I love cold-brewed coffee because it’s less acidic than regular coffee. However, without the right equipment, it can be seriously messy and cumbersome. You can certainly do this with a large coffee cone and filter, but my assistant Kristina introduced me to the CoffeeSock, which is a glass jar with a cloth bag to hold the coffee grinds, and I was totally hooked! Iced coffee with a hint of vanilla is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups coarsely ground Colombian coffee (5 ounces) (see note)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ice, whole milk, and sugar, for serving
If you’re using a coffee cone and coffee filter, combine the coffee and 64 ounces of cold tap water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the mixture through a large coffee cone lined with a large coffee filter into a jar or pitcher, until all the coffee has drained through. Discard the grounds. Add the vanilla to the coffee. Fill tall glasses halfway with ice and pour on the cold coffee. Stir in milk and sugar, to taste, and serve ice cold.
If you’re using the CoffeeSock, place the CoffeeSock in the jar and fold the top over the neck of the jar. Spoon the coffee into the sock, add 1 cup cold tap water to wet the grounds completely, and allow it to sit for 60 seconds. Tie the sock as directed and put the sock into the jar. Fill the jar with cold tap water, close and secure the lid, and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Remove the CoffeeSock and squeeze it to leave as much of the cold-brewed coffee in the jar as possible. Discard the coffee grounds and stir in the vanilla. Fill tall glasses halfway with ice and pour on the cold coffee. Stir in milk and sugar, to taste, and serve ice cold.
Note: A 64-ounce CoffeeSock DIY ColdBrew Kit is available on Amazon.com.
Note: I use medium-roasted regular or decaf Colombian coffee beans ground on the coarsest setting of a commercial coffee grinder.
Recipe courtesy of MODERN COMFORT FOOD: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Copyright © 2020 by Ina Garten. Photography by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
