I’ve been using a press pot for my infrequent cups of coffee. I’ve not been able to get a consistent great cup out of it. My attempts tend to end up on the sour side. To be fair, as an infrequent drinker my beans tend to get stale, and as I am my nickname I’ve got a blade grinder.
I know - blasphemy on both counts.
Anyway I was reading about the Toddy Cold Brewing system and decided to pick one up ($20ish at Cost+ with a coupon). The design and function is really simple. The results are an amazingly smooth and flavorful cup, even with old beans and days after brewing. I wondered if there are any drawbacks to this method. Also are there any other, perhaps more sophisticated, methods of cold brewing?
Alternatively, are there any cheaper jerry rigged ways I could give it a shot without buying any special eqiptment?
I’m guessing you could do it with a pitcher, a coffee filter, and some kind of container for storage. I was thinking I could do this in my press pot just as easily as with the Toddy paraphernalia, but I’ve not tried it.
The proportions listed are 9 cups water to a pound of coffee, let steep 12 hours. There is an indication that you can cold brew less than a pound just reduce the amount of water proportionately. There is mention that the strength may vary slightly if you don’t use a full pound though. After brewing, store in an airtight container and the ‘coffee concentrate’ is rumored to be good for 12 days.
To make coffee add water, milk, or both to the concentrate and microwave to heat. They recommend 2:1 water/milk:concentrate. My tastes are more of a 1:1 mix though.
I’ve had one for about a year and a half. I find that it works better if I let it steep for a longer period of time. I’ve experimented with using a bit less coffee and using a darker roast for added flavor as the Toddy tends to leave the coffee very mild for the amount of caffeine it gives.