Cold water coffee making

[CapnK]

A while back, I was doing some reading on the various coffee makers that are out there - not just boat ones, but the really pricey, extra fancy ones where your cup of coffees worth of coffee comes in it's own package, that sort of thing.

In one of the threads I read somewhere, might have been a geek site (probably was - geeks love their coffee - I've even heard of 'geek' defined this way: "A biological machine which converts coffee into computer code." ), a fellow mentioned a technique he called "cold water coffee making". Basically, you put your coffee into water, let it sit for 10-20 hours, and then heat and drink. Some people actually do this with a smaller amount of water than the end product needs, making a concentrate that they'll add hot water to when they want to drink it.

Well, last night I put ~1 cup of water on the coffee (3 cups worth, approx) in my Bodum French press, let it sit over night (almost 10 hours), then added boiling water to that this morning. Wow - tastes surprisingly different, and great! It is not nearly as bitter as my usual method (boil water, pour onto dry coffee), and has a really good flavor. I don't use fancy coffee - this is the supermarket brand (Food Lion), although it is made with 100% Colombian bean, and for what it is, they do usually do a good roast on it.

It tasted so good, I'm going to use this method some more, and see how it goes. Thinking about it later this morning, I realized that making coffee this way will save fuel, since I don't need to bring water to a boil, just get it hot enough to where I like it. So - Try this out some time, see if it works for you.

[Captain Smollett]

The method reminds me of "sun tea."

I'll have to give this one a try.  Thanks.

[oded kishony]

Hey,

I made coffee this way for a long time. I liked it because the coffee is very low in acid so it's easier on your gut. Plus it's very quick in the morning. I would make a concentrate for the whole week and store it in the fridge then add it to hot water. The one draw back is that it doesn't have that tantalizing coffee aroma which I really missed.

Oded

[Lynx]

Did you use as much coffie as you would for 3 cups?

[CapnK]

Lynx - yes, it was just an experiment, so I put 1 cup water to 3 round spoons of coffee, let that sit. Then hotted up another 2-3 cups of water, and poured it on top, let it sit for a minute, pressed, and drank.

Didn't get a chance to try it again last night - forgot until it was too late, so I am drinking 'old-school' coffee this AM. 

[Oldrig]

Hey Kurt,

Many years ago, I knew a guy who came back from South America with a beautiful Colombian wife (she was number two--I believe he's now on wife number four--but that's another story).

A bunch of us were invited to their home once, and she served us the most delicious coffee.

When we asked, she explained that in her country they prepare coffee with cold water, letting it decant over night. That makes a concentrate that is then added to hot water.

She had some kind of special ceramic coffeemaker, that I believe consisted of two spherical containers, one for water and coffee on the top, a filter in the middle, and a lower globe that filled up with concentrate.

I don't know if such a coffeemaker is available in the USA, but I imagine that in Jackson Heights, NY, which has a large Colombian population, you could find one.

--Joe

[oded kishony]

There is an extended discussion about cold brewing coffee at this site:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/415802

It also references an article in the NY Times about brewing colod coffee.

It's really easy to make and is quite satisfying

Oded Kishony

[CapnK]

Grog, fellas!

Made some for this AM, it steeped from about 5PM yesterday until 8:30AM. Yummy!

[CapnK]

More on this...

The ex had given me a Bodum-brand French Press for Christmas. While it did have an external rubbery holder to protect the inner glass carafe, that still wasn't good enough to protect the glass from a fall to the cabin sole last week... 

So I fell back on the cold-brew method, with enhancements.

The drawback I noted from my initial experiments was that it takes 12+ hours to steep more coffee. That's plenty of time for me to drink up what I've made, using a quart container (I don't make it concentrated, just at regular strength). Especially if company stops by. So for the past week, I've been using 2 containers - #1 to hold the "next batch" as it steeps, and #2 to hold coffee that has been steeped and strained and is ready to warm and drink. This has been working out really good.

As before, the coffee is very smooth, and there is an added bonus in only needing to warm up the already-made coffee: besides the fact that it is much quicker to simply warm a cup's worth on the stove than to brew it, the heat produced inside the cabin is less, and I'm using barely any fuel in the process compared to before - maybe only a tenth as much.

