I have been drinking coffee for years. Ever since high school, I have been in the habit of going for a warm cup of black coffee first thing every morning; it has become a key part of my productivity on a day to day basis, and I’m almost ashamed to admit how much I rely on it to give me a jump start after I wake up. Recently, one of my friends showed me that it is cheaper and easier to brew my own cold brew coffee from home. Although I was skeptical at first (because I do love my dark, bitter coffee), I have since been experimenting with cold brew, and I have come to appreciate how easy and controllable the process can be. There are three simple steps to creating your own cold brew coffee from home.
The first step is to buy all of your materials. Fortunately, the list is short; you will simply need a filter, some kind of container, and some coffee beans. I personally bought my filter and container together from Amazon (link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07772LL6V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). As for the coffee beans, you can find them at almost any grocery store. Pre-ground coffee works fine, but if you need to grind it yourself, use the coarsest grinder that you can get for the best results. There are many different types and flavors of coffee, which means that you can truly personalize what you want yours to taste like.
Once you have everything you need, it’s time to start letting the coffee soak. Fill your filter with coffee beans, place it in your container, and fill the rest of the container with water. This concoction will sit in your fridge for a while, depending on how strong you want your cold brew to taste. The longer you let it sit, the stronger and more bitter it will be. If you don’t have room in your fridge, that’s fine too; the coffee can soak at room temperature on your counter. It’s typically recommended that you let the brew sit for about 24 hours, though you can experiment with it to find what amount of time works best for you.
After the coffee is done soaking, voila—it’s ready to drink! Remove the filter and dump your used coffee grounds. This method typically creates a coffee concentrate, which means that you should top your coffee container off with plain water to dilute the strong taste. Now that your cold brew is done, you can serve it however you want. I typically drink mine with a little bit of milk to further dilute the strength. However, you can add creamer, sugar, water, caramel, ice, whipped cream, or anything else that you desire. If you like blended coffee, you can put ice cubes in a blender with your cold brew to create a cool, smooth kickstart to your morning.
There are many benefits to brewing your own coffee. First, beyond the initial price of the filter and container, it is much cheaper to brew at home; one bag of coffee grounds will create several batches of cold brew, which will keep you energized for weeks. Second, you can truly personalize what you want your coffee to taste like. You control the flavor and strength of your own creations, which means that you can experiment until you find something that you like. I personally enjoy brewing my own coffee because I can make it ridiculously strong, so that my energy boost can keep me going all day. Lastly, homemade cold brew can be a great gift for your friends. If you know other people that love caffeine as much as you do, a homemade batch of personalized cold brew could be the perfect present to get them through their days—especially with Christmas coming right around the corner.
I have come to enjoy making my own cold brew, and I’m very excited to perfect my own personal recipe. Although I will certainly still drink a hot, black cup of coffee on occasion, I am very grateful that I have learned this new method of brewing, and I am excited to share it with my fellow caffeine addicts.