Summer is in full swing- are you prepared?

The mercury is rising, the sun is shining, and summer is well underway. So how do you beat the heat while still enjoying a coffee treat?

The answer is cold brew coffee. It’s refreshing, it’s delicious, and it’s easy to make ahead of time. Cold brew keeps well, and it can be served cold, hot, with milk, or even used in baking or making ice cream.

There are many methods for making cold brew, but today we’ll be looking at the Toddy Cold Brew System. Created in 1964, the Toddy Cold Brew System has stood the test of time and remained a favorite among aficionados, baristas, and coffee lovers around the world. This system brews a cold brew concentrate perfect for dilution.

Parts of the Toddy Cold Brew System:

The Toddy Cold Brew System is an at-home cold brew concentrate maker. Each part of the system has a role to play in producing a cold brew concentrate. Function-oriented in design, the plastic construction of the brewer, a rubber stopper, and the glass decanter make the system easy to keep clean and ready for the next batch. An airtight lid for the decanter allows cold brew concentrate to be stored for up to two weeks, and a reusable felt filter cuts down on waste.

How to use the Toddy Cold Brew System:

Prepwork

The Toddy Cold Brew System is designed to use 12 ounces (by weight) of coarse, freshly ground coffee and 7 cups (by volume) of water, so it’s best to be prepared before you get started. Set aside six ounces (170g) of coarse ground coffee for the first part of the recipe, and six ounces for the latter half.
In addition to the Toddy System itself, keep a spoon on hand to help wet down the grounds later.

A Perfect Pairing: We recommend our Portofino blend for cold brew coffee. Notes of chocolate and hazelnut, light acidity, and a full-bodied smoothness deliver a delicious cold brew.

Recipe

1. Place the rubber stopper into the bottom of the plastic brewing container from the outside. The larger diameter of the stopper should not be in the brewing chamber.

2. Dampen the felt filter with cold water and place it into the bottom of the brewing container, covering up the rubber stopper. Dampening the filter helps to keep it in place to prevent your cold brew from having sediment and particulates present.

3. Add one cup of cold water into the bottom of the brewing chamber, being careful not to disturb the filter. Add six ounces of your favorite Fonté coffee grounds to the chamber.

4. Pouring slowly, add a further three cups of cold water over the mixture, using a circular motion to facilitate mixing of grounds and water.

5. Add the final six ounces of ground coffee to the brewing container. Don’t stir the mixture!

6. Wait five minutes.

7. Pour the remaining three cups of cold water into the brewing chamber, again using a circular motion.

8. Use a spoon to gently push any floating coffee grounds under the surface of the water to saturate them.

9. WAIT! Put the entire Toddy Cold Brew System into the refrigerator or leave it on the countertop for between 12 and 24 hours to let the coffee concentrate brew. This is the hardest step in the process as you’ll have to find another way to occupy your time while waiting.

10. After waiting, position the brewing chamber over the mouth of the decanter, and carefully remove the rubber stopper. Let the cold brew concentrate flow into the glass container.

11. Mix the concentrate with water to taste and serve. Concentrate from the Toddy system is much stronger than hot coffee, so aim to dilute it a ratio of between 1/2 concentrate :1 water and 1:1 concentrate to water. Add some ice and a splash of milk or anything else you’d add to your favorite coffee if desired.

Versatility

The Toddy Cold Brew System can be used for more than coffee- it’s also an excellent infuser for your favorite tea. Simply substitute 8 ounces of tea leaves for the coffee in this recipe, and your cold brew tea will be ready after steeping.

Mix it Up

Cold brew concentrate can be dressed up or down to fit different situations and tastes. Try some of these other usage ideas for cold brew concentrate:

• Add a few spoonfuls to vanilla ice cream for a coffee sundae
• Mix in a couple ounces to your favorite chocolate chip cookies
• Up your smoothie or milkshake game with a dash of cold brew concentrate

How does Cold Brew compare to Iced Coffee?

“Cold brew” and “iced coffee” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are very different. The key difference between iced coffee and cold brew is that iced coffee starts as a hot-brewed coffee that is then poured over ice, while cold brew relies on a long extraction and stays cold the entire time. Cold brewing can also reduce the bitterness of coffee.

Don't have a Toddy System or you want to try a new method? Read our French Press cold brew blog to learn how to make cold brew in a French Press.

Having trouble with terminology? Read our Jargon blog to get a handle on modern coffee vocabulary.

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