How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
A good cup of cold brewed coffee truly has the ability to uplift one’s mood. On a hot sunny day, the energizing lift of the caffeine along with the coolness of ice can be tranquilizing. Not to forget the tantalizing aroma of the coffee beans that can grab you like bait for just one sip.
Rarely anything can satisfy the refreshing, caffeine boost that only a cup of cold brew coffee in the summer. To those who’d love a cup of such sustenance but loathe when it turns out too bitter or watery, I think I have a solution for you.
So, why don’t you simply teach yourself to make a smooth, icy cup of cold brew coffee for every time you crave?
Preparing the perfect cold brew coffee is indeed not rocket science, neither does it require you to have the ninja-level skills of a full-time barista. The best part: you don’t even need any special equipment. Some good quality coffee beans, a filter and a jar, and you’re all set!
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Learning the Recipe
Everyone loves this fantastic cold delicacy. Cold brew coffee is undeniably a refreshing drink, which can perfectly balance of dark coffee and sweetness. The recipe is simple; it can be prepared at home and relished with the loved ones. This is one drink where you get the chance to add your own twist and get creative.
Are you someone who has got a soft corner for ice creams and chocolates? Then you can add some creamy vanilla ice cream scoops and chocolate pieces as toppings to make it tastier. To accentuate this simple coffee, you may also add some chocolate to it!
You don’t need an occasion to present this heavenly delight. Housewarming parties, kitty parties and romantic brunches will surely help you win praises. It’s best if you can couple it with some cookies and appetizers.
Why Make a Cold Brew Coffee?
Well, the answer is pretty simple when one is craving sweet delights. We know how the sun can be fierce on the daily dwellers. Under the scorching heat, all our body might crave for is an icy drink that can chill the burning soul. Carbonated beverages or fruit juices can meet the energizing effects of a good cup of coffee but not quite. For those days, sipping coffee with a straw is what you want. Teaching yourself to create a bowl of pure goodness should therefore not be a problem!
The cold coffee brewing method has quite a few specialties. The slow infusion process can collect all the great flavors from the beans (and, of course, the caffeine – don’t worry), leaving behind all the compounds that make the coffee taste sour and bitter as residuals. Consequently, you may end up with the smoothest and most sweet tasting cold brew coffee to treat your thirst.
Even though a sip of coffee tastes much better when it is conveniently prepared by someone else, you definitely have personal perks when you’re preparing the delicacy yourself. Making the cup on your own gives you the privilege to adjust the concentration of your cold brew coffee as per preference. What suits your taste? A robust and rich cup or something light and soothing? Be your own boss and brew the coffee however you want.
Brew in a Batch
Cold Brew coffees are best produced in batches. Well, at least all favorite coffee shops follow the method of batch production. Each cup is thought to taste downright incredible when there the brew is made beforehand and no time is wasted in preparation. Try and prepare in batches (preferably of four). It saves you a lot of time in the morning when you are in a rush for making coffee. Make a batch over your lazy weekend and then stash it in the fridge for a smooth coffee fix through the week.
Steps for a Perfect Cold Brew Coffee Recipe
For starters, I can recommend you to go with one cup of beans for steeping four cups of water. That’s for a reasonably strong coffee cup, but if you are looking forward to something less strong, just pour in over more ice or mix more milk with it and you’re good to go.
How to Get Started?
- Select freshly roasted coffee beans:
First of all, to state the obvious you must buy yourself a jar of baked coffee beans. Newly roasted coffee beans should be available at your local grocery store. Tingle your senses by sniffing through the aisle of dark coffee beans and pick the pack that grabs your attention the most.
- Grind the beans right:
Measure the beans at around 250grams which is almost half a pound of coffee. Coarsely grind the coffee. You can do this at home by yourself with a coffee grinder or from the store you buy the beans from.
Now the perfect cold brew requires a grind. The seeds must be ground until it gives a consistency of sea salt or something near to the coarseness of raw sugar.
