These days my world has shrunken to the size of a successful day of sharing. Or getting enough protein in my kid. Or getting a decent cup of coffee.
There was a time, not so long ago, when getting a good cup of coffee was a given. I could walk or drive to my favorite place, or home brew the perfect cup in my kitchen. I actually roast my own coffee when I’m able to (and you can too – it’s easy!). So stooping to the level of bad coffee indicates desperation.
Last week I saw Starbuck advertise their Toddy, the cold-brew coffee method, and Williams-Sonoma has it too – perfect for iced coffees in the summertime.
Williams-Sonoma’s Toddy Cold Brew System
Cold coffee melts less ice, so flavor isn’t diluted. And I remember reading in the New York Times article Iced Coffee and Tea: (Not) Taking the Heat about how cold-brewed coffee contains less caffeine than if it were hot-brewed. Something about how it extracts less caffeine. And less caffeine is pretty good for me right now since I’m trying to be responsible about the bun in the oven.
But why buy the $35 Toddy contraption when I have a french press and also a manual drip? I decided to give it a try. And boy am I glad I did!
You make this iced coffee the same way you would make it hot except that you use cold water instead of hot water – you could make it stronger if you’re using a lot of ice.
It’s amazing – low acidity, easy, quick. I feel like I’ve just discovered the secret to life. But then again, it’s probably because I’ve been playing restaurant with my kids all morning so my perspective is a little skewed.
Cheers!
HOUSE*BANG*BOOM 