Warmer weather brings colder drinks. Are you someone that switches from the occasional hot coffee in the winter to the occasional iced coffee in the summer? I am!
My local coffee shop has iced coffee that I love for $2.80. This doesn’t seem like a lot but it can add up over time. I found this recipe online for making your own and I cannot say enough about how great it turned out!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb coffee
- 1 gallon water
How simple is that?? Ok, let me offer some additional details.
I used Starbuck’s Kenya blend (Tip: grocery stores carry 12 ounce bags. You need a full pound. I got mine at my local Starbucks). The Kenya blend is a medium blend and supposedly what Starbucks uses in their cold brewed coffee. If you go to the store, get the whole bean and ask them for a course grind (or French press grind, same thing).
Get a big bowl (glass is recommended), put the coffee in the bowl and then fill the bowl with one gallon of water. I didn’t have a big enough bowl so I had to split it into two. Carefully stir so that all of the coffee sinks. Cover with cheesecloth (cheesecloth looks like gauze and you can get it anywhere; I got mine from Target) or something breathable so that nothing falls in, and let the bowl sit out for 12-24 hours.
After 12-24 hours, strain the mixture through cheesecloth into the container you’ll be storing it in (again, try to use glass). I ladled it out because I was afraid of dumping it all over the floor. Also, the first time I did this I used coffee filters. I would not recommend this method. It took forever because the coffee dripped through rather than flowing through.
The finished product will keep in the fridge for about a week. It tastes just like what I get from Starbucks. Although…. I did not read the last paragraph of the recipe which said that this is a concentrate and that you should add water to your serving before drinking. Basically, I’ve been drinking straight concentrate this week. This explains a lot. I do add one packet of Splenda, ice and a little 1% milk. Total calories is around 50. Can’t go wrong with that!
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
