Last week, we took a look at cold-brew coffee, hailed as the hot new summer drink in bars and cafes across the country. If you’d like to have a go at making your own cold-brew coffee at home, here’s what you need to do.
Cold-brew coffee differs from iced coffee in that iced coffee is made hot, allowed to cool then diluted with ice. It has a tendency to a bitter aftertaste, whereas cold-brew coffee, which is actually made cold, has a sweeter and more complex flavour. The only downside is that it takes a long time to brew properly! In Japan, where they’ve been making cold-brew for hundreds of years, they have glass brewing flasks to produce their kyoto coffee, but an ordinary large jug or jar will do the job just as well.
Ideally, it’s best to grind your own beans for this as you’ll need coarse grounds – forget powder and think breadcrumbs. Using finer grounds will make the filtering process tricky and affect the result. Put in around 150g of coffee for every litre of cold water. Cover the jug with a lid or clingfilm and put it in a cool dark place (the fridge is fine but not obligatory) for at least 16 and no more than 24 hours. The length of time you allow the mixture to steep will have an effect on the strength of the finished coffee. Once or twice during the steeping process, give the jug a little shake to move the grounds around.
At the end of the steeping time, pour the mixture carefully through a tea strainer or fine mesh sieve into another jug or bowl. Once the liquid looks comparatively clear, strain it again through paper coffee filters. If you don’t have any filters available, you can use the sieve lined with kitchen roll. The finished brew is quite concentrated, and will need to be diluted 50 per cent with water before drinking. Serve chilled, with or without ice as you prefer. Unfinished coffee will keep in the jug in the fridge for up to a month.
If you’re looking for the perfect ingredients for cold-brew coffee, take a look at our coffee beans page. You’ll find a range of top-quality coffee beans, all available wholesale at competitive prices.