↑ Watch How to Cold Brew Coffee.
Cold-brewed coffee—what is it? It’s coffee (obviously) that’s brewed not with hot water, but with cold water, for about 24 hours. And what’s the point of that? Hint: It’s a whole lot SMOOOOOTHER. Also: great for cold coffee drinks.
When coffee gets brewed with hot water, oils and acids pass into the brew. Cold brew is less acidic (gentler for ingestion and digestion). Plus, with a jar of it in the refrigerator, you’re ready to make some kick-ass iced coffee and other cold coffee-based drinks.
If you want a hot coffee, simply add hot water to your concentrated cold brew. It’s just like regular hot coffee, only (yes) smoother.
Now, if brewing coffee for 24 hours requires too much foresight, you can always pick up a jug of cold brew coffee at your local Trader Joe’s. It’s quite good, and because the coffee is concentrated, the 32 ounces can make 96 ounces of coffee when reconstituted with water or milk. You can also make ice cubes with it or blend it with ice.
Have we mentioned the affogato? It’s only one of the best desserts ever. Just pop some ice cream into a dish, pour over some cold brew coffee, and (optionally) grate some chocolate and/or nutmeg over the top.
For a few more cold brew coffee recipes, watch Mike Cooper of DrinksTube break it down.