Tips for cold press coffee?

December 20, 2005 12:17 AM

What can I do with a cold press coffee maker?

Yes ... I know ... I can make "cold press coffee".

Seriously though. I thought I was reasonably literate in the Tao of Caffeine. Now I see these things for sale at my local Coffeetorium -- I'm told they are becoming quite trendy quite quickly -- and have no clue how people are using them beyond making simple Toddy and iced coffee. Granted, that might suffice for my humble needs, but I suspect I'm missing out on more.

Particularly looking for hints and recipes, etc. Any chance I can come close to replicating those boffo "Starbuck's Doubleshots"? ... or will I need a full blown espresso machine?

I am deeply ashamed I let my educate dwindle in the area.

posted by RavinDave to food & drink (7 comments total)

To answer your second question, isn't a "Starbucks Doubleshot" really just strong coffee, sugar, and cream? You could make that by adding sugar and cream to Toddy concentrate.
posted by rxrfrx at 7:30 AM on December 20, 2005

A note: You needn't use cold press to make cold coffee.

The concept has been around a while. I haven't tried it myself, but came across it when I was looking around for French press coffee makers and discovered that there are many, many ways to make coffee besides our standard drip machines.

Cold press makes a concentrate by soaking the beans in cold water for much longer than hot coffee machines. When you make your cup of coffee, you use some amount of the concentrate and then hot or cold water, depending on which you want the coffee to be, to dilute it.

So the answer is that you can make any coffee you choose - hot, cold, weak, strong. I think the draw is that once you make the concentrate, then the preparation of a cup of coffee is as simple as with instant coffee - though I assume it tastes much better. Oh, and according to this, it is lower in acid. And if you're interested, I'd try it out before you buy a machine. Sorry, I found a recipe before and can't now, but I've seen the claim that you don't need a machine, just something to steep the beans in and something like a cheesecloth to filter with.

By the way, if you do decide that you want a strong hot cup of coffee, I recommend trying a French press. It's a hassle compared to drip, but it's worth it.
posted by solotoro at 8:21 AM on December 20, 2005

Oops. Replace "beans" with "grounds," or you probably won't be too impressed.
posted by solotoro at 8:22 AM on December 20, 2005

Almost anything from Starbucks, especially if described as a "shot" is espresso, which is produced using steam and not hot water. So, while a coffee press makes fine coffee, it can't replicate espresso per se. Whether it makes an acceptable alternative is a matter of your own taste.

You can also use it to make loose-leaf tea, which is, IMO, a much better beverage than coffee.
posted by GuyZero at 8:38 AM on December 20, 2005

If you drink espresso that's made with steam, rather than hot water pushed through the grounds at pressure, then it's no wonder you prefer tea... :-p
posted by bifter at 9:31 AM on December 20, 2005

From the rest of your description, I assume you're talking about a coffee toddy, where you put in a pound of grounds and about nine cups of water and it has a felt filter at the bottom, and you get coffee concentrate out the bottom after letting it sit overnight. No idea why you'd characterize that as a "press" method, unless you're talking about something radically different.

You can freeze the concentrate for coffee ice cubes, or use it to make coffee granitas if you add lots of sugar. It's also good to add to chocolate desserts, to give it a little kick and really bring out the flavor. The concentrate at full strength is rather bitter, so you'll need to dilute it with something.

Note that while toddys (toddies?) are super convenient and the coffee they make is quite tasty, remember that it does have somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 the caffeine of a regular cup of hot brew, so if you feel sleepy after switching, that's why.
posted by Caviar at 9:43 AM on December 20, 2005

The toddy cold brew is awesome... Keeps fresh for a long time and tastes fresh every time (if it's kept sealed).
posted by joshgray at 11:30 AM on December 20, 2005