^ If you're really into darker roasts, look into Japanese method iced coffee.

7/29/2016 6:56:54 PM

Has anyone tried Oak City Coffee Roasters?

7/29/2016 7:08:01 PM

I have. It's a one man shop and I really like the guy who runs it. He puts out a real good product.

7/31/2016 9:20:15 AM

^^^Thanks! I think I've tried something similar before. When I'm in a pinch and I don't have any cold brew made already I'll just make a concentrate with my aeropress, add some water+ice and be good to go. I also like some half+half to cream it up a bit unless it's a nitro then I don't add any.

Just got back from Seattle again. More Starbucks are rolling out the nitro cold brew on draft so it might go national eventually. It's super delicious!

7/31/2016 1:20:02 PM

Raleigh Raw has the nitro cold brew I think. I wasn't a fan of carbonated coffee.

8/1/2016 12:02:03 AM

^A nitro cold brew shouldn't be carbonated in the traditional sense. It should taste like a creamy Guinness. If it was at all bubbly then they did something wrong.

8/1/2016 12:09:39 AM

Oak City just rolled out nitro. It might be what Raleigh Raw has.

With the nitro, the bubbles are so small that the texture is super creamy as apposed to fizzy like soda. Think Guinness.

8/1/2016 10:08:44 AM

Yeah exactly I wouldn't really call it carbonated any more than I'd call a Guinness carbonated.

8/1/2016 10:34:31 AM

Because it's not carbonated, its nitrogenated

8/1/2016 11:10:30 AM

Quote :

"Buy some Counter Culture coffee. They're local and they're good at what they do. For cold brew you usually wanted light or medium roasts and more floral beans (think Africa). If you cold brew a dark roast, it's going to taste like charcoal water. "

Actually I've seen people use pre-ground Starbuck's and other shitty coffee and it turns out surprisingly ok. I prefer the chocolate Africans, which most African beans I've had follow that flavor profile. It seems like a lot of African say they are Citrus/Floral, but I think they lie or I have a shitty palate.

I had Slingshot when I was in Raleigh over the weekend, as good or better than any of the coldbrews I've had here in LA.

[Edited on August 1, 2016 at 11:22 AM. Reason : a]

8/1/2016 11:21:06 AM

Quote :

"Because it's not carbonated, its nitrogenated"

Touche. Yeah it's not even carbonated. Haha.

8/1/2016 11:25:27 AM

Counter Culture's La Golendrina makes really good cold brew.
https://counterculturecoffee.com/store/coffee/la-golondrina

8/1/2016 4:26:35 PM

I would like to try this nitro coffee y'all speak of.

I currently have a glass of Slingshot sitting next to me. I got it from State of Beer last night. It's good - definitely thicker than my home made stuff.

8/5/2016 9:11:45 AM

Did you by the concentrate and forget to dilute it or under dilute it?

8/5/2016 9:30:01 AM

It says "ready to drink" on the bottle haha. And the directions say enjoy straight or pour over ice (which I did). It was $4 a bottle though so I'll stick to my homemade stuff I think but I liked the convenience of it.

8/5/2016 11:39:24 AM

On my second cup this morning (with some half and half):

8/5/2016 12:05:28 PM

starbucks cold brew is nasty yo

8/8/2016 4:26:52 PM

If you go to a crappy starbucks. If they do it right it's not bad.

8/8/2016 4:43:51 PM

All the starbucks cold brew I've had has been above average

8/8/2016 6:43:25 PM

damn I'll have to try another location or something. it was Cameron Village.

8/9/2016 9:55:56 AM

I think its just a way for starbucks to extract more $$.

8/9/2016 8:59:51 PM

Probably. Cold brew is expensive to make because it takes so much coffee as a function of yield.

8/10/2016 1:10:34 AM

Iced brew isn't anything new. It's still cheaper than most drinks at starbucks but yeah it takes a bit more coffee to produce a good cold brew.

8/10/2016 11:47:37 AM

Liquid State has the best cold brew I've had by far. They source their beans from Carrboro Coffee Roasters.

10/20/2016 12:27:51 PM

I've never had a cup of regular coffee... 41 years old. I tried it, but I hated the taste. I'm a diet Coke and diet Mtn Dew drinker.

What's the reason for cold brew coffee? The taste? How much calories does a cup have? I see people with their big ass Starbucks cups... that stuff has to be full of calories. Sugar, cream, etc.

I know diet sodas are bad, but I can't fathom drinking calories (unless it's wine or beer).

10/20/2016 12:36:49 PM

Cold brew coffee doesn't have any calories. I put half and half in mine which probably adds a little bit though. If it's a nitro then I skip the cream and just drink it straight as it's so silky smooth.

But yeah the reason is it's incredibly delicious. Drinking one right now.

Coffee does not mean calories. Coffee has no calories. Sugar and cream have calories. People add sugar and cream to bad coffee to make it taste like sugar water. If you're drinking a quality cup of coffee (hot or cold) it shouldn't need any sugar (sometimes cream is alright though).

--Nvm I was wrong. A 16oz Starbucks cold brew coffee has 5 calories.

