The necessity of coffee is fitting for a Monday post, yeah? Brewing your coffee at home is one of the easiest ways to save money each week. I’m so used to it that buying a cup of coffee is a luxury to me and one I really enjoy, which wouldn’t be the case if I was waiting in line day after day at the coffee shop. During the winter, I usually brew a small pot in a french press or opt for the single cup pour over method, but once March rolls around it’s cold brewed coffee all. the. way. Once I discovered this method there was no turning back.

Why cold brew coffee?

• Extremely easy to make. The directions are straight forward and there’s no fancy equipment necessary.
• It saves time. It’s brewed in a larger concentrated batch, so you make it once for the week, not every morning.
• It tastes better. The acidity of cold brew coffee is lower because the grounds are never subjected to boiling water, which makes the chemical profile quite different than that of a conventionally brewed pot of coffee. Lower acidity makes for a smoother taste and naturally sweeter taste and in turn is less harsh on your tummy.
• It’s never watery. Besides the acidity issues that arise with hot coffee and rapidly cooling hot coffee with ice cubes (iced coffee), you’ll never drink a watery cup of iced coffee again. Watery diluted coffee is awful. Less caffeine and less taste – who want’s that?
• More caffeine per cup. Cold brew coffee has a higher bean to water ratio and a longer brew time, which means it contains more caffeine. I think of cold brew coffee as a concentrate and I often add water, but more on that below.

*Don’t have cheese cloth? Get creative! I poured my mixture through a fine mesh strainer that I sat on top of a one cup pour over with a filter in it. You could even pour it directly into the filtered bowl of your coffee machine. Easiest method yet? Make it directly in your french press, but do not plunge it until it sits for 12+ hours.

This post has turned into a bit of an experiment in my house. I’ve read that you should never stir the coffee grounds in the water because that releases more acidity. There’s a lot of back and forth on this topic online, so I figured I would make two batches, one stirred, the other poured over the grounds (like I suggested in this recipe) and see how they taste.  Thus far, I haven’t noticed a major difference, but I’ll update you once the two week trial period is up. Which brings me to the second experiment, every stinkin’ recipe says this concentrate is good for two weeks. Where did that number come from? What happens if you drink it on day 15? Will you taste a difference? I’ll let you know!

Lastly, because this cold brew coffee method produces more of a concentrate – since the longer the beans sit in the water, the more caffeine is extracted – I make my morning cup as follows: 2 parts coffee, 1 part water and one part milk. No sugar because I never take sugar in my coffee, but if you do, remember cold brew coffee is not as bitter as your hot coffee or iced coffee, so add less sugar than normal and see if it suites you! If I’m making an afternoon cup, I usually add equal parts coffee, water, and milk. What about you? Have you ever had this method of coffee? Didja know it was different than iced coffee? Well, I guess now you know and sadly you’ll never be as attracted to iced coffee again, sorry!