Cold Brewed Coffee

There is nothing I like better than a hot cup of coffee but in the summer, the "hot" part is not so appealing.  Iced coffee is great but when I take leftover coffe and ice it, it often tastes bitter.  I tried cold brewed coffee which I read was smooth and not bitter.  By "brewing" the coffee in cold water, the beans do not come into contact with heat and the result is a less acidic, sweeter tasting brew.  I concur, the cold brew method produces a rich, sweet coffee.

I cold brewed 12 ounces of ground coffee in 7 cups of filtered water for about 14 hours in a large pitcher.  After the 14 hours of brew time, I poured the mixture through a cheesecloth lined mesh sieve into a glass vessel.

Use a medium roast rather than a bold or dark roast for a smooth flavor.  A medium roast will give a very rich brew.

The cheesecloth and grounds were discarded and the coffee was further filtered through a mesh coffee filter.  I didn't have any paper filters so I used a gold mesh filter.  Do not stir the mixture or it will become cloudy.  Cover the filtered cold brew and chill.  This coffee concentrate can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks...if you don't drink it all first!  The cold brew is a concentrate and should be diluted 1 part coffee to 1 part water or milk.

An iced latte with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  A delicious guilty pleasure!