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/cold-brew-coffee

[Edited on October 20, 2016 at 1:13 PM. Reason : s]

10/20/2016 1:11:34 PM

Cold brew is generally higher in caffeine since it's concentrated (you can dilute with water), less acidic, less bitter, a little bit thicker, and has a stronger chocolate taste because you're essentially steeping coffee grounds in water instead of boiling it out. Boiling it makes it more bitter.

black coffee has zero calories. that's precisely why I started drinking it. same with unsweet tea (black tea) and green tea (be careful of bottled stuff there may be sweeteners in it).

the stuff you see people get at Starbucks (fraps, etc.) are like 500+ calories easily. I've seen them get over 800 at some places. also, the muffins and shit people get with them are usually in the 400-500 range as well.

if you're interested in getting into coffee without the calorie increase try doing an iced coffee (or hot) with a sugar free flavor shot. they're generally zero calories. you can do regular flavor shots but depending on how much they put in and the size of the drink, it can be 100-200 calories. You can also cut the coffee with a little bit of skim milk or just a splash of cream without too much of a caloric consequence.

[Edited on October 20, 2016 at 1:16 PM. Reason : .]

10/20/2016 1:14:06 PM

yeah and diabeetus is going around because of that too

10/26/2016 4:22:35 PM

Because of frappuccinos at Starbucks?

10/26/2016 5:52:29 PM

I invested in a drip coffee machine and grinder for my office. I also got some 1 quart glass vessels so basically I make drip coffee and whatever I don't drink I just ice in my mini fridge for the next day. I've saved a ton of money over buying from around campus.

At home I also got another grinder and a french press for when I'm in a pinch on weekends. I also have my cold brew pitcher.

I should be getting a Chemex here soon too.

Between all of that I've been experimenting a lot with different beans, grinds, and preparations. The Counter Culture Forty-Six is amazing for drip and home brew. I had another CC blend that wasn't as good. This also sounds dumb but the Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Glazed Donut makes fantastic cold brew (terrible drip though). I need to get something from Oak City since I live right next door but they're only open for a small window on Saturday.

12/6/2016 11:05:18 AM

^ I really like the Antigua from Oak City.

The Counter Culture Forty-Six blend is one of my favorites. That said, not all of their blends work well for cold brew. The La Golondrina makes very tasty cold brew.

My office mate got a Counter Culture blend - and it's killing me that I can't remember which one - that didn't taste like anything when cold brewed. I asked the folks at Morning Times about that blend and they had a similar experience and stopped ordering it. IIRC, they use the Forty-Six blend for their cold brew.

12/6/2016 11:30:24 AM

is it easy to make cold brew? I pick up a bottle of Stumptown cold brew from time to time when I see it. Occasionally i'll get a Slingshot. Never attempted to brew my own.

12/7/2016 8:28:57 AM

yeah it's simple but it takes a lot of coffee and takes a day or two to steep. drip / press is much more economical if that's of any concern.



this is what I have. you can get it for under $20 on Amazon. Takeya. basically fill the filter with grounds and let it sit for a couple of days. they say 12-24 hours minimum but I think it needs to be longer.

12/7/2016 9:24:02 AM

Ran out of water during the end of my snowy ride this morning so picked up a single origin dry hopped nitro brew from Corvus Coffee.

12/11/2016 3:47:34 PM

I'm a big fan of slowly heating cold brew coffee to hot...you get the hot coffee without the burnt.

12/15/2016 3:06:08 PM

you should check out pour-over coffee, especially with a Chemex

12/15/2016 3:21:23 PM

^Yup or something like an Aeropress. You get the hot coffee without the bitter/burnt taste (doesn't steep as long).

12/15/2016 3:23:10 PM

hmmm thanks both

12/15/2016 3:37:07 PM

I like Larry's Beans nitro coffee

You can get it from the Larry's Beans warehouse, 42 & Lawrence or Whole Foods.

12/30/2016 3:31:35 PM

I got some Williams Sonoma gift certificates for Christmas and got a Chemex and a Fellow pour over kettle with built in thermometer. Very happy with it.

1/2/2017 10:37:26 PM

i got a couple awesome coffee gifts for Christmas. Got a Porlex ceramic hand grinder and a cool gooseneck kettle. The kettle is small and handheld with a leather wrap.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Favorite-Barista-Stainless-Authentic/dp/B019SM45MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483472788&sr=8-1&keywords=adolph+pour+over+coffee+kettle

i still have to heat the water in my large tea kettle, but a quick transfer to this kettle is worth it because the precision pour is much easier. worth the extra step.

1/3/2017 2:49:44 PM

how well does the hand grinder work? I feel like I annoy the shit out of my coworkers grinding beans every morning (even though I shut my office door).

1/4/2017 9:16:05 AM

I had one of these for a while:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/

It was cool initially but then it just became a pain in the ass. It took too long (especially if you're grinding for multiple people) and wasn't practical.

I just got a Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder and it's fantastic. Can't believe I ever used a hand grinder.

1/4/2017 11:51:13 AM

^ Chuck a drill to it.

1/4/2017 1:18:45 PM

^^^for me it works great. Takes me about 2 minutes to hand-grind 28g of coffee. It fits well in the hand and allows for a two handed grind motion. It's not very loud at all, but i'm grinding on a press/pour over setting. it's probably a little louder and little longer to fine grind for espresso. But, i'm only grinding for myself, so it's small compact size is perfect for me.

1/5/2017 9:48:15 AM

This is all you need to know about Ice coffee.

1/5/2017 11:02:22 AM