If you haven’t noticed via my Instagram, I’m just a little bit of a coffee addict. When cold brew coffee was introduced to me almost 3 years ago, it was all over from there. I was hooked! BUTTTTTT cold brew is expensive EVERYWHERE…most cups will run at min $4. I do not have the dinero for that on a regular basis so I had to think of something fast to fuel my cold brew fire. I did some research, seeing there were tons of different ways you could make this delicious coffee. I decided to go with the Toddy Cold Brew Coffee System – you can find it here at Williams-Sonoma (I got mine here with a 20% off coupon code during a free shipping promo) or on Amazon and of course at the Toddy Website. I am sure there are other places to for it, but those were the two I looked at most. There are also other systems like Chemex and my sister has this Hario one (she loves it). I chose because the Toddy has been around for over 50 years now, and the price/size were what I was looking for.
So why cold brew? The Toddy Site goes into detail behind the chemistry of the process, but in the end, it’s a better cup of coffee being 67% less acidic than regular hot-brewed coffee. In a nutshell, it tastes greater because it’s a lot smoother than a regular cup of coffee, and it’s easy on your stomach – a win/win!
I was pretty excited to try my Toddy out especially because I was using one of my FAVORITE Los Angeles coffee shop’s roasted beans, Swörk!!! My husband is all about beer and when we travel anywhere trying local beer is his top priority. My main squeeze is finding damn good coffee. Now, I make it a point to bring back a bag of roasted beans from any local coffee shops i visit. In this case, I’m working with Swörk’s signature roast, Truckdriver. It was developed between them and their main provider Intelligentsia. It’s super tasty and made for some deliciously smooth cold brew.
I’m gonna show you some pics of the process and below them will be the instructions which are directly from the Toddy Instruction Manual. I’m doing it this way because cold brewing is precise, and I don’t want to mess it up for you!
These instructions are directly from the Toddy Manual and are not my own:
For the best flavor, start with coarsely ground coffee beans (fresh roasted is best) and filtered water. The Toddy brewing container is designed to hold 12 ounces of coffee and 7 cups (56 fluid ounces) of water.
- Fill – First, insert the stopper into the outside bottom of the brewing container; then, dampen the filter and insert it into the inside bottom of the brewing container. Next, add 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Toddy brewing container and 6 ounces of ground coffee. Slowly pour 3 more cups of water over the grounds, in a circular motion. Then, add the remaining 6 ounces of ground coffee. Finally, wait 5 minutes and slowly add the last 3 cups of water. DO NOT STIR (stirring the bed of grounds can result in a clogged filter). Lightly press down on the topmost grounds with the back of a spoon to ensure all grounds get wet.
- Brew – Steep your coffee grounds for 12 to 24 hours to create a smooth, rich flavor.
- Serve – Remove the stopper and let your coffee concentrate flow into the glass decanter – stays fresh for up to 2 weeks in your refrigerator. We recommend starting with a ratio of 1 part coffee concentrate to 2-3 parts water, milk or soy. Mix to taste, making your coffee as strong or as weak as you prefer.
When I did this, I let mine brew in the fridge for 24 hours. This yielded an amazing cup! This yields a concentrate; therefore, I recommend diluting it. I dilute mine with water and actually do about two thirds concentrate and a third water, but that’s cuz I am nuts. My mother-in-law swears by half concentrate and half water, and she is also an avid coffee drinker. She did dilute it with hot water and said that it really watered it down so if you want a hot cup as opposed to a cold one, she recommends just reheating it in the microwave. She says it tastes just as good that way as opposed to heating up water and adding it in. I will have to give that a shot!
I hope you enjoy your cold brew coffee!
Peace out,
Wet Hair, Don’t Care