Cold Brew Coffee

[lindag]

It's nearly time for cold brew.

Anyone here have a cold brew maker they really like?

I require enabling.

[ElsieD]

8 minutes ago, lindag said:

 

I require enabling.

As many of us know, you've come to the right place!

[weinoo]

I believe a one-liter Mason type jar works pretty well.

[heidih]

Most iced coffee lovers I know just make it w/o devices like our @torakris . The one Ree has on The Pioneer Woman is standard. What I do.  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11061/perfect-iced-coffee/

[weinoo]

I like to make extra hot coffee, and chill it.

[heidih]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

I like to make extra hot coffee, and chill it.

I do something similar - pour over extra strong. Keep in Mason jar in fridge   and ice and add dairy as needed per glass. But I thought the cold brew fad focused on a smoother less acidic? product. Then there is the Japanese style where you drip the strong brew slowly over ice.  https://www.seriouseats.com/japanese-style-iced-coffee

Edited March 14, 2023 by heidih (log)

[SLB]

Those fancy cold brews are distinctly less acidic.  It's remarkable. 

 

And I speak as a very cheap woman who thinks Bustelo on the stove is, frankly, excellent.  

[paulraphael]

I've never understood why people are trying to make coffee less acidic. The acids are where half the flavor is. Maybe if you're dealing with poorly roasted coffee, there's an advantage in muting its natural character. 

 

I've had some cold brew that tasted fine. But there are a couple things people should be aware of: cold brewing is less efficient at extracting flavor, so you need more coffee beans for any given amount of water (it's expensive). But caffein is highly soluble in cold water, so this higher ratio brew will much more caffeinated than hot-brewed coffee. 

[Slim W]

Years ago I had a Toddy system, Toddy® Cold Brew System | Toddy Cold Brew Coffee (toddycafe.com)   It worked well enough, just a bit too big for 2 of us.  Since then I've used my chamber vac or Isi to do enough for the day.  Quick cold brew: how to make one in just 60 seconds - Perfect Daily Grind 

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, paulraphael said:

I've never understood why people are trying to make coffee less acidic. The acids are where half the flavor is. Maybe if you're dealing with poorly roasted coffee, there's an advantage in muting its natural character. 

 

I've had some cold brew that tasted fine. But there are a couple things people should be aware of: cold brewing is less efficient at extracting flavor, so you need more coffee beans for any given amount of water (it's expensive). But caffein is highly soluble in cold water, so this higher ratio brew will much more caffeinated than hot-brewed coffee. 

 

This is exactly my reasoning.  Make hot coffee in quantities more than you need, and then put the extra in the fridge.  Like my grandparents did.

[weinoo]

1 minute ago, weinoo said:

This is exactly my reasoning.  Make hot coffee in quantities more than you need, and then put the extra in the fridge.  Like my grandparents did.

 

When I was a little kid, coffee was a big part of my growing up. We lived upstairs from my paternal grandparents, who were big coffee drinkers (and needless to say, smokers). No day started off without my grandmother having a few cups of Maxwell House (or was it Chock Full o' Nuts?) and a few Marlboro reds.  That Chock Full (or was it Maxwell House?) was brewed classically in a percolator style pot.  Extra always went into the fridge.

 

They were cutting edge, because I distinctly remember the blender coming out for summer iced coffee drinks, loaded with sugar, cream, and ice - they were making Frappaccinos before anyone even knew what they were - except without all the disgusting syrups!!

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Slim W said:

Years ago I had a Toddy system, Toddy® Cold Brew System | Toddy Cold Brew Coffee (toddycafe.com)   It worked well enough, just a bit too big for 2 of us.  Since then I've used my chamber vac or Isi to do enough for the day.  Quick cold brew: how to make one in just 60 seconds - Perfect Daily Grind 

 

Nice picture - disgusting looking drink. I don't know which is ruined the most; the coffee, the tonic water, or the rosemary.

[Annie_H]

Yeah, some of these hipster cocktail concoctions give me a head shake. Like some of the barista inventions. Starbuck colabs with celebrities, lol. Not that I am a stiff purist but do like simple preparations but open to many other flavor combinations except for pumpkin spice and greens bell peppers and ketchup. 

For years a close friend would come over in advance of a Sat or Sunday dinner out and ask always, "is that todays coffee?' --in the pot. Always over ice. 

I'm a tea drinker after morning black coffee. Rarely ice coffee. 

