Cold brewed coffee

[T2T]

Wow. First off, let me admit, I'm even more of a caffeine addict than an audio addict. I've been reading up a bit lately on the "Toddy" cold brewing method for coffee. To try this method, I thought I'd just use a few simple items around the kitchen to see if I liked this method.

1) 1/2 Lb. of coarse ground coffee.
2) Pitcher.
3) 2.5 cups of filtered water.

I placed the coffee and water in the pitcher for nearly 24 hours to "brew" in the fridge. I pulled out the pitcher this morning. I strained the coffee with a bowl and a regular coffee filter by slowly pouring the mixture through the filter. The grounds and filter were then discarded.

I then took 1 part of the mixture and added 2 more parts of filtered water into a mug. I then placed the mug in the microwave for about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

What was produced? A great tasting cup of coffee. I can use the concentrate to make several more cups of coffee. This method of brewing is supposed to be less acidic than using the drip coffee maker. Also, less oils are present in the coffee. I've read conflicting information regarding the caffeine content. Some say there's less, while others claim there is more in this method of brewing.

I'm going to try this method for the next several days to see if it is a worthwhile method of brewing. If the remaining days are as good as this morning's coffee, I'll opt for the cold brewing device, which runs about $35 on the 'Net.

Has anyone else experienced this method of coffee brewing? Thoughts?

 

[RMK!]

Toddy System

Wow. First off, let me admit, I'm even more of a caffeine addict than an audio addict. I've been reading up a bit lately on the "Toddy" cold brewing method for coffee. To try this method, I thought I'd just use a few simple items around the kitchen to see if I liked this method.

1) 1/2 Lb. of coarse ground coffee.
2) Pitcher.
3) 2.5 cups of filtered water.

I placed the coffee and water in the pitcher for nearly 24 hours to "brew" in the fridge. I pulled out the pitcher this morning. I strained the coffee with a bowl and a regular coffee filter by slowly pouring the mixture through the filter. The grounds and filter were then discarded.

I then took 1 part of the mixture and added 2 more parts of filtered water into a mug. I then placed the mug in the microwave for about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

What was produced? A great tasting cup of coffee. I can use the concentrate to make several more cups of coffee. This method of brewing is supposed to be less acidic than using the drip coffee maker. Also, less oils are present in the coffee. I've read conflicting information regarding the caffeine content. Some say there's less, while others claim there is more in this method of brewing.

I'm going to try this method for the next several days to see if it is a worthwhile method of brewing. If the remaining days are as good as this morning's coffee, I'll opt for the cold brewing device, which runs about $35 on the 'Net.

Has anyone else experienced this method of coffee brewing? Thoughts?

I have been using (almost exclusively) this system for the past 20 plus years. I have turned about 100 others onto it over the years and I have two carafes in the frig. right now. The convenience and acid free taste of this method is what has kept me coming back. I'm a huge fan of this product.

 

[RJB]

Wow. First off, let me admit, I'm even more of a caffeine addict than an audio addict. I've been reading up a bit lately on the "Toddy" cold brewing method for coffee. To try this method, I thought I'd just use a few simple items around the kitchen to see if I liked this method.

1) 1/2 Lb. of coarse ground coffee.
2) Pitcher.
3) 2.5 cups of filtered water.

I placed the coffee and water in the pitcher for nearly 24 hours to "brew" in the fridge. I pulled out the pitcher this morning. I strained the coffee with a bowl and a regular coffee filter by slowly pouring the mixture through the filter. The grounds and filter were then discarded.

I then took 1 part of the mixture and added 2 more parts of filtered water into a mug. I then placed the mug in the microwave for about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

What was produced? A great tasting cup of coffee. I can use the concentrate to make several more cups of coffee. This method of brewing is supposed to be less acidic than using the drip coffee maker. Also, less oils are present in the coffee. I've read conflicting information regarding the caffeine content. Some say there's less, while others claim there is more in this method of brewing.

I'm going to try this method for the next several days to see if it is a worthwhile method of brewing. If the remaining days are as good as this morning's coffee, I'll opt for the cold brewing device, which runs about $35 on the 'Net.

Has anyone else experienced this method of coffee brewing? Thoughts?

Sounds like you'll be going though lots of coffee in a hurry! Hmmm...at current coffee prices, gas for your car would probably be cheaper...

Now don't get me wrong, I love good coffee and I start every day off with the nectar. I personally prefer using a Bodum.

Best coffee I ever had was from a friend of mine who was from Peru. His family there used to send him "care packages" of their home grown stuff. It was just amazing! We used to have it with heavy cream and no sugar ( I usually have a little sugar in my coffee )

 

[T2T]

I personally prefer using a Bodum.

I have a press, too. But, the coffee was too bitter for my tastes. In reality, I won't use that much more coffee with this method. I'll just be more efficient with what I drink. As it stands now, I've gotten up at 7:00 a.m. and made a pot of coffee. I then fell back asleep and woke up a few hours later - to end up pouring what I made down the drain. Plus, cold-brewed coffee still costs less than dropping $1.75 a cup at Starbucks.

 

[Tomorrow]

Secret Olde World recipe

Pardon a semi-lengthy story.

