It’s important to note that cold brew coffee is not the same as iced coffee. Iced coffee is simply hot coffee poured over ice. Cold brew, on the other hand, doesn’t use heat in the brewing process. Rather, this process relies on time – 12 to 24 hours, to be exact!

To make cold brew, coffee grounds are soaked 12 to 24 hours in cold or room-temperature water. Then, the brew is strained and diluted, and served two- or three-parts water or milk to one-part coffee.

Cold brew benefits

The biggest benefit of cold brew over traditionally-brewed coffee? It’s much less acidic, which is good news for your teeth and stomach.

There are several additional benefits to cold brew coffee, including:

• Better taste. Because cold brew is much less acidic, you can taste all the other flavors coffee has to offer. It’s smoother and sweeter than traditional brew, so if you’re a sugar person, you’ll likely need less.
• No “day-old” taste. Because cold brew was never hot to begin with, the taste won’t change over time. That said, you can enjoy “day-old” cold brew without a second thought and store it for up to a month.
• Natural antioxidants. Unlike traditional brew, cold brew maintains beneficial antioxidants naturally found in coffee beans. In hot-brew coffee, beans lose some of these antioxidants.

Delicious DIY

Ready to try cold brew coffee! Here’s an easy recipe to get started. (This recipe makes five cups.)

1. Fill a sterilized glass container with a 1:8 ratio of coarsely-ground coffee beans and water.
2. Stir gently, cover, and place in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. (No more than 24 hours.)
3. Pour coffee into a bowl, straining through cheesecloth or another ultra-fine sieve or strainer.
4. Pour it again through the sieve and back into your original container.
5. Serve over ice with milk and/or sugar. Store remainder in your refrigerator for up to a month.

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