By Angela Stringfellow on September 14, 2011 in
You've probably been noticing a lot of buzz around cold-brew coffee recently. From celebrities singing its praises to coffee bloggers going crazy for it, cold-brew coffee has finally gained popularity in the U.S. (It's been a European favorite for years).
Cold brewed coffee is not simply chilled regular coffee poured over ice, a common misconception. The cold-brew method is a process by which the flavor is extracted from coffee grounds by sitting in room-temperature water for about 12 hours, and the resulting elixir is pressed through a filter to remove the grounds. This leaves a thick coffee concentrate that can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, according to editors at Cook's Illustrated magazine.
The cold-brew technique takes some getting used to, but those who have tried it agree that the effort is minimal and well worth the results. The process removes the bitterness, which results in coffee that tastes "lush, nuanced and incredibly smooth," according to Dan Souza, who writes a tutorial on the cold-brew method for America's Test Kitchen. Souza also says that cold brewing allows the more subtle flavors in the coffee, such as hints of chocolate, caramel or vanilla, to emerge.
So, how do you make it?
There are several specialty gadgets on the market, like the Toddy Cold Brew System or Aerobie AeroPress meant for cold brewing coffee but you can also use a French Press or simply a mason jar to brew coffee at room temperature water. Some of these gadgets are covered in our soon-to-be updated report on coffee makers.
To create cold brew, you'll need to soak your coffee grounds in room temperature water for at least 12 hours, sometimes up to 72, depending on your taste preferences. Once the soaking is complete, the challenge is removing the grounds from the mixture to leave a grit-free concentrate. A French Press, Toddy or an AeroPress have built-in mechanisms for doing so; if you're using a mason jar, you should strain the ground through a sieve and use a standard coffee filter to remove fine debris. You're left with a rich concentrate that can be mixed with water using a one-to-one ratio; whether you choose to use hot water or cold is up to you.
We found useful cold brew tutorials at CoffeeGeek.com, America's Test Kitchen and The New York Times.