COLD BREW ICE COFFEE

I read The Pioneer Woman  website and found out how to make perfect ice coffee. 

Ree  introduced  the recipe from Imbibe Magazine, a beverage magazine. Honestly that was the first time I knew about this magazine. 

I browsed this magazine website and also found step by step how to make ice coffee article.

One of the method is using cold brew method. 

It is really similar to maceration method of extraction. I remember the day I was in collage, especially  when I learned at organic chemistry and natural chemistry laboratory. We often use this method to make concentrate from dry plants or any powder material to isolate the ingredient that is soluble in the solution we use. 

One of benefit of cold brew is the lower amount of acid in the coffee. "Some see cold brew’s
minimal acidity as a prime selling point. “It’s gentler on the stomach and it tastes mellow, chocolaty and nutty,” says Scott Rao, author of The Professional Barista’s Handbook: An Expert’s Guide to Preparing Espresso, Coffee, and Tea and founder of Rao’s Coffee and Esselon Café in western Massachusetts. That smooth, sweet quality has won a lot of people over. Some coffeehouses proudly advertise that they sell cold-brewed iced coffee and, while it can be made at home with a mason jar and a fine sieve, or even a French press, companies like Toddy Products and Filtron manufacture home-brewing systems specifically designed for cold-steeping. The process creates a coffee concentrate that’s lengthened with more water or milk before serving, similar to New Orleans-style iced coffee.

The makers of the Toddy system, which was developed in the ’60s, claim that cold-brewed coffee has 67 percent less acid than hot-brewed coffee. Others like it because it avoids the risky business of pairing hot coffee with ice. “I use [cold brew] for iced coffee because the chlorogenic acid in hot coffee breaks down to form quinic and caffeic acids as the coffee cools, causing the coffee to taste sour,” Rao says.

But considering that hot-brewed iced coffee can be anything but sour if it’s made right, the battle of cold brew versus hot brew might be merely a clash of tastes. To find out which method you prefer, follow our instructions for preparing coffee both ways and let your palate be your guide." (Source: Imbibe Magazine Website)

I tried 1/4 amount of Ree's recipe. I remember in my pantry, I still have 4 oz roasted coffee from my visit to KRI Dewaruci (one of Indonesian Tall Ship)  last July when there was a Tall Ships Exhibition at Fish Pier in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Bellow is The Pioneer Woman's Recipe. You can print this recipe from her website.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
• 8 quarts Cold Water
• Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
• Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

Preparation Instructions

(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight. ----> I let it sit overnight. 

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds. ---> my method, I line my strainer with several pieces of coffee maker filter paper.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.  To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

My husband loves the taste off the coffee... This is the way for saving money on ice coffee.
As a wife  I love saving ;-) .