Cold-Water Coffee by Toddy

Thanks to a reader who likes iced coffee as much as we do, we've found out how to save some money and conserve energy this summer. Its so low tech we're sure Sony could never figure out how to make one. So low in energy consumption, the electric company probably hopes TreeHuggers don't hear about it. Had to have been invented by a college student. It's the Toddy cold brewer. The Toddy extracts the delicious flavor from coffee beans, with no energy consumption at all; and leaves behind undesirable bitter acids and fatty oils. As our reader Chris points out: "...instead of brewing with hot water for 30 minutes, you brew at room temperature for 12 hours. The result? A low-acid concentrate that can be added to hot (or cold) water (or milk) to make the coffee (or tea) drink of your choice. The concentrate can be refrigerated for up to two weeks".

A bit of price hunting puts the full gizmo in the 27 to 35 dollar range. Amazon happens to have the replacement parts as well.

One product reviewer pointed out that the aromatics your traditional hot brewer sends up into the air, gracing your home with the aroma of coffee, instead, are partioned into the 'leachate' created by the Toddy, ready to be unleashed on your taste buds. The resulting flavor intensity seems to be a characteristic that most users notice and come to like.

Tip-'o-the green hat to Chris.

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