Make the Smoothest Coffee Ever

By Radha Marcum, Senior Editor

Got hooked on cold-brewed coffee this summer? It deserves your love in cooler months too. More smooth and sweet than drip coffee or espresso, cold-brew coffee develops when grounds infuse cool water slowly, over hours, rather than quickly with added heat. It makes superb iced coffee, but equally exceptional hot mug-fuls come fall.

Cold-brewing coffee makes a concentrated “syrup” that is less acidic and oily, meaning a big reduction in bitterness. Fans of strong, bitter joe might want to stop reading right here and stick with drip, espresso or French press. Cold brew’s beautifully rounded flavor, like chocolate, requires less milk, cream or sugar to subdue coffee’s harshness, hot or cold.

Popularized in the 1970s by the Toddy brand, cold brewing has made a big comeback in cafés and supermarket beverage sections. That’s convenient, but make no mistake: you don’t need fancy equipment to create your own. It’s so simple you might pass your drip coffee maker to Goodwill. All you need: two large glass jars or pitchers, plus good-quality coffee beans, coarsely ground. Use filtered water or spring water to avoid spoiling the taste with chlorine or other tap-water chemicals.

1. Combine 1 cup coarse-ground coffee beans with 4 cups water.
2. Let it infuse for about 12 hours.
3. Into a clean jar, filter the concentrate through layered cheesecloth, muslin or paper coffee filters to remove coffee grounds.

Make it hot: Simply top 1/3 cold brew with 2/3 cups boiling water or your heated milk of choice. It’s way better than the average café latte!

Make it cold: Same proportions, cold water or milk, with ice. Cold-brew coffee concentrate also makes a flavorful addition to chocolate-laced zucchini muffins or banana bread, or coffee-enhanced smoothies or cocktails. Just saying.

If you get really hooked, consider an easy filtration set-up, such as the classic Toddy. Coffee concentrate keeps fresh, without losing flavor, for up to 14 days in the refrigerator. We doubt it will last that long.