Coffee: A New Brew Review

This "cold brew" is my favorite coffee, to date, after decades of trials of various methods and brands. Not to put too fine a point on it, it is born of laziness. Nonetheless, it packs the most flavor and the least bite.

It is a considerably different preparation from that in an earlier entry,  Coffee Press—A superior coffee experience?

This method creates a 1:3 coffee concentrate which I keep in the fridge in mason jars. I shake the jar to re-oxygenate the concentrate prior to each use, then mix 1 part part coffee concentrate with 3 parts water, then nuke. Here's the gist of the concentrate preparation: I place

- 200 grams (by weight) McCafé Medium Roast in my

- Bodum  51 ounce/1.5 liter coffee press which I

- Fill with hot (~120°F/50°C) tap water, mixing with a (non-metallic to avoid breaking glass) spoon or other implement (I use a wood stick that used to be a spatula handle). Note, my tap water is fairly neutral, but not all are. I replace the lid but do NOT depress the plunger  (See parts in Coffee Press—A superior coffee experience?). Then I

-  Allow the "cold" brewing coffee to rest on my counter top for 24 hours, at which point I

- Depress the plunger on the coffee press (it can resist so support it to avoid bending the plunger or tipping the pot) until all the grounds are at the bottom. Next, I

- Pour the coffee liquid in equal measure into two mason jars, which I put in the fridge. Then I

- Refill the pot with hot tap water, using the very same grounds, mixing the same way, recapping, but NOT pressing the plunger. I allow that to 

- Rest another 24 hours, then repeat the pressing and decanting into the same two mason jars.

PRESTO! Approximately 64 ounces of coffee concentrate, which I keep in the fridge.

;^)

Spiced Tea

This is a simple but rich hot tea drink that makes wet, chilly weather worth tolerating. It's an instant mix that can be prepared by the cup, mug, pot, or by the batch. Here are the proportions:

- 4 Parts Sweetened Iced Tea Mix with Lemon
- 2 Parts Tang (or similar) Orange Drink Mix
- 1 Part Lemonade Drink Mix
- Cinnamon and/or other spices to taste (Nutmeg, Cardamon, Ginger, Allspice, among others)

- Mix the dry ingredients together, then add:

- Hot Water

For a basic 20 ounce hot Spiced Tea, I use rounded teaspoons as the measure and 3 shakes of ground cinnamon.

This style of drink is known by other names (Russian Tea, Winter Tea, Masala Chai Tea, etc.) and can also include other flavors, such as pineapple, cayenne, or black pepper. It's a comfort drink, so create your own. And there's no law that prohibits enjoying this year 'round nor any regulations requiring that it be served hot, so have at it.

;^)