This is Highly recommended, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are obsessed with eating, drinking and buying right now.
I can successfully make a chocolate soufflé, but I cannot make a successful cup of coffee in my own home. Even if I follow all of the extremely specific rules – like getting the water to just the right temperature; with good, fresh beans; weigh and grind every morning; Pre-wetting the filter; essentially doing anything Chris Morocco agrees with me– Somehow it still goes terribly wrong. Even when I tried to make cold brew concentrate overnight in the refrigerator (this is apparently easy) it tasted like I imagine the bottom of a shoe.
I used to work around the problem by buying coffee every morning on my way to work. Yes, it was expensive, but the real bang is that I don’t have a commuter anymore. Instead of finding the silver lining and taking this opportunity to finally learn how to brew a decent mug, I turned to Stumptown Cold Brew Concentrate. The concentrate is a large-format, longer-lasting version of their pre-made, one-serving cold broths.
Since it’s twice as strong as the regular cold brew, I can easily get 6 to 7 glasses per beer bottleThat said, it lasts in my fridge all week. Depending on the morning, I’ll either pour it directly over ice and race through a NYT’s crossword puzzle in 20 minutes, or dilute it with water or milk. It’s smooth, strong, and rich – and I literally can’t screw it up. It’s also perfect for cocktails and baking projects where I want a strong kick of coffee.
I no longer have any reason to try making coffee at home, no matter how “foolproof” someone’s technology is. So if someone wants my French press, pour over, AeroPress or Nespresso machine, I’ll swap them all for a jug of cold brew concentrate.
