About 2 months back my friends and I went out to town for lunch, then popped by a café for a drink. As the weather was sweltering hot, we all ordered the cold-brewed coffee and it was soo good in the heat. However, the coffee came at an extremely hefty price tag, at about SGD 7 for one cup, which was eyeball-dropping expensive for me. So I decided to try my hand at making the cold-brewed coffee myself at home - and it was so ridiculously easy that I have no idea why I didn't make it earlier!
What makes cold-brewed coffee so special? Instead of subjecting ground coffee beans to boiling water, the ground coffee beans are steeped in cold or room temperature for a long period of time, usually 12 to 18 hours. This results in a coffee that has a lower acidity level, making it smoother and naturally sweeter (i.e. less bitter). My friend who only drinks mocha was surprised by the taste of the cold-brewed coffee and in fact like it after trying it!
To make cold-brewed coffee, all you need are ground coffee beans, and cold or room temperature water. Oh, and also time. That's it! I used the ground coffee beans that I bought back from Turkey (not for Turkish coffee, just regular ground coffee). The ground coffee beans were steeped in my French press which conveniently holds 1 litre of water, then covered and set aside in the refrigerator overnight for 12 hours. I like to make the coffee the night before, like after dinner, so I can have it for brunch/lunch the next day.
You can vary the strength of your coffee by the amount of ground coffee beans, but I like to make it a bit stronger, so all I need is to add ice if I find it too strong. Milk and sugar syrup can be served with the cold-brewed coffee but most of the time, I like it as it is - plain and black. Here are the step-by-step photos but really, it's so easy that I don't think you'll need them!
Step-by-Step Photos
- ½ cup ground coffee beans
- 1 litre cold or room-temperature water
- Place coffee beans in a large jar (I used my French press), and pour in the water. Stir with a long spoon or a chopstick until the coffee beans are moistened. Cover (don't press it down yet), and steep in the refrigerator overnight for 12 to 18 hours.
- If using a French press, press the plunger down slowly. Pour the coffee through a paper filter / cheesecloth into a container. Serve with ice, sugar syrup, or milk if desired.
ChgoJohn says
I've not sampled ice coffee because of the price, Jasline. It's coffee, for heaven's sake! I will try your recipe though, Sounds good!
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
How much there? Wow wee--in the States its the same price hot or cold? About $2.00.
Jasline N. says
Wowwww that's really cheap! If it's that cheap where I'm living now, I'll probably be drinking one everyday!
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Hi yes you would probably like that a lot! xx
canelakitchen says
Looks beautiful Jasline !!