Now We're Cooking: Cold Brew Coffee

I’m a huge fan of cold brew coffee. Have you tried it? The premise is that using cold water to brew your coffee over a long period of time gives the coffee a smoother quality that allows the beans to really shine. It results in a coffee concentrate that I really love. Despite the 12-24 hour brew period, I actually find cold brew to be much more convenient. When I’m running late, it’s so much simpler to pour a little cold brew into my to-go cup, mix in milk (my preferred version, water if you’re not a milky coffee kind of gal), and pop it into the mic for a minute than to brew a whole cup of coffee.

This weekend in my baking I ground some whole cloves and had some leftover. I decided to do a subtle-y spiced version of my normal cold brew coffee and after having some this morning, let me tell you, it was really great. My friend Ruth had a trick where she added a pinch of cinnamon to her coffee grounds when she was brewing a French press pot, and I decided to take that trick and use it in my cold brew for a festive cup of Joe.

1 bag of coffee (10-12 oz), coarsely ground (I used the Kaui blend from Trader Joe’s, but any will do)

2 pinches of ground cloves

2 pinches of ground cinnamon

7 cups of water

I used a Toddy, but you certainly don't need one. You could also do this in a large bowl and filter it through a normal coffee filter or a large French press.

If you’re using a Toddy, insert the stopper and dampened filter.
If using a French press, remove the filter.
If using a bowl… make sure it’s clean? :)

Add a cup of water to your bowl.
Add about half of the grounds on top of that.
Add the spices—I tend to scatter them around the top. Add as much as you want—more for a more spice-y flavor, less for a more subtle flavor. I liked a couple pinches of cinnamon, and a smaller amount of the cloves.
Slowly, pour 3 more cups of water over the grounds in a circular motion.
Add the remaining coffee grounds.
Wait for 5 minutes or so.
Slowly add the last 3 cups of water in a circular motion. No need to stir! Just lightly press the top of the grounds with the back of a spoon to make sure it all gets wet.

Put a tea towel over your carafe and let it sit for 12-24 hours, then filter it (this can take awhile)

If using the toddy, unplug the bottom and let it drip into the carafe

If using the French press, plunge the coffee and pour it into a carafe

If using a bowl, filter it with a dampened coffee filter or through a damp cloth into a carafe

It keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can alter the concentrate to your taste—1 part coffee to 2 parts water or milk, and then adjust based on that. Either add hot water/milk or just pop it in the microwave for 30 second increments until it reaches the temperature you prefer. It also works well for iced coffee.

I also think this would make a great gift for a coffee lover in your life!

Also, if you’re interested in Trader Joe’s Coffee, here’s a rundown on what’s good and what to avoid from Serious Eats!