Cold brew is one of the hottest coffee drinks in the world right now, and the immersion method is by far the most popular way to make it. Beloved for its lower acidity and sweet, smooth taste, cold brew has become a year-round staple — not just a summer drink. Here’s everything you need to know about making it at home with the Toddy Cold Brew System.
Why Cold Brew Is Worth the Wait
Immersion cold brew is the simplest possible way to make coffee. You put coffee into a container of water and let it sit. No heat, no special equipment — just time. Here’s what makes it great:
- Nearly impossible to mess up — you can let it sit for 12, 18, or even 24 hours and the taste won’t change dramatically
- Significantly less acidic — the Toddy cold brew system produces coffee with 67% less acid than hot-brewed methods, which is great news for sensitive stomachs
- Mellow, balanced flavor — the long steep time and coarse grounds create a smooth, easy-drinking cup
- True set-it-and-forget-it — start it at night, wake up to a container full of coffee
The one real downside is the wait time. Creating cold brew can take up to 24 hours, which isn’t ideal for a last-second cup of coffee. Plan ahead.
Choosing the Right Beans
Your bean choice shapes the final flavor significantly:
- Fruit-forward profile (great black): African coffees are your best bet
- Mellow with chocolate notes (great with milk/sugar): Latin American coffees
- Complex and sweet (works both ways): A well-balanced house blend
Grind your beans coarse, like you would for a French press. This makes filtration easy and allows for a clean steep.
Step-by-Step Toddy Cold Brew Tutorial
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Coffee (about 340 grams for roughly seven cups)
- A grinder
- The Toddy Cold Brew System (glass beaker, plastic brewing container, paper filter, felt filter, and rubber stopper)
- A stir stick
- Filtered water
We’re using the dual filtration method, which uses both the paper and felt filters simultaneously for a cleaner result.
Step 1: Grind Your Coffee
Grind 340 grams of coffee to a coarse consistency. This recipe makes about seven cups, but you can scale down proportionally.
Step 2: Prepare the Brewing Container
Insert the rubber plug into the bottom of the brewing container — make sure it’s nice and tight. Dampen the felt filter and insert it into the bottom of the container.
Step 3: Set Up the Paper Filter
Open the top of the paper filter bag and place it inside the brewing container on top of the felt filter. Pour the coffee grounds into the bag.
Step 4: Add Water
Pour in seven cups of filtered water and stir the grounds very gently.
Step 5: Seal and Steep
Twist the top of the paper bag tightly to keep it closed. Now let it sit and brew overnight.
Step 6: The Optimal Steep Time
Most guides recommend steeping at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. However, many baristas advise that the sweet spot is 14 to 18 hours — anything over 20 hours tends to create a harsher brew with unpleasant woody notes. We let ours steep for about 18 hours.
Step 7: Drain and Serve
Release the stopper and let the coffee flow into the glass decanter. The cold brew will now last 7 to 10 days refrigerated, so you can serve it throughout the week.
Serving Suggestions
Cold brew is incredibly versatile. You can enjoy it:
- Straight — as a concentrate or diluted
- With water — to mellow out the strength
- With milk — for a creamy cold brew
- With hot water — for a surprisingly flavorful and gentle hot cup of coffee
The flavor is noticeably lighter and smoother than hot-brewed coffee, with a sweetness that often eliminates the need for added sugar. Once you’ve got a batch in the fridge, you’ll wonder how you ever started your mornings without it.
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