A dozen years ago I had no interest in the cold brew insurrection. Especially the commercial brews. Ignored it until Grady's, a local NYC brand. Cold brew, if done right, is just another extraction---no different than how we all like our own coffee brewing methods. 

We found ours a half done years ago and share it but don't preach it. 

Work has had Grady's by the case for 5-6 years and it is free. During lock down I purchased a cold brew filter. It does more that coffee extractions. Loose teas with grated ginger, add cracked cocoa nibs to the coffee for an amazing ice cream. I make ice cream only once, twice a year. Green tea, ginger, coconut milk, and another--coffee, cocoa nibs, cream. Mini ice cream sandwiches for summer bbq's. 

Lock-down I purchased a ball jar filter. Missing my work day afternoon Grady's cold brew. Like I mentioned, it does many handy extrusions and no counter/cabinet space like the one-off brewers. 21,000 positive reviews. I only purchased the filter for a quart. I have ball jars using them for RG beans. A few dozen. 

(the OXO 'kit' has good reviews, then troubles with clogging and a cute glass vessel that if breaks, oy.)

My Friday morning system. Same 37 grams as my Chemex pour-over. Warm, not hot, water from the cooling-off kettle. All day on the back counter. Fridge overnight and pull the filter Saturday morning. Weekend cold brew coffee. 

This morning...

(for years I would chill a half pint ball jar from my morning drip coffee maker but so-so for iced coffee)

 

Stupid lid ordered by mistake? Sent the wrong lid---ugly 'little boy blue' color sent by mistake. No need for any gear to find your best summer brew. 

 

[lindag]

In the past I've used Starbucks cold brew packs but it seem that they've been discontinued.  So now I've turned to these:

They're very good and there a lots of varieties and servings sizes.

Much less fuss, too.

[dtremit]

Really late to this topic, but we have been using the Oxo Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) for a few years now, and it has been pretty much foolproof. You brew in the filter, and then place it on top of the carafe which opens a valve allowing it to drain. The glass carafe is compact and feels a little fancy in a satisfying way, and the valve has been very reliable.

 

They make a larger one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) but it's only about 50% larger, and I don't like the design as much. But YMMV, particularly if you use it occasionally and need to store it away.

[haresfur]

There is some discussion in the Coffee and Tea forum. I use a french press but at one time I made my own cold drip system. I personally wouldn't bother buying something special.

[Duvel]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:07 PM, weinoo said:

Nice picture - disgusting looking drink.

That‘s your opinion, not mine !

 

Oh wait - actually it’s mine, too 😉

 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by Duvel
OCD (log)

[Deephaven]

It's not a "cold brew" per se, but I regular pull a shot of espresso over an ice cube.  With a flexible espresso machine and grinder you can change the acidity and almost any other parameter you want out of the coffee.  Mostly necessary on my end as I love single origin lighter roasts which require some flexibility in the extraction.

 

Pretty much the most flexible "machine" on the net is the Decent DE1.  It's about $4k though so a reasonable size investment if you want all that flexbility.

[weinoo]

In my opinion, iced coffee should be made from left-over, pour over coffee (make extra), that then gets refrigerated and used as needed.

[Tropicalsenior]

5 minutes ago, weinoo said:

iced coffee should be made from left-over,

I very seldom disagree with you, but in my opinion cold coffee drinks should be made with a shot of fresh espresso and leftover coffee should be consigned to the kitchen drain.

[Duvel]

… and I always thought that cold brew refers to the outcome of an extraction process at low temperatures. The other stuff I‘d call cold coffee, ice(d) coffee and the like. But then again English is not my native language, which - of course - has a precise term for what you describe 😝

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I very seldom disagree with you, but in my opinion cold coffee drinks should be made with a shot of fresh espresso and leftover coffee should be consigned to the kitchen drain.

 

Maybe your left over coffee should go down; there is rarely any left-over coffee here, and certainly not any that's been held on a warmer, hot plate, or in a thermos. 

 

I will make extra pour over coffee specifically to have some for the fridge.

[Tropicalsenior]

1 minute ago, weinoo said:

certainly not any that's been held on a warmer,

Good point! My pot of coffee always gets drunk within an hour of being made but it is still vile when it is cold.

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Good point! My pot of coffee always gets drunk within an hour of being made but it is still vile when it is cold.

 

Warmers are the bane of good coffee...once, again, in my opinion!

[heidih]

Alternatively for a smooth quick gadget free coffe flavored cold beverage break out the jar of Nescafe instant. Yes there is one in my pantry.  https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/greek-frappe-coffee-recipe-iced-coffee/