Friday, June 25, 2010

cold brew coffee is the shit


if you have ever had cold brewed coffee then you will understand why this is so awesome. and no, it is not, by any means, the same as making coffee and letting it get cold, pouring it on ice, or sticking it in the freezer. the idea of a cold brew coffee maker is that the coffee steeps in cold water for a long time so that the coffee has less acidity and the final product is rich, smooth, concentrated coffee. so check out how i built this little wonder, it was super easy and soooo worth it.

1. you will need some supplies: two bottles with their respective lids, one with a longer neck that will fit into the other bottle. i used a gatorade bottle and a gingerale bottle. you will also need good coffee and a coffee grinder, water, a coffee filter, a tablespoon and a liquid measuring cup.

2. cut the bottom off of the bottle with a longer neck. i almost cut my hand attempting to do this with a large knife so i don't recommend that. what worked best was puncturing where i was going to cut with something sharp and then using scissors to cut it off.

3. now take the coffee filter and fold it several times until it is still a bit larger than the drinking end of the bottle you cut the bottom off of. use the filter to plug the drinking end (think of it like your regular old coffee maker, you want it to look like it will hold grinds) and then screw the lid on the bottle.

4. take the vessel you were working with and place it upside down into the other bottle.

5. time to grind the coffee! if you don't have a grinder you can always have your barista grind it for you at your local coffee shop. make sure you let them know how you are preparing the coffee because the grind should match the method you use. you do not want too fine of a grind and you do not want it too coarse either, i try for a medium with my home grinder.

6. i found lots of conflicting info online as to how much coffee to water to use. obviously it is a personal choice as well so you can always experiment with the amounts to make it to your liking. i take 4 heaping tbsp's of coffee and put it in the upside down bottle and then take 24oz of water and pour it on the coffee grinds.

7. now the waiting. . . unfortunately it takes 12 hours for this tasty coffee to be ready but lucky for you that you can set it up before you go to bed and have it ready for the next morning!

8. now you have to use your stealthness and carefully remove the very full container of coffee and water from the other bottle. i do this part over the sink juuuust in case. you will need to lift it up and loosen the cap enough to where the coffee pours over it and then sit it back into the other bottle and watch it pour! within a few minutes you should have tasty cold brewed coffee! what you don't want is to loosen the cap so much that it comes off. so far this hasn't happened to me so i don't know if the coffee filter stuffed in there would be enough to keep all the grinds from pushing out but i don't like to chance it.

9. yummy cold brewed coffee in your cup :) i cut mine with half water, add a splenda and a bit of almond milk and voila, it's delicious. i have also been known to take the concentrate and cut it with half almond or soy milk, add chocolate and ice and make it a mocha!

my friends all know how much i love iced mochas and now that my rent is going up i decided to take some cost saving measures and this is one of them. no longer will i spend $5 a day ($35/wk, $140/mo) for a mocha when i can have cold brew coffee or cold brew mochas right here at home for $10-$15/wk (you do the math!) plus, it's damn good.


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