variations that would be delicious. I encourage you to experiment!
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Mix Ground Coffee and Water
In a bowl or container, combine the ground coffee and water. I use a large glass measuring cup as this makes it easy to pour out when straining later. Stir well to ensure the coffee is thoroughly saturated.
Leave to Brew
Cover and leave to sit on the counter for at least 12 hours, up to 24. I usually start just before making dinner, so that it will be ready first thing the next morning.
Strain
Strain the coffee through a coffee filter set in a strainer into another container — I use a mason jar. You could also use a paper towel, but I feel coffee filters work better, probably since this is what they were designed for. You can now put your cold brew concentrate in the fridge and keep it there for up to 2 weeks.
Make Coffee
To make a cup of coffee, combine 1/4 cup of the cold brew concentrate with 3/4 cup of hot or cold water. You can adjust these amounts depending on how much coffee you want and how strong you like it.
From there, you can add whatever you usually like in your coffee, such as milk, creamer or sugar.
Cold Brew Coffee
Ingredients
Cold Brew Concentrate
- 1 cup ground coffee medium or coarse grind is best
- 2 cups water
Cup of Coffee
- 1/4 cup cold brew concentrate
- 3/4 cup boiling or cold water
Instructions
- Combine the coffee and water in a container. Stir well, making sure the coffee grounds are all wet.
- Cover and leave on the counter for at least 12 hours, up to 24.
- Strain coffee through a coffee filter set in a strainer into another container. This is your cold brew concentrate, and it can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- To make coffee, add 1/4 cup of the cold brew concentrate to a coffee mug. For regular hot coffee, add 3/4 cup of boiling water, or for an iced coffee, use cold water and serve over ice.
Did you make this recipe? If so, follow @theflavorvortex on Instagram and post a picture using #theflavorvortex as I would love to see it!