Some coffee drinkers enjoy their brew hot, some cold, some black, some with all the sweet fixings. Me? I enjoy my coffee cold. Ice cold and strong! Earlier this summer, I discovered cold brew coffee seasonally served at the coffee shop near my home and fell in love. It’s bitter, bold, and has more caffeine than than your average cup o’ joe! That being said, such perfection runs for a hefty price at your local coffee stop, so home brewing is much more cost effective.
What is cold brew coffee? The beverage you might see on a shop menu is actually cold brew concentrate and water. The cold brewing process requires a day’s time and one cup of coffee grounds (medium fine ground) per 32 ounces of room temperature water. A typical french press is around 32 oz of water, so one cup of coffee grounds is more than enough for this easy brewing process. Here’s how I make mine!
Fill the french press with 1 cup of grounds, then slowly add the 32 oz of water.
Stir the mixture until the grounds are fully incorporated - be sure to use a wooden spoon because metal may crack the glass!
After fully mixed, cover the french press with cling wrap and set aside for 18-24 hours at room temperature.
When ready to strain, use the press to separate the grounds from the brewed mixture, slowly.
After, it’s time to prepare your preferred storage unit (I find a mason jar works best!). Fit the coffee filter over opening of your container. I sometimes secure a rubber band around the lip of my mason jar for extra security if someone isn’t around to help me, but it is not necessary.
Slowly poor the cold brew through coffee filter. I recommend repeating the filtering process a second time if you have the time, because it will really ensure any extra grounds aren’t left in your coffee!
Once you’re finished, store your finished filtered cold brew in the fridge. Don’t forget, cold brew is concentrated coffee goodness, so you will need to mix about 1 part cold brew concentrate with 2 parts water for your cold brew coffee. Half and half for the coffee lovers. Serve over ice and enjoy the smooth, robust, and refreshing taste of your cold brew!
Nothing pairs better with an ice cold cup of cold brew than a fresh donut. Learn how to make your own homemade donuts at The Chopping Block’s Donut Boot Camp to go with your homemade cold brew. Pretty soon you will be ready to open up for own coffee and donut shop out of your kitchen.