I was told that my mom drank A LOT of iced coffee when she was pregnant with me. Who could blame her? I was a summer baby and she had to endure the New York City heat for half of her pregnancy. Now the iced coffee she had was not of the jet fuel strength we find these days, but it was a sweet creamy concoction with a hint of coffee. Loosely, the recipe went a little something like this: In a tall glass, dissolve a couple of spoonfuls of Taster’s Choice freeze-dried coffee in hot water. Add enough CoffeeMate until the coffee takes on a light tan hue. Add sugar. Add a handful of ice cubes to the glass. Drink. Repeat.
Coincidentally, this sweet drink was also my first taste of coffee as a kid. What was not to like? It is most certain that I have inherited my love (need) for coffee from my mom. When everyone else is drinking a soda or a glass of wine with their non-breakfasty meal, my mom has to have her cup of coffee. I used to think it was so odd, but I get it now. I am guilty of the same deed.
With the kids home from school and all of us adjusting to a crazy summer schedule, I just need a little something to get me through the rest of the summer day. Cold pressed coffee is less bitter and drinkable at room temperature and totally satisfying when served on ice. Cheers!
Cold Pressed Iced Coffee
Makes about 4 cups of coffee concentrate
1 cup ground coffee, fresh ground is better
4 1/2 cups water
1 – If you have a coffee grinder, set it on a coarser grind. The grounds will be easier to filter.
2 – Place coffee grounds and water in a large jar or container. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit for 12-24 hours. Some people out in the blogosphere swear that 24 hours is ideal, but if you can’t wait, 12 hours is fine.
3 – Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Pour the coffee mixture through the sieve. Discard the grounds.
4 – Line the cleaned sieve with a fine cheesecloth or paper towel and place over another bowl or jar. Pour the filtered coffee through the sieve. This filtering process will take much longer and will filter out the finer grounds.
OR
If you have a drip coffee maker like my trusty Mr. Coffee, this is the most ideal tool to carry out this second filtering process. Line the filter basket with a paper filter. Pour the coffee mixture into the lined basket. Make sure your carafe is in place and watch your cold brewed coffee drip through. NOTE: DO NOT TURN ON THE MACHINE! 🙂
5 – So after a couple of hours, you will have a carafe of smooth cold-brewed coffee concentrate.
6 – If you want to get fancy, mix 1/2 cup of coffee concentrate with 1/2 cup of water. Fill an ice cube tray with this coffee. This will ensure that your iced coffee will not get watered down.
7 – To make a glass, start with about 1/2 cup of coffee and add water until desired ratio. I prefer a 1:2 ratio, but that’s just me. Figure out what you prefer and enjoy.
OMG, you made coffee ice cubes too? You rock the house. I’m like your mom. I must have my cup of java in the morning before I do anything… you don’t want to see me or talk to me in the morning unless I’ve had my coffee 🙂 I don’t know how I did it but I gave up coffee while I was pregnant with Madeline (like for the entire pregnancy) .. as soon as I could, I started drinking coffee again 🙂 love this iced coffee!
Mmmmmmm….cold brewed iced coffee….my favourite thing to drink in the summer! I also love the industrial strength Vietnamese iced coffee and Thai iced tea. So yummy! Thanks for this tutorial, Ames. I see a lot of jittery, sweaty hours in my future, lol.
OMG! I want to try your version. I am such a caffeine addict. I can’t go a day without coffee, iced coffee in the summer time. My first taste of iced coffee as a kid was also sweet and tasty. My mom never let me have coffee, but whenever I got to taste just a teeny sip, I craved more. As a kid, regular coffee was bleh, but just something about iced coffee that made me want more. I love that this version is “sweet creamy”. That’s how iced coffee was meant to be!