Batch Size: Yields roughly 28–30 oz of heavy concentrate (makes about 60 oz of drinkable coffee when diluted).
The Ingredients:
- 1/4 lb (approx. 1.5 cups) Costa Rican Honey-processed whole coffee beans
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Whole cacao beans or nibs
- 2 to 3 Whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 to 2 tbsp Organic Gotu Kola (Cut & Sifted)
- 1/2 Whole vanilla bean pod (optional)
- 38 oz Cold, filtered water (Fiji water works perfectly for a clean extraction)
The Build
1.Crush the Cacao (No Grinder!):
Place the cacao beans in a plastic bag and gently crush them with a heavy pan or meat mallet until broken into coarse pieces. Do not put them in your Aromaster, as the friction will melt the cocoa butter and clog the burrs.
2.Prep the Spices:
Snap the cinnamon sticks into halves or quarters to expose the inner bark. If using the vanilla bean, slice it down the middle, scrape out the sticky caviar, and keep the empty pod.
3.Layer the Steeper Basket:
Place the crushed cacao, broken cinnamon sticks, Gotu Kola leaf, and the vanilla (both the caviar and the empty pod) directly into the bottom of the KitchenAid stainless steel steeper basket.
4.Grind the Coffee:
Run your Costa Rican beans through the Aromaster on a coarse, sea-salt-like setting. Pour the 1/4 lb of grounds directly on top of the spices in the basket. The heavy coffee grounds act as a weight to keep the Gotu Kola and spices submerged.
5.Saturate and Steep:
Slowly pour the 38 oz of cold water over the grounds in a circular motion, ensuring the dry pockets are fully saturated. Place the system in the fridge.
6.The Extraction Time:16 to 18 hours.
Because cacao nibs are dense, an 18-hour steep is the sweet spot. It gives the cold water enough time to pull the rich cocoa butter and theobromine out of the cacao without over-extracting the coffee beans.
7.Pull and Serve:
At the 18-hour mark, pull the stainless steeper out and let it drain. Dispense the concentrate and cut it 1:1 with pure water or coconut water over ice.
The resulting concentrate will be incredibly smooth, packed with chocolate and almond notes from the honey-processed beans, and perfectly balanced by the spicy sweetness of the cinnamon. The Gotu Kola and theobromine will work entirely in the background, giving you that clean, dialled-in focus without altering the dessert-like flavor.
