Quite possibly the best cup of coffee I have tasted!

[GoVegan]

We just back from dinner from one of my favorite restaurants. I don't normally get coffee there but we just came from a hike by the ocean and I ordered a cup to warm up. It was quite possibly the best cup of coffee I have ever had. It was strong but very smooth with no bite whatsoever. I also tasted some chocolate in the background. I asked the waiter what type of coffee they use and he told me it was Taylor Maid which is a common brand around here. Turns out their secret is to cold brew their coffee. Anyone know anything about cold brewing coffee? Do I need a cold brewing system or can I make one? What is the best ratio for hot water to coffee concentrate after it is brewed?

[Monkey]

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.c...d-brew-coffee/

This is how I do it....never tried the salt though.

[GoVegan]

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.c...d-brew-coffee/

This is how I do it....never tried the salt though.

Perfect! Thanks for that link. It looks like all you need is a French press and some patience. I am going to try this.

[rickcharles606]

Sounds good, but what if you don't care for cold coffee and want to heat it after cold brewing? I find that using a microwave to heat cold coffee just ruins it. GoVegan, I wonder how the cup you had tonight was heated for consumption?

[GoVegan]

The waiter said they brewed a concentrate. I assume you add hot water to it without heating the coffee itself but I am not sure. I use a thermal caraffe coffee maker now. It doesn't taste as good as cold brewed but it is way better than coffee sitting on a hotplate for an hour.

[Monkey]

I never tried to heat it back up. Maybe 180° water poured into the room temperature concentrate? That os the average temp water comes out of a commercial coffee maker for teas and for brewing.

[devilock76]

Curious on the subject I read up on it and year you mix hot water with the concentrate. Ratios seem to call for 25% concentrate mixed with 75% hot water. I already have a french press and grind my own beans. I might have to try this.

Ken

[squeezyjohn]

Well - thank you so much for the heads up on this!

It sounds like the kind of coffee I have been trying to make for years and I've never heard of it in my life before. I like my coffee hot so I've immediately had a go at this myself and have started brewing up a concentrate.

Cheers

Squeezy

[devilock76]

I am going to try it at some point. I have become a bit of a coffee snob once I started drinking coffee black. When I first switched to black coffee I noticed that the gas station down the road had better coffee than what our old drip maker was producing. This lead me down a quest to make the best cup at home possible. After trying a percolator I ended up switching to a french press, and of course I grind my own beans at home as I need them. I have been very happy with the results from this. I think the cold brew creates a way to more quickly brew the coffee from the concentrate as I need it. Plus it will be interesting and in the summer if I prefer an iced coffee makes a quick option for having that as well.

Ken

[Fazer]

Sounds good, but what if you don't care for cold coffee and want to heat it after cold brewing? I find that using a microwave to heat cold coffee just ruins it. GoVegan, I wonder how the cup you had tonight was heated for consumption?

I always microwave to heat cold coffee

[Kaplan]

This sounds very promising...I'm always so disappointed with how coffee comes out most the time. Question: How much coffee do you add to how much water? And if you want to make a concentrate, how would you do that?

[Ansel]

Wish i could try some!

[Monkey]

1:1 by volume is the ratio. It seems like a lot at first but you really get some mileage out of the concentrate.

[GoVegan]

The cold brew has a completely different taste. I am curious Monkey, do you recommend any particular type of coffee? For example, Sumatra or Uganda?

[rickcharles606]

I don't have a french press, BUT I'm going to give it a go tomorrow and brew up a concentrate, then just filter it a few times. I'll report back with the results. I plan on trying a couple different Starbuck's coffees: French Roast and their Gold Coast (one of my favorites).