Materials
» 1/3c medium-fine ground coffee
» 1½c water
» French press coffee maker If you
don’t have a French press, you can
substitute the following: a medium-
sized glass bowl with a cover (cloth
or plastic wrap will do), a fine-mesh
sieve, cheesecloth, and a small jar
with a lid.
» Ice cubes
Makes approximately 4 servings.
The following method makes a very concentrated
coffee. I happen to like it straight, but drinking more
than half a glass sends me flying through the roof
(unless, of course, it’s decaf). It’s all a matter of
taste, however, and most people seem to prefer
diluting this concentrated brew to 1 part coffee,
1 part water, and then pouring it over ice. For an
iced latte, keep it concentrated, pour approximately
¼c into a tall glass over ice, then fill the rest up
with cold milk.
1. Grind your coffee.
Other recipes claim that inexpensive, medium-coarse ground canned coffee can make a perfect
cold-brew coffee. I suggest trying that if you don’t
mind prepackaged coffee.
Personally, I find that grinding my own beans to
a medium-fine ground makes the richest, most
flavorful brew. So if you’re using your own grinder,
grind almost ½c of beans to make 1/3c of medium-fine ground coffee.
2. Soak your grounds.
Pour your grounds and 1½c of water into a glass
bowl or French press, gently stir it, cover, and then
let the mixture soak for at least 12 hours. I like to
do this in the evening so that my coffee is ready in
the morning.
3. Filter your coffee.
If you soaked your grounds in a bowl, strain the
liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, then
strain once more. If using a French press, simply
If you’re using a French press, swish your grounds
immediately before straining. This will make it
easier to press down.
press your coffee. If you find that a bit of coffee
sediment remains in your pressed batch of coffee,
you can strain it again using a sieve and cheesecloth. (I once used a T-shirt draped across a Mason
jar and secured with a rubber band. Paper coffee
filters also work.)
4. Pour over ice and serve.
Once your coffee is completely strained, serve up
some iced Toddies (remember to dilute with water
or milk to taste). Refrigerate leftover coffee in a jar
until ready to serve. It stays fresh for at least a week.
TIP: During those super-hot summer weeks
where quick-melting ice can’t be avoided, stock
your freezer with ice trays filled with coffee
rather than water.
