Vegan Beverages
The Toddy
Cold Water Brew Coffee Maker

Thirty-nine years ago, as a newlywed, I was introduced to brewing coffee with cold water by a Swedish barber in La Jolla. He made coffee that was so rich and smooth that it was like having an after dinner aperitif. He served this special coffee in his barber shop and taught me how to create this at home. Over the years, I tried other methods of brewing coffee and completely forgot about this cold brew system.

After writing about the espresso brewing method, I remembered this cold brew system and started Goggling for information. Well, The Toddy Cold Brew System is the same method I learned 39 years ago. Once you've made this thick coffee concentrate, you'll be able to make those expensive "Starbucks Frappuccino's" right at home or at the office for a fraction of the take-out versions. Plus you'll avoid all the additives that are in store-made versions. Just add your Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, soy creamer,organic sweetener and ice, pulverize everything with a Bamix and you'll have an instant frappuccino. Add a straw and sip at your leisure!!

I've used the Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate in cookie recipes, cupcake recipe variations, frozen soymilk ice cream and my own version of a cold frappuccino. And of course, added to hot water, the coffee concentrate makes a great cup of coffee.

For those of you that have had to give up coffee because it makes your stomach queasy or grief in your intestinal tract, you'll be happy to know that this cold brew system eliminates most of the acid and seems to assimilate in the body better. But don't take my word for it, take it for a test drive yourself and see how it tastes and feels in your body.

Making Coffee with the Toddy
Coffee Beans
I recommend using organic Arabica coffee beans with a coarse grind- Trader Joe's has several inexpensive organic varieties that are great tasting. I even made a batch using my expensive Kona Joe's Trellis Reserve Coffee and the taste was just as smooth and great tasting as the inexpensive organic Trader Joe's coffees.

So I decided to try several varieties, even the one that came with my Toddy System and everything I've tried has been fabulous. Flavored coffees were aromatic and the smell lasted to the last jigger used.

Coarse Grind Coffee
Different coffee brewing methods require different kinds of grind. It's critically important that you use regular or, better yet, coarsely ground coffee with the Cold Brew Toddy System.

If you task your local coffee shop or market to grind your beans, ask them to grind them on a "Coarse" setting. Don't grind them as you would for use in a French Press, Automatic Drip or Espresso machine, you'll be disappointed in the results.

If you grind your beans at home, you may use an inexpensive blade grinder, grinding your beans for between 9-11 seconds - similar to the grind used in an old-fashioned percolator. The key is to avoid any fine coffee dust that will clog the filter.

Prepare the Toddy Maker
Insert the filter disk into the inside recessed bottom of the plastic Toddy Maker, then insert the stopper plug into the small hole on the outside bottom of the container.

Add Coffee and Water
The Toddy Brewing Container is designed to hold 1 pound of coarse ground coffee and 9 cups (72 fluid ounces) of water.

First add 1 cup of water in the bottom of the Toddy brewing container. Then add 1/2 pound ground coffee. Slowly pour 4 cups of water over the grounds.

(When pouring the water over the grounds, the water should be added gently, in a circular motion, to make sure all the grounds get wet and there are no dry pockets.)

Add the remaining 1/2 lb. ground coffee. Slowly pour 3 additional cups of water over the grounds. Finally, wait 5 minutes and slowly add 1 cup of water.

DO NOT STIR
Make sure to not stir the coffee. However, lightly tap the topmost grounds with the back of a large spoon to ensure all grounds get wet.

The reason to avoid stirring the grounds is that there is a certain amount of dust in the grounds from the grinding. This dust will clog the filter and cause the coffee concentrate to not exit through the filter.

Allow to coffee to brew in the cold water for 12 hours before releasing the plug and draining.

Use Bottled Water
Coffee is 98-99% water. Fresh cold water contains more oxygen and this will lead to a fresher-tasting cup of coffee. If your area's well or tap water tastes OK, then use it. But I recommend using either filtered or bottled water to create the best coffee concentrate.

Avoid distilled water, because the absence of minerals in it will leave your coffee tasting flat.

Brew
Cold brew the coarse coffee grounds for 12 hours to insure the maximum results. This will produce a pure coffee concentrate, with minimum acidity and caffeine.

Toddy's Cold Brew Process yields 6 cups (48 fluid ounces) of coffee concentrate. The beans absorb the balance of the water.

You may cold brew your coffee longer than the recommended 12 hours. However, if you do, more acidity and caffeine will be absorbed into the liquid (although the amount of acidity and caffeine will never be as much as coffee made by hot brewed methods).

Decant the Coffee Concentrate
Remove the stopper and set on top of the enclosed glass carafe. The plastic container full of coffee concentrate will fit easily over the glass decanter and can be left to drain while you complete other kitchen jobs.

Toddy's cold-brew process should yield (6) six cups (48 fluid ounces) of coffee concentrate. The coffee beans absorb the balance of the water.

(I've also tried reusing the grounds with another batch of water and was able to get twice as much coffee concentrate from one pound. So you may want to try adding another 9 cups of water and let the grounds soak for another 12 hours.)

I store my coffee concentrate in a narrow plastic pitcher in our refrigerator. For me, it takes up less shelf space and it's easier to handle when pouring out the small amounts needed to create my favorite coffee beverage.

Enjoy Your Fresh Cup of Coffee
The Toddy produces a pure, low-acid coffee concentrate that may be refrigerated for up to 10 days without any deterioration in taste or freshness. And, importantly, there's no waste.

The Toddy Coffee Concentrate allows for one cup of coffee to be made at a time, simply by adding steaming hot or iced cold water, agave nectar, sugar, Silk Soy Milk or Silk Creamer.

Do not to boil the concentrate.

The first time you create a cup of the Toddy Concentrate Coffee, the ratio of 1 part coffee concentrate to 3 parts water, milk or cream is a good place to start. The benefits of using the Toddy System is that you can mix your hot or cold drink to your taste.

No Waste
You drink the coffee you make - unlike hot brewed coffee, where on average 3-4 cups are consumed for every 8-10 produced.

Toddy Filter and Stopper Storage
After brewing Toddy concentrate, rinse out the filter with water (no soap). Shake the excess water out of the filter, place filter and the stopper in a sealed plastic container or bag in the refrigerator. This way you won't loose the stopper and you'll always have a fresh filter. The filter may be used up to 10 times (discard after three months).

Toddy Coffee Concentrate Storage
Refrigerated, Toddy is as fresh on Saturday as it was on Monday. There is no noticeable difference in taste for 10 days. After 10 days, the concentrate will begin to deteriorate, producing a cup of coffee that is slightly "stale" tasting.

However, if not objectionable, the concentrate may be kept refrigerated up to three weeks. If frozen, concentrate will remain fresh-tasting up to six months.

Brew a Decaf Coffee Concentrate
Brew a decaf version of the Toddy Concentrate for creating drinks for those who can't cope with caffeine. Personally, I can't do caffeine after 2 PM or I'm up most of the night. The Toddy Maker creates a smooth great tasting concentrate that can be added to ice or hot water for an instant delicious coffee beverage.

Coffee Cubes
Freeze your Toddy Coffee Concentrate in ice-cube trays. Then, when you're ready, pop one into your favorite cup, add steaming hot water, and, well, as The Washington Post claims, you just may have "the perfect cup of coffee."

Challenges
I've got to tell you that I experimented with my own methods of brewing my coffee... disasters! My first trial worked great with the Toddy Coffee that came with the purchase, but when I used my burr grinder, it created way to much dust and clogged up the filter.

The best results came from commercially ground coffees.

Recommendation
Highly Recommended
I've got to say that is has been my primary coffee for the last three months. The taste is smooth, no stomach churning, and that great caffeine buzz in the morning. Not to mention: NO WASTE, I make what I drink by the glass or cup.

I can whip up a quick LOW-CAL frozen deaf coffee in the afternoon or have a fast cup of hot coffee for a friend that drops by the kitchen offices.

So give The Toddy Cold Water Brew System a spin and let me know how it worked for you.