The best coffee I ever tasted was many years ago. I was hiking/fishing a stream in the eastern Sierra Mtns. in The Peoples Republic of Kalifornica. (Yeah, I lived there...but I'm so abashed about it. )

I ran across a guy herding a bunch of sheep. It turned out he was a "REAL" Basque shepherd. He spoke no English. He was out in the free lands of California herding sheep for the sheep owner (??), and lived on his own for months at a time. He had a little crank-style record player for entertainment, and had a couple of 78 eek: ...yeah, I'm THAT old) records that were teaching him our language. Nevertheless, I knew more Spanish than he knew English, so we kind of chatted inconsequentials.

But what had captured my interest, and furthered our discussion, was his dogs. He had (a mule and) these two Australian Shepherds. He could give them a one sentence command, and I swear to you, these dogs would each go separate directions, do SEVERAL separate things (like bring the mule over and then go cut out 3 sheep from the herd). I was blown away. Further, these dogs were less than 2 years old. He had only been training them for about a year. I'd guess they had the ability to carry out 3 or 4 commands, sequentially, and then return to healing. Man o' man!!

Well, to make this story a little longer, I had to know how he did this training so we agreed to meet at his tent that night. My first wife and I went over there later, and he offered us some of his 'coffee'. Not to insult him...we agreed. (By the way...it was freezing out.) Here's what it was:

2 parts COLD coffee
1 part cheap red wine
1 tablespoon of sugar.

The end of the story? That was THE BEST cup of coffee I have ever had..before or since...no matter the cost or recipe. Love the Basque. His training techniques? For the life of me I can't remember what he said.

 

[jaxvon]

RJ,

On a tangent of the Basque note, I suggest that you pick up a book called Shibumi by the author Trevanian. It's an excellent read.

 

[Mudcat]

I personally prefer using a Bodum.

I drink coffee measures in gpd (gallons per day). I have a regular Mr. Coffee (DeLonghi actually), a useless Cusinart that grinds and brews the beans (you can't make a second pot until you clean and completely dry the unit) and a Franch Press for when I'm in a hurry. WTF is a bodum - sounds like a french word for chamber pot.

Excusemwa parlyvous, oui must use la bodum, I have ze trots.

I suggest that you pick up a book called Shibumi by the author Trevanian. It's an excellent read.

I read shibumi, I do not recall anything significant about coffee. Course it's been twenty years.

You should read "Uncommon Grounds" by Mark Pendergrast. It follows the bean from it's discovery in Ethopia to all corners. Very interesting stuff.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465036317/104-9150938-1409534?v=glance&n=283155

 

[RJB]

I drink coffee measures in gpd (gallons per day). I have a regular Mr. Coffee (DeLonghi actually), a useless Cusinart that grinds and brews the beans (you can't make a second pot until you clean and completely dry the unit) and a Franch Press for when I'm in a hurry. WTF is a bodum - sounds like a french word for chamber pot.

Excusemwa parlyvous, oui must use la bodum, I have ze trots.

Doh! No poop in my Bodum please!

Actually it's the most common brand name for a French press...

 

[T2T]

RJB,

You are correct. Bodum is one of the largest makers of French coffee presses - well, at least here in the U.S. You can get them at Startbucks, Borders and any other kitchen supply store. Kind of weird that they selected that name, though.

The other evening, I was watching TV. I think it was HGTV and they were featuring new (and nifty) items. They had a travel mug that incorporated a french press into it. For those who insist on hot-brewed coffee, and are in a hurry, it's a pretty neat device. You simply fill the mug with ground coffee and hot water and put the lid on. After you've been driving in your car for 5 minutes or so, you just hit the plunger and press it down to contain the grounds to the bottom of the plunger. You can then enjoy hot coffee.

I'm not sure who makes the model presented on TV, but Bodum does have a selection of travel mug/french presses.

http://www.beveragefactory.com/coffee/french/thermal.shtml

 

[Swerd]

from another caffeine and audio addict

Some of the first coffee I ever liked was made by the cold brew method. The version I saw was a little different, done with coffee grounds bundled in cheese cloth, stuck inside a large jar of water in the refrigerator. It was more concentrated so you added 1 or 2 spoons of the cold brew to a cup of hot water. It was as easy as instant coffee but much better. The concentrated coffee lasted a very long time before it went bad.

Its funny that the coffee experts claim that brewing temperature is critical for making good coffee. Most electric drip makers don't get the water hot enough and the coffee lacks flavor as a result. If you boil water in a kettle and use a French press or a Melitta of Chemex drip filter, you do get more flavor out of the coffee. I think that I may have liked the cold brew coffee when I was younger because it was so smooth tasting and less bitter.

If you really want to try some great tasting coffee, roast green coffee beans yourself. Once you taste fresh roasted coffee, you'll realize that most coffee you buy is past it's prime. It's best 1 to 5 days after roasting. After that it looses a lot of flavor. As a bonus, green coffee is much cheaper than roasted coffee.

 

[Hi Ho]

I love coffee. I don't buy anything but Batdorf & Bronson. It is definetly the best coffee I have ever had. Otherwise I wouldn't pay $10+ per pound. Seattle's Best is also good. They always have that at McDonalds.

I have never tried cold brewed coffee. I may have to some day. I use a MrCoffee drip machine and it works great.