1 October is International Coffee Day, that well-earned spot in the world calendar when we give a nod of appreciation to the prince of pick-me-ups that helps the world rise and shine and get through the day. But it’s also an occasion to spare a thought for those unlucky coffee lovers who can’t handle the acidic effects of the drink (think heartburn, bloating and abdominal pain). If you belong to that category, there may be an easy compromise you could make to avoid jettisoning that cup of joe altogether.
In a word, cold-brewing.
Cold-brew coffee, not to be confused with iced coffee (coffee cooled with ice) is so called because cold water is used to brew it rather than the usual hot. This, along with the brewing time (anywhere from 12 to 24 hours), makes the coffee up to 70% less acidic than coffee brewed with hot water. This means it’s less likely to irritate the gut lining, while still retaining that classic coffee taste.
How to make cold-brew coffee
First, you’ll need a container (with a lid) big enough for at least one cupful of coffee (more if you wish to prepare several cups at once).
Prepare your cold-brew coffee the day before. Decide how many cups you’re going to make, and put into your container one to three teaspoonfuls of ground coffee per cupful, according to your preferred strength.
Pour in enough room-temperature water so there is around half a mugful of water for each serving of coffee, mixing the coffee and water together with a spoon. For a fuller flavour, let it rest for 10 minutes, before giving it another stir.
Put the lid on your container and set the container aside for 12 to 24 hours (the longer the time, the stronger the coffee).
The next day, once the brewing time has elapsed, you can pour yourself a cup from the container using a normal coffee strainer and top up your cup of coffee with hot water according to your desired taste and temperature.
If you’ve made enough coffee in your container for more than one cup, you can keep dipping into your supply as you need it. And if you’re not in time to celebrate with a cold-brew cuppa on International Coffee Day, you can just do it the next day, because, let’s face it, every day is coffee day!
To find out what your coffee preference says about you, read Dunkin’ Donuts UK’s survey results.
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