One other note - I bought one of those "permanent/reusable coffee filters", and have been straining the coffee from the #1 bottle through that into a pan, before putting it into the #2 bottle.

I'd been pricing the all-stainless steel presses, but after using this method for a week, I don't think I'll be getting one. I think this cold-brewing method is the KISS-est possible coffee solution...

[CharlieJ]

 

Unless you are like THIS house where there may be 5 pots of coffee made in a day!! And those in our stainless 8 cup press.

[Captain Smollett]

I'd been pricing the all-stainless steel presses, but after using this method for a week, I don't think I'll be getting one. I think this cold-brewing method is the KISS-est possible coffee solution...

No doubt cold brewing is simpler, but I'm curious about the prices you are finding for steel, or other non-breakable presses.

We bought this one



from Campmor.  Of course, we originally bought it for camping - we might not be in one place long enough to cold-brew. Price wise, it is comparable to a Bodum glass press of similar size.

There are other, less expensive non-breakable ones, too.

We use a larger, glass Bodum at home; I keep threatening to try the cold brew method.   

[CapnK]

CJ - Y'all could just use Gallon containers.

Smollett - Median price for the low-end SS presses seems to be about $35 including shipping, if you shop around. Replacing the glass Bodum carafe is ~$15, not including shipping, so going to SS is a no-brainer.

Found the Nissan/Thermos one for $20 and change, w/$10 shipping, but it was sold out at that store. It commonly sells for $25-30, so that was a lowball price.

[Captain Smollett]

Median price for the low-end SS presses seems to be about $35 including shipping, if you shop around.

Okay.  That's what we paid for the one from Campmor a couple of years ago.

With the little ones running around a campsite, or the boat, always good to have a non-breakable.  Interestingly, we've only broken one glass one at home.   

[CharlieJ]

We have two presses. The one here at home ( and on the boat when we go for prolonged trips) is a stainless insulated Bodum Laura bought from Amazon.com It holds about 8 large cups and we've been using it for about two years now.

Edited to add- I think it was about $50 or so.

The other one is a 4 cup size and is made of lexan in a smoked color. I THINK it came from West Marine, but I'm not sure since it was given to us by someone on TSBB. That one lives on the boat full time.

[s/v Faith]

Aw man.....

I mis read it and got all excited... I thought this thread was about; 'mold water coffee making'.... 

[Tim]

Aw man.....

I mis read it and got all excited... I thought this thread was about; 'mold water coffee making'.... 

Bilge Water?

[s/v Faith]

No, not bilge water... had not thought of that.  Just thought there might be more research into;

I am sorry folks, but after working in the coffee business for 15 years, I must confess that this thread makes me seriously considering a silent withdrawal... 

coffee is too old after 15 minutes. Period.....

Please don't go.  I would appreciate your professional opinion on something.....

  Now, keep in mind this is just a shore thing, as I don't have a coffee maker onboard (I use the french press).  But for the office, what if I used one of the pour through filters to strain out the mold chunks?  Do you think I could get past the 4 day thing? 

[Manannan]

Hey guys, com'on, don't think about drinking coffee in the morning, it will keep you awake until noon ! 

[oded kishony]

Another way to brew a satisfying cup is to heat the appropriate amount of water then dump your ground coffee into it and let it steep for 3 minutes after which you pour it through a paper filter. This method takes advantage of the steeping time that the French brewing method offers but removes the gut irritating and nasty tasting fine grounds that always seem to get through the French presses.

Oded Kishony

[Captain Smollett]

Another way to brew a satisfying cup is to heat the appropriate amount of water then dump your ground coffee into it and let it steep for 3 minutes after which you pour it through a paper filter. This method takes advantage of the steeping time that the french brewing method offers but removes the gut irritating and nasty tasting fine grounds that always seem to geth through the French presses.


Oded Kishony

Haha....I've used this style without the paper filter while camping.  Got the idea from my Dad (not a coffee drinker), who probably had a good laugh after the first time I tried it.

"Just strain the grounds with your teeth," he said.

Now, what does it say about me that there was more than just that one time.  If memory serves, we had to use this at the Grand Canyon because I lost the guts to my percolator.