From Bean to Cold Brew

Coffee connoisseurs everywhere are the first to stay up to date on coffee trends like Cold Brew. This article will let walk through the step to achieve these results at home. The items needed are very minimal.

• A favorite coffee beans/coffee grounds
• Purified water
• A pitcher
• Cheesecloth/flour sackcloth
• Wooden Spoon
• Extra bowl
• Time

A great place to start when looking to make cold brew at home is deciding what type of coffee bean method is most preferred. The options are whole beans or pre-ground beans. A whole bean is a method that will allow for the most flavor yet can be more time-consuming. This method is done by taking an entire bean and placing it in a grinder and grinding it to a medium to large grit, and it only has a shelf life of about two to three weeks, so the shelf life is much shorter. If choosing a pre-ground bean seems easier or quicker; this is a correct assumption. This method allows for longer shelf life but does compromise on a less bold taste. I have found that my favorite brands are Donut Shop, Scooters, or Dunkin Donuts. There are many options I am using scooters medium roast today.

Once a preferred method was chosen, between pre-ground or self-ground beans, we can get started. If self-ground beans were the choice, take about 1 cup of beans place them in a coffee bean grinder. Grind until the beans are at a medium to coarse texture. It should almost look like cornmeal, not powdered sugar. If pre-ground were the preferred method, 1 cup of pre-ground coffee beans is needed. (There is a prepositioned option as well.)

Now that the coffee beans are ready to be used, they can place in the pitcher. Poor the one cup of ground coffee beans into a pitcher and add 4 cups of purified or filtered room temperature water. To ensure the beans are fully saturated, take a spoon and stir the mixture until fully saturated. Another method uses a cold brew infuser, a metal strainer with exceedingly small holes that holds all the grounds in one place. With this method, the water would be poured directly on the coffee grounds till the pitcher was full. This step will take some time, and I have not had the best luck this way. Then cover container. We now wait 12 to 24 hours.

This step is called steeping. Steeping is where the coffee grounds and water mixture is left on the counter for 12 hours or in the fridge for 24 hours. (This is a more extended version of making a cup of tea.) The difference between on the counter and in the refrigerator is that when left on the counter, the coffee will have a bolder flavor, and when left in the fridge, it may have a weaker taste. I've chosen to leave it on the counter for 12 hours.

After the 12 or 24 hours, this is the time that the coffee grounds can be drained. A method that can be used is placing a small strainer over a bowl lined with a flour sack cloth or cheesecloth, then pouring the pitcher contents into the cloth-covered bowl. This process should be performed once or twice to ensure that no sediment of coffee remaining in the bowl.

Now once that process is complete. The coffee can be transferred back to the pitcher. To be served over the next week. A preferred option to serve this excellent cold brew coffee is to pour it over ice with some creamer. Enjoy!