DIY Cold Brew Coffee

Hi friends, it's Jess.  I know we've mentioned our love of cold brewed coffee around the TTO Headquarters.  There's nothing more refreshing on a warm summer morning than a tall glass of iced coffee.  However, if you've ever tried to make it yourself by simply pouring brewed coffee on ice, you have likely found yourself with a watery cup without an ounce of that coffee flavor you love so much.

That's where cold brew coffee comes in.  Instead of brewing through your coffee machine or Keurig, you let coarsely ground coffee steep in cold water to slowly infuse the flavor.  This creates a delicious coffee concentrate that will rival any coffee house drink you can find!

It's actually easier to make than I realized.  I used this tutorial I found on Pinterest and enlisted my husband for a little help.  First things first, I gathered my materials: whole espresso beans (We love Black Cat Espresso from Intelligentia Coffee, coffee grinder, food scale (you could also use a measuring cup), water, a pitcher, a paper coffee filter and sieve.

We started by grinding the coffee.  You could use already ground, but I found that the flavor is more intense in freshly ground.  This is admittedly one of my least favorite kitchen jobs (I hate cleaning the grinder!) but it's totally worth it for the flavor.

After you have your coffee grounds, you'll measure the water in the pitcher and stir the grounds.  They'll clump together, but that's okay.  Now it's important to let this mixture steep.  Twelve hours is good, but it can go even longer.  We mix this up after dinner to have extra in the morning before work.  Now, take a rest!

Once you wake up, it's time to get straining.  Line your strainer with the coffee filter and fit it over a bowl or pitcher.  We used this measuring cup because it's easy to pour.  Pour the mixture SLOWLY into the filter and let it drain.  Do NOT stir your coffee again (I learned this the hard way) because it will take way too long to filter.  It's best to try to keep the solid grains as close to the bottom as you can while you pour.  We've tried using a spoon to hold them down works well.  This process takes a few minutes, but don't rush it!

Once the coffee has filtered through, you can discard the grounds (they're great for your compost bin or Hydrangeas) and filter.  Now you've got a delicious coffee concentrate that can be stored in your fridge for a few days (if it makes it that long).  To serve, we add milk and a splash of CoffeeMate.  I find that I need to add more milk to this, as it's a stronger brew than just a regular cup of coffee.  I'm interested to try this tweak which sounds just like my beloved  Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold brew at Starbucks.

So there you have it!  The easiest, best cold brew for the summer!  Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!