Keep in mind that this consistency should be noted with care since a finer grind might cause over-extraction during the brewing process. Over-extraction may then lead to a very bitter coffee. Vessels and grinders are available in most home shops, and they come in many different sizes to be bought as per your needs.
- Now it’s time to brew:
Add the coffee you just grounded to the cold brewer filter. Slowly pour chilly drinking water to the screen. The ratio of water to coffee for an ideal batch should be around 250g grounds per liter of water. Add 3/4th (750ml) of a liter and allow the grounds to soak and infuse. Wait for at least 30s for the grounds to bloom and release all the rich flavors. You may later add the remaining 1/4th of a liter (250ml) of cold water to your ground coffee.
The secret technique towards perfection is to use the back of a spoon to push the grounds below water level gently. This will allow them to avail maximum saturation.
- Let time do the job:
Sit back and relax, carry on with your lives as you let the brewer work its magic. Simply trust gravity as it gently pulls down the cold brew from the grounds and settles below. Leave the brewer untouched for at least 12 hours. For busy schedules, this might as well be routinely set right before hitting the hay. An overnight brewing is enough for collecting the creamy, cold brew.
Good things require patience, and you should avoid pressing or squeezing the coffee grounds as it may lead to a bitter extract. Favorite coffee shops even keep the brewing for over 20 hours to get the best of the beans.
You may use a coffee filter for this process but do make sure that the screen is strong enough not to tear overnight. Some even prefer cheesecloth for this purpose as the cloth have minimal chances of tearing or wearing off and creating a mess.
This set-up can be placed at your kitchen counter or simply kept inside the refrigerator. Keeping it inside the fridge is somewhat advantageous as it guarantees you a refreshing extract. Being placed inside the refrigerator also may prevent any occurrence of contamination like a fly sitting on the filter. Covered filters are available to do the job in case you don’t want your fridge to be blanketed with the smell of strong coffee.
- Drain the coffee:
After letting the coffee brew for a good while, it is time for it to get drained. The draining must be done carefully since nobody wants coffee bean grounds in the filtrate. A small interruption due to the rough coffee grounds felt by the tongue can ruin the whole experience for the peaceful drinker. The potent brew must, therefore, be drained with caution. The remaining residue of saturated used coffee grounds can be discarded.
- Serve yourself a refreshing drink:
Do it just the way all favorite coffee shops do. Simply pour in about 1/2 cup of the cold overnight brewed extract over a glass full of clear ice. Then top it with 1/2 cup of cold filtered water. You may have the drink as it is on a great caffeine rush to start your day. Add raw milk or sweetened milk as per your preference for a delightful sugary treat. To make the drink more exciting why not add chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
The cold coffee can then be the perfect drink to have by the pool or at a summer party. If you want to make the drink healthy, you can make it using double pasteurized milk or even soy milk which has lower fat content.
Moreover, you can cut down on the sugar if you are feeling particularly healthy!
- Store the remaining:
The remaining cold coffee brew can be stored in a jar and kept in the refrigerator. The brew can later be used for making more cold coffee. This concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 15 days. Pour yourself a cup whenever you’re craving that delightfully strong uplifting taste that only a sweet cold brew coffee can deliver.
Wrapping Up
In a nutshell, now that you have all the information you need to make cold brew coffee, no one can stop you from making your own batches, especially for the summer. Little attention to some easy techniques can indeed help you avail just the perfect love in a cup.
Don’t forget to share the batch with your friends and family to see how they react to your new barista skills! Why waste your precious earnings on commercialized coffee shops when you can make it at home. Prepare your cold coffee drink just the way you like it. Make summer the “cold coffee weather”. Enjoy the sips till it lasts.
Sources:
- Cold Brewed Coffee – Thug Kitchen
- How to Make Homemade Cold Brew and Save Yourself a Whole Bunch of $$$ – Bon Appetit
