How to make large batches of Cold Brew Coffee with the Toddy Maker

Milinda Lane | 01 April, 2020

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Everyone's raving about cold brew coffee, and there's a good reason for it; it's delicious!

Undoubtedly you're trying to figure out which method tastes best and which coffee tastes best using the cold brew method.

There are a multitude of cold brew methods, and most of them are pretty simple to use, and they all will taste a little different depending on the method, and the type of coffee used and the water / coffee ratio.

So far, our favorite method for making cold brew coffee is the Toddy Maker. It does use a lot more coffee grounds, but the flavor is definitely richer and more concentrated than other methods. It's more of a concentrate than it is a cold cup of coffee. It's best to add something to it like water, milk or both. Which gives you more control over how you want it to taste.

The Toddy breweruses direct immersion and a very thick filter to filter out any bit sediment as well as any harsh flavors. It's smooth as molasses!

First of all, let's all get over the fact that the Toddy maker is not the sexiest brewer on the market... but what are you more interested in, sexy coffee makers or sexy coffee :-) Because this coffee is too sexy for your cup.

Purchase yours HERE

There are some pro's and cons to this method:

Pros:

Truly amazing tasting coffee (the most important part)
The Toddy maker makes a large batch (about 56 ounces) that can last 10-20 days depending on your consumption level. In our house it lasts about 10 days with 2 coffee drinkers.
Makes the coffee as a concentrate so you can add ice or milk and it won't overly dilute your drink

Cons:

It's a little bulky and not sleek and beautiful (but do you want great results or something that's just pretty?)
It takes 10 - 12 hours (many other brewers take 24 hours and only make one to two servings)
You have to use a lot of coffee grounds (12-16 ounces)
It drains really slow

I prefer to use a medium roasted Colombian Supremoscoffee by Bean Hoppers for this cold brew method. Colombian Supremos is one of my favorites. You could use a roast that is a little darker than medium but I don't recommend dark roasted coffee.

Here's how we make the best Toddy Brew!

Start by getting a Toddy Brewer

Purchase yours HERE

1. Turn the brewing container upside down, wet the stopper and plug it into the brewer hole from the bottom. Wetting it will help it not to leak because you will get a better seal.

2. Turn the brewing container upright and insert the thick white filter in the bottom of the brewer. This is what makes this brewing method magical.

3. Coarsely Grind 14 - 16 ounces of fresh medium roasted, Bean Hoppers coffee. You can choose to use slightly less coarse (between medium & coarse). It doesn't seem to make a huge difference. If ordering pre-ground, specify "coarse".

4. Dump all of the ground coffee into the coffee brewing container.

5. Fill the brewing container as full as you can with filtered water. Water is 90% of your cup so if you use gross tasting water you'll get gross tasting coffee. I used about 80 oz. of water to fill it to the very top.

6. Stir it just a little. Enough to make sure the top grinds are wet. Don't over-stir. If the coffee grounds settle at the bottom, it will stop it from draining. And that's frustrating.

7. Set the brewer on the counter at room temperature for 10 hours or more. It can sit as long as 15 hours if you want but it's not necessary. No need to refrigerate.

Side note: Caffeine in it's raw form is a powder and is water soluble so putting the container in the fridge inhibits the extraction of caffeine. Like using cold water and powdered laundry detergent, it doesn't break down as well.

8. After the 10 hours (ish), set the brewing container on top of the glass serving container, remove the plug and let it drain. It's a little tricky because the brewer is full of water, but the handle helps.

It can sometimes take an hour or more to drain. So, let it drain for 15 - 30 minutes, get your first cup and set it back on the serving container to finish draining.

If the glass container is getting pretty full and it still seems to be still draining, set the brewing container on top of a cup and put the coffee concentrate into the fridge. Later in the day, pour the little bit from the cup into the batch so you don't waste a drop!

9. Since this is concentrated, I recommend using about 4 oz. coffee and mix it with your favorite milk to taste. I like to use 4 oz. coffee to 4 oz. milk. Or go light on the milk and add a tablespoon of condensed milk for a nice sweet flavor. You can also use a little bit of your favorite flavored creamer.

Purchase yours HERE

However, this Colombian Supremos tasted so amazing just black that I had a hard time putting milk into it! That's when I add ice and a touch of water.