Cold Brewed Coffee: The Low Acid Solution

With the advent of "low acid" coffee why bother with cold brewed coffee? I can think of three good reasons not to use the "low acid" coffee grinds. First, "low acid" beans are processed or treated to eliminate about 25% of the acidity in the beans. Although it's a good start, 25% may not be enough for more sensitive stomachs. The second reason is the taste. There's something about the processing of "low acid" beans that creates an inferior tasting and smelling cup of coffee. It doesn't make sense to drink a sub-par cup of coffee and only get a 25% reduction in acid. The last and best reason is choice. With "low acid" coffee you're stuck with only a limited selection. Don't plan on your favorite Fair Trade Ethiopian blend to come in a "low acid" version. Cold brewing coffee allows you to use virtually any coffee variety you can find while drastically reducing the amount of acid.

Photo Source: flickr / CC BY 2.0

Making cold brewed coffee is extremely easy, inexpensive, and uses no electricity. There are many devices and contraptions out there with the most popular from Toddy. All you need to do is soak one pound of your favorite regular ground coffee in 9 cups of water for about 12 hours. Filter the concentrated liquid and store in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. I have yet to make it out of the first week without finishing the coffee so I can't say how it tastes on day 14. For more details see the official Toddy instructions in the Coffee Resources section at the bottom.

Low Acid - Up to 67% less acid than traditionally brewed coffee. Far better than the 25% reduction you get from inferior tasting low acid coffee brands currently available. Doesn't your stomach feel better already?

Great Tasting - Cold brewed coffee has a smooth, mellow, bold flavor without the bitter bite. This one is very debatable as many coffee connoisseurs look for that acidic quality and bite in a good cup of coffee. If you find yourself adding milk or cream to mellow things out then you'll find this to be a very nice benefit.

Choice - Complete freedom to choose any coffee you can find. Weather it be Hawaiian Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain or the generic grocery store Columbian. It's your choice.

Economical - Why pay hundreds of dollars for those single cup coffee makers with expensive coffee packets? You can easily make one cup at a time and adjust the strength to suit your tastes. There's no wasted coffee and no wasted electricity. In fact, the cold brew method used no electricity. All you really need are some mason jars, coffee, coffee filters and some time to experiment.

Versatility - There are many ways to use cold-brewed coffee. For a hot cup of coffee just add boiling water. Great for the office at the hot water dispenser. Like your coffee cold on a hot summer day? Add some cold water and frozen coffee cubes. Have a recipe that calls for coffee flavor? The low acidity of cold brewed coffee make it a perfect candidate for many baking recipes. Keep an eye on the recipe section for tasty ideas.

Photo Source: flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Coming Soon. I promise!