As a coffee aficionado, I cannot believe that I had never heard of cold brewed coffee until recently. Apparently, it is a hot item at the moment. I came across the details in this blog post, How to Make Cold-Brewed Coffee|Food 52.
Cold brewed coffee solves one of the issues (boiling water) for strict raw folks (of course there is still the issue of roasting the beans). For most raw foodies, it is an easy shift. This is basically overnight coffee just like overnight oats, etc. It takes a full 12 hours for proper extraction.
Apparently there are also some other benefits. It makes better iced coffee (without dilution). Cold brewed is also less acidic.
I actually tried it and liked the cold brew. It is noticeably less acidic and does not get a bitter taste after sitting for a few minutes. It definitely makes much better iced coffee.
The brew is simple to make if you have a french press coffee maker like I do. I used 4 T of coarsely ground coffee beans for my 8 cup french press. All I had to do is pour the room temperature filtered water over the coffee and stir it well with a non metal spoon. Then let it sit on the counter covered (without plunging) for 12 hours or overnight and press the next morning.
This is my go to beverage for the summer. I love the undiluted iced coffee flavor. Just add milk and sweetener (I don’t use any) and serve.