Once upon a time, there was a girl who never drank coffee. She made it through high school, six years of college, and began working without ever having more than a sweet and creamy cappuccino on a road trip with her dad. It was more like a dessert drink and she loved dessert, but I digress.
This girl grew up to become a high school math teacher. High school math teachers– they need to be at work early– before 7am. This means that she had to wake up around 5am to shower, get ready, and get to work on time to prepare for the day ahead. This girl, she was a go-getter; however, she was not a morning person. Enter coffee.
The high school math teacher– hey, let’s call her Ashley– began trying her hardest to stop at Dunkin’ each morning to get her caffeine fix. That wasn’t always possible and it was too expensive to go daily. She tried bottled Cold Brew from grocery stores and Dunkin’ Cold Brew packs and though they all tasted pretty good, they just weren’t the same. Have you been there, friends?
Spoiler alert: I am the girl from the story… which I’m sure you figured out by now. lol. Over Black Friday weekend, I got ahold of some new kitchen items. Amazon is my jam and I love the great deals they have during the holidays. They’re actually a bit addicting. So, I find this KitchenAid Cold Brewer for under $50 and start reading the amazing reviews. I decided to go for it. This leads to more research (that I won’t bore you with) and I discover that the absolute best coffee, especially cold brew, is made with coffee beans! Grinding your own coffee beans provides a more rich and fresh tasting coffee. WHY did I never think to try this before? The ones I am currently using are a brand called Stone Street from New York. These are specifically recommended for Cold Brew, but they have other types (for you hot coffee lovers) and even different flavors. I’ve used these beans (ground finely) in my Keurig re-fillable K-cup and the coffee tasted amazing hot too!
The Cold Brewer
So, let’s talk a little bit about this KitchenAid Cold Brewer I snagged for $47. I went back to look at it later for a friend who was on the hunt for one and it’s regularly $129.99. I didn’t realize what a deal I had gotten! It’s sold out on Amazon until after Christmas, but is currently on sale for $79.99, if you don’t mind waiting until after the holidays.
Another option is Bed, Bath, & Beyond. If you already are signed up and subscribed to BB&B e-mails, you know about the 20% coupon that arrives each