Cold coffee? Need a little help on this one

[MadPlumbarian]

Um, idk where to start? Neither me or the wife are coffee drinkers, tea or hot chocolate yeah, but coffee, no.. But we found out the other day that our teenage son likes cold coffee, and gets them at school. Well we got a can of coffee and he was thrilled, so I made him a quick cup of hot coffee and he didn't like it, so it's only cold coffee. I just don't know anything about making it, heck the first time I made coffee in a machine I had no clue what I was doing I thought I'd be nice and make it for everyone and well they thought it was weak, well that's because I only put one spoon of coffee in the machine, how was I suppose to know? Anyway I was just wondering if anyone know of a way to make cold coffee? I kinda did an experiment today, I took a coffe filter put it in a strainer, added coffee, put it over a container and ran it under hot water till the filter clogged, added some milk and sugar, and put a sip in a mug for him to try, he said no to strong so I added some more milk and sugar, and gave him a sip again, he said almost, so just a little more sugar, and he said that's good. So now it sits in a old like half gal jug, pretty much enough for him for a cup a day in the morning for the week.
   
   I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or ideas? Like do I get a coffee maker and make a batch every weekend let it cool and add everything to it and put it in a jug? Or just do like I did? I just don't know anything on this subject? Besides making a quick cup in the microwave stunk up the whole house, lol. Thanks
JR

[Aloha]

Get the kid a french press and turn him loose.  He'll thank you sooner rather than later.  There are some great videos on how to make coffee in the french press.  As far as how to serve, he'll figure out what he like in it eventually.

[zoidberg]

IMO coffee needs to be made by someone who drinks it, so maybe send him to your coffee drinking friends place to learn for himself.

[dks]

you could try this :

You need a hand mixer or cocktail shaker and instant coffee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frapp%C3%A9_coffee

[MadPlumbarian]

A French press huh, anyone ever do a pour over? I guess that's what I kinda did yesterday, just not in a fancy filter holder and in a large quantity.

  Mom(the wife) said he took one of his little bottles, filled it with what I made and took off for school, I guess we'll see if it was what he likes when he comes home.. If so I guess I got to fig out the best way to make a batch to fill 5-12oz bottles for a week,
JR

[sLaughterMed]

I second the french press. get him one, and set him loose.

alternatively,  you could just make him hot coffee in a coffee maker, and stick it in the fridge overnight. Cold coffee!

I usually use ~4 tablespoons for 12 cups of coffee in my coffee maker

[MadPlumbarian]

I second the french press. get him one, and set him loose.

alternatively,  you could just make him hot coffee in a coffee maker, and stick it in the fridge overnight. Cold coffee!

I usually use ~4 tablespoons for 12 cups of coffee in my coffee maker

I thought of just getting a 6-8 cup maker. Gotta fig I added around 1-2cups of milk and about 10 spoons of sugar for the batch I made yesterday.. So unless I'm going to make a gal 6-8 should be good, prob 8?
JR

[tattoosteve99]

You can cold brew coffee just like hot brew. Take a coffee filter and put some in it. Tie it shut and set in cold water. This takes longer to brew but works just the same.

[Aloha]

Tell the big guy he's welcome  .  I've done this same method but just in my french press.  I left it in the fridge and on the counter over night and it works well.  Add milk, sugar, or whatever he like and voila cold coffee. 

[MadPlumbarian]

I guess rather then making everything in like a 1/2gal bottle getting a French press would be good, just leave it in the fridge and just let him work his measurements in the little bottle? This just means he has to do more work, lol..
JR

[metasyntax]

We've got one of those machines that will make a single cup or a carafe. Honestly, I figured we'd be doing the single-serve more often, but we actually we make a whole pot all the time. We just stick it in the fridge and it'll hang around for a few days before we finish drinking it all. I pour the coffee in a cup, add caramel sauce (find it with the ice cream toppings) and creamer, stir it up. With single-serve, you have to add ice which dilutes the coffee. We did find though that adding ice first, before hot coffee, gave better results. However, putting a carafe in the fridge is the way to go, IMO. Plus there are much cheaper coffee machines that only do a pot.

That said, we're not very picky. You can certainly get a french press for cheaper than a coffee machine, and it'll probably give better tasting results.

[Aloha]

To one "advatange" to letting the coffee sit overnight or for several hours is strength. By adding ice and milk the dilution isn't much.  You also get a more flavorful cup IMO.   

[jzmtl]

Tell the big guy he's welcome  .  I've done this same method but just in my french press.  I left it in the fridge and on the counter over night and it works well.  Add milk, sugar, or whatever he like and voila cold coffee. 

First time I've heard of cold brew, going to try it.

[MadPlumbarian]

Well, he came home and said he enjoyed his morning coffee, he said it was very delicious! He said he threw it in to his pack and off he went, but then had his drink for first class, idk we were never allowed to have food or drinks in class?

Anyway, I was looking at French presses online and found a few, some are cheap, some are expensive, yet there's a few that are like $69-120 on sale for only $14-20! So idk, I guess it would be a good bday gift since his is next month, I just don't know what's good? Obviously the one with the highest good rating.. But I think this would be the best idea, make a batch for the week and then let him fiddle with the levels of his taste each morning until he finds his perfect combo.. So I guess I got to talk to mom and see what she says.
JR

[jzmtl]

Anyway, I was looking at French presses online and found a few, some are cheap, some are expensive, yet there's a few that are like $69-120 on sale for only $14-20! So idk, I guess it would be a good bday gift since his is next month, I just don't know what's good? Obviously the one with the highest good rating.. But I think this would be the best idea, make a batch for the week and then let him fiddle with the levels of his taste each morning until he finds his perfect combo.. So I guess I got to talk to mom and see what she says.
JR

Functionally they are all the same really.

[Aloha]

^^^ This and I can't imagine he'll detect the subtleties of coffee and mechanism by which its produced, not yet at least.   Also after adding in all the sugar and creamer, well its pretty well diluted.

Simple solution is do it like the video.  No need to buy anything.  Second option is buy a small coffee maker and do as Meta says.  Last option is get a simple french press from wally world and have at it. 

My suggestion is to let it sit and brew so the taste is more pronounced especially when adding in the other ingredients plus ice.  If its coming straight out the fridge then no ice needed.

[jzmtl]

So I have some coffee grind and water sitting in a small French press, should be ready tomorrow by 5. Didn't do the super concentrate like in video, just a bit stronger than my usual. Am I suppose to drink it cold or heat it up first?

[Aloha]

If you've made the brew concentrated enough then you can add hot water and hot creamer to the concentrate.  If not then I'd nuke it and see how you like it.  I do find that coffee reheated in the microwave does produce an off flavor but adding creamer and sugar does smooth it out somewhat, I tend to drink mine cold.     

The great thing about cold brew coffee is that its less acidic.  When you make the concentrate strong enough adding what you feel is the right amount of hot water dilutes it to a desirable cup of coffee.  I have done 3 parts hot water to 1 part concentrate but it all depends on the concentrate.   

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Funny enough, there's an (new?) Instructable on cold brew coffee.

[Aloha]

As with anything there are always new fangled ways to do it.  I quite like it when I'm wanting a cold cup. 

[ToolJoe]

My brother and parents press their own coffee. I'm the wrong person to ask about coffee. I hate coffee but drink iced coffee.

[Aloha]

My brother and parents press their own coffee. I'm the wrong person to ask about coffee. I hate coffee but drink iced coffee.

Its a terrific way to make Iced coffee.  Less acidic and you can determine how much to dilute the cup.  Very smooth and very flavorful.  I love iced coffee as well.  Here in SoCal where we wake with 70+ degree weather it sure is nice. 

[firiki]

You can cold brew coffee just like hot brew. Take a coffee filter and put some in it. Tie it shut and set in cold water. This takes longer to brew but works just the same.

This works well for iced tea, in my experience.

you could try this :

You need a hand mixer or cocktail shaker and instant coffee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frapp%C3%A9_coffee

I second that, it's quite worth the effort. I don't drink much coffee anymore and room temperature is the lowest I like for my coffee but back in the day a frappé was quite OK if made well.

Ice cubes shouldn't be able to go through foam easily. Seriously.

Should the young man be drinking coffee, though?

[Gerhard Gerber]

Should the young man be drinking coffee, though?

Many people seem to think coffee is bad for you............?

I have improved my health and well-being beyond measure over the last 14/15 months, and I still drink a lot of coffee.

A large part of this turn-around was testing to find out what food and drinks affect me negatively and eliminating them, coffee wasn't cut.

It depends what you call coffee........

.....and what poisons you add to it.

I like a good dark roast as it comes from its mother, no additives, no negative effects, hot or cold.


 

[firiki]

Should the young man be drinking coffee, though?

Many people seem to think coffee is bad for you............?

I was only saying that maybe MadP's son is a bit young to start drinking coffee. Maybe I'm a little prejudiced because although I did start secretly drinking coffee at the age of 13 at home, back then in mid 90s when your only options were a) Turkish coffee, b) filtered coffee and c) instant coffee, us teens would rarely spend money on coffee. Some places might even refuse to serve us that despite the lack of legislation on the matter as far as I know.

Whether coffee is good or bad for someone is a combination of factors, I guess: Quality and quantity of the brew consumed*, each individual's physical condition and organism tolerances, air pollution**, nutrition, water intake, blah blah blah 


*   Milk/cream and sugar make coffee harder to digest 
** Coffee makes my mouth and throat dry which I like but on a hot day this can make me want to throw up!


Edit: Then again, caffeine is present in so many beverages so why not go for the real deal in the first place?!

[MadPlumbarian]

Idk, he came in the other day and said  I DONT HAVE ENOUGH TO FILL MY CUP!! so if he's getting this addicted I ain't ordering anything and that can of coffees getting thrown! We said one little cup of whatever (hot/cold) just on school days! But if he's going to start this forget it..
JR

[sLaughterMed]

Idk, he came in the other day and said  I DONT HAVE ENOUGH TO FILL MY CUP!! so if he's getting this addicted I ain't ordering anything and that can of coffees getting thrown! We said one little cup of whatever (hot/cold) just on school days! But if he's going to start this forget it..
JR

Yeah self control I a bit of an issue with kids. Mine have the same issue with snack foods in the house.

I also wouldn't go so far as to say he's addicted. He might just prefer the flavor of water, and started replacing getting a glass of water when he's thirsty with a cup of coffee. If he likes the flavor, have you considered trying decaffeinated coffee? that way he gets his favorite (low calorie, moderately "healthy") drink with none of the health risks of too much caffeine in a growing boy.

[Aloha]

How about tea?  A nice hot cup of tea is a wonderful thing in the morning as well. 

[MadPlumbarian]

How about tea?  A nice hot cup of tea is a wonderful thing in the morning as well.

That's me, I don't mind a nice cup of tea with a little pinch of honey, the wife has one every night, me I have to have my iced tea everyday..
JR

[Tomcat_81]

My inner Italian is crying and scolding me for even posting in this thread- when it comes to coffee I'm just a spoilt smurfer, getting freshly roasted beans from my favourite roastery, considering the right steam pressure on my various machines for the perfect crema and so on ... sounds like a hipster, but is only a real coffeholic.

And hey, that kid needs his coffee, and be it cold one ;-)
Maybe you can get this here (ouch, my inner Italian is kicking and biting now...)