Make this simple cold brew coffee at home – you already have everything you need and its easier than you think! You may have seen this cold brew coffee on my Brunch at Home post – such a great summer addition to breakfast.
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
First of all, you may be familiar with iced coffee, which normally has a lot of sugar, flavouring and cream or ice cream to sweeten it up. In Australia, iced lattes have become popular – its a shot of hot espresso coffee poured over milk and ice. These are great when you want a cold coffee without all the additions and sugar.
But cold brew coffee is made with a different method. Its a slowly-brewed coffee made with cold water, rather than a hot shot of coffee mixed with cold milk or iced. Because coffee takes longer to infuse in cold water, it is generally brewed over an 18-24 hour period. The taste of cold brew can also turn out sweeter and softer – because the temperature isn’t changing while infusing, there is no chemical reaction taking place in the coffee. This can leave out the bitter flavours that hot coffee can have.
Method
Ready to make your own cold brew coffee at home? You’ll need a coffee plunger (or ‘french press’), water and coffee grind.
Firstly, if you have coffee beans, grind them on a coarse setting. This ensures the end product comes out clear and not murky. If you are using pre-ground coffee, find a coarse one if you can. Alternatively, I like these Robert Timms coffee bags, which work like tea bags! In this case you won’t need a plunger, just a jug of water and a few bags.
How you make your coffee will depend on how strong you like it, but I recommend using a bit of extra coffee grind as you can always dilute it before drinking if it turns out too strong.
Add your grind into the plunger with cold or tap water. Stir for a few seconds. Put the lid on but leave the plunger up, and set aside either in or out of the fridge to infuse for 18-24 hours.
Once the time has passed, plunge your coffee to separate the grind from the liquid. Pour into a serving jug and add milk or extras to your taste – If you would like to sweeten it up, try honey or maple syrup for a different option. Pour over ice to serve.
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