We're looking for ways to keep cool this month as we ride out the end-of-summer heat wave. A big pitcher of iced coffee will definitely need to be in our fridge at all times, we think! Here's a new-to-us brewing method that guarantees the perfect icy cup.
Just a week or so after we learned about cold-brewing iced tea, the Splendid Table did another feature on using a similar method to make iced coffee. All you do is grind up a pound of your favorite coffee, stir in about 10 cups of cold water, and let it sit overnight. The next morning, you strain out the grounds and have yourself a pitcher of concentrated coffee that can be refrigerated for up to two weeks!
This concentrated coffee can be poured over ice or mixed with milk to dilute it. Splendid Table hostess Lynne Rossetto Kasper also says you can even pour in some hot water for a steamy cup.
The advantage of this cold-brewing method is that the coffee is brewed gently and doesn't end up with any of the acidity found in a cup brewed the regular. It's smooth and rich, and perfect for perking us up on a hot afternoon.
How do you like your iced coffee?
• Hear what got us hooked! Download the podcast of this episode of Splendid Table from the show's website.
• Our photograph of iced coffee is from the Bitten Word blog - They review a method from the NYTimes for making smaller quantities of cold-brewed coffee!
Related: Is Sweet Tea Going Commercial?
(Image: Flickr member The Bitten Word licensed under Creative Commons)
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cold brewed is the best iced cofee you'll ever drink. I don't like my coffee cold unless it's been brewed cold.
the Toddy maker is awesome if you've not tried it.
Another thumbs up for the Toddy. We cold brew year-round and always have a pot of magic coffee elixir in the fridge.
We've found that we can even use the cheapest supermarket coffee and still get a smooth and delicious brew--no bitter acidic taste.
Mark Bittman posted an identical recipe a couple of years ago--it's a summer staple in my house. I wish it didn't use so much coffee--my coffee costs go up dramatically in the summer because it requires far more beans to make good cold-brewed coffee than good hot-brewed coffee--but it's definitely worth it.
Ditto mlleErica. Soooo good. Here in nyc Think Coffee makes some good cold brewed, as well as the very new Sit & Wonder in Prospect Heights Brooklyn.
I'm intrigued--think I"ll try this. Thanks!
I've been doing this since about 2001. It creates a great smooth flavor in your coffee. The cold brewing method lessens the acidic bite to your hot coffees. So, if you have avoided coffee because of heartburn or acid reflux, this might give you a reason to start drinking again.
I use the Toddy system for convenience. It comes with a reservoir, filters, and a carafe.
Yeah, I did this after seeing it on Smitten Kitchen.
I used like very old (at least a year) pre-ground Dunkin Donuts coffee that I took home after my college ambulance service went on hiatus for the summer. Still came out well.
I have been making cold-brewed iced tea for several years but it never occurred to me to do the coffee this way. I'll have to give it a whirl over the weekend.
Inspired by the comments on the bitten word post, I used my french press to make this....AWESOME. I used some cheap grocery store coffee and it still came out so good! No straining, barely any effort to get iced coffee that is delicious. Life changing, I swear.
It was a revelation for me. I was never happy with my "iced" coffee. I used to brew an espresso than mix it with ice and milk but it ended up warmish, diluted, etc. Never good. But the cold-brewing was a god sent!
Add me to the list of people who use the cold-brew method and make it in my French press. Saves the annoying step of having to strain out the grounds.
How finely ground should the coffee be? (For instance, I usually grind my beans course for use in my french press.) Thanks!
Ah never mind-- I see that The Bitten Word says medium coarse (which is how I meant to spell it in my above comment, btw). Hooray for easy iced coffee! :)