I have been a coffee lover since I was three years old when Dannon only had 4 flavors of fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt (70s). Coffee happened to be my favorite.

Having graduated to the real joe, I still like trying it different ways: Turkish, espresso, moka, normal. And then a workmate turned me on to another way to brew found at Borders Cafe called cold brew. Some coffee houses and companies do serve it like Seattle’s Best and Caribou, but this was something I had to try for myself.

The home cold brew system we found was the Toddy Cold Brew System. Though the concept and system can be replicated with homemade equipment, theirs consists of a glass decanter, plastic tub, stopper, and filter.

The process is a slow, non-heated brew that is said to remove close to 67% of the acid that causes some gastric-sensitive people to steer clear of the beverage. Yet it retains the full flavor of the coffee, just minus the bite. And the coffee concentrate (made from a full bag of coarsely ground coffee) can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. So drink when you want.

The concentrate is mixed 3 parts water to 1 part coffee for a regular cup, whether it be cold or hot. And for a real shot in the face, go straight up. But beware, the caffeine remains.

If you decide to venture down this path I recommend a few things:

IF you buy the store-bought premium brands, make note that they are 12 oz. bags, not 16 oz. bags. So adjust your brew water to 6 3/4 cups versus 9 cups.

AND bolder flavors do better. For instance, French Roast keeps its flavor yet is not as biting. Where as Breakfast Blend (light) tastes watered down because its flavor is not as distinct in the first place.

So venture out of your dripping monotony and try a cold brew. It’s a great flavorful and convenient way to enjoy your daily coffee.