What is Cold Brew?
Cold Brew is a refreshing cold drink that makes a great Shabbat coffee especially on the sunny warm days! It is made by brewing coffee grinds in water for 12 to 24 hours.
Can you make cold brew coffee at home?
Absolutely! Making cold brew at home is much easier than you think. Its taste will not differ much from that prepared by a barista in a coffee shop or by you at home.
However, there are a couple of rules to follow:
1. Filtered water will make your coffee taste better.
2. You need to use a coarse grind.
3. Water should be at room temperature or cold.
4. For best taste, freshly roasted coffee and freshly grind coffee should be used.
There are different ways to make cold brew at home without any expensive machinery:
CLEVER DRIPPER ICED COFFEE
Check our blog to know more on how to use a clever dripper (click here).
Prepare the clever dripper, add the coffee grinds and the water. Put the lid on.
Instead of letting the coffee out right away, leave the coffee in the clever dripper over night in the fridge.
The next morning, let the coffee out and enjoy! You may store the cold brew coffee in a bottle or an air-tight container. For optimal taste, drink it within 3 days - but you may store it air-tight up to 7-10 days in the fridge.
FRENCH PRESS
The French Press is also a great tool for tasty cold brew. Follow the steps bellow to make a very easy cold brew! The ratio is for 1 cup of coffee.
Add 3 large spoons of grind coffee for cold brew (very coarse) into the French Press jar.
Add 1 cup of water and mix the coffee with a long spoon.
Put the lid on top without pressing the filter down!
Leave in the fridge overnight.
The next morning press the filter down and pour the drink into another container. You may store the cold brew coffee in a bottle or an air-tight container. For optimal taste, drink it within 3 days - but you may store it air-tight up to 7-10 days in the fridge.
Tip: Make sure all the coffee is covered with water to avoid contact with oxygen.
Which coffee beans are recommended for cold brew?
Any coffee beans can be used to make cold brew. We recommend coffee beans that are characterized by a stronger body and sweetness. We do not recommend using sour coffees as many of the acids will not be extracted during cooking. For our cold brew we use mainly Dark Roast, to add character to our drink!
We especially recommend Kilimanjaro Dark for the best chocolaty, smoky cold brew!
What grind is used to make cold brew coffee?
To make cold brew you need to use a coarse grind. Coffee will be in contact with water for many hours. The softness of cold brew depends especially on the grind of the coffee. If you use a fine grind, then the coffee particles will float in the drink, which will make it cloudy and unpleasant in taste. If you have an electric coffee grinder, grind it on the coarsest possible level.
Does cold brew coffee go bad?
The prepared coffee concentrate can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks when closed. If you started drinking cold brew coffee and decided to keep the leftovers, then after a week of storage, the coffee will lose its taste. Diluted coffee concentrate retains its flavor for two to three days. But even after the loss of taste, cold coffee can be used to make latte or ice cream.
What is an iced coffee concentrate?
Iced coffee concentrate is a cold brew coffee with a closer ratio of coffee to water. Based on the iced coffee recipe, you can change the ratio of coffee to water to make the drink more concentrated. Pretty good coffee to water ratio is 1:5. You can add ice cubes to your cold brew coffee for an optimal ice experience. But remember, when the ice melts, the drink will be diluted.