For coffee lovers like me, a quality cup is always a good beverage option. In the morning, it’s the only choice. Winter tries to bring tea into my life, but coffee is always there to right my ship. And summer? Well, we might as well just rename it “cold brew season.” Now that I’ve swapped out my sweaters for my cold-brew-season wardrobe, it’s time to focus on how to flavor my favorite beverage. My advice to you: try making your brew with whole spices.
How to: Three Ways to Make Cold Brew Coffee
The truth is, the best way to make a better cold brew is to buy great beans. Good coffee isn’t cheap—I can’t bring myself to tell my Folgers-drinking parents how much I spend on beans—but you’ll be amazed at the difference in the quality of your cup. (I’m a Café Grumpy girl myself.) Once you’ve found a bean and roast you like, it’s time to begin the overnight cold brew process.
If you’ve spent money on good beans, get a coffee grinder. I know, I know, you can buy them pre-ground and I love that. But you’re about to enter a world where you can use your beans for espresso, filter coffee, and cold brew. They all do best with different grinds. And a good grinder will last you for years.
The whole idea of cold brew is that it’s a slow, no-heat extraction process. The components, coffee grounds and water, sit together in a cold place, ideally your refrigerator, for 12-24 hours. The resulting chilled brew has a smoother texture with less acidity and fewer bitter notes. Because your coffee grounds are sitting there, infusing the liquid with their flavors, this is a great time for other things to do the same. Particularly chunks of complementary and flavorful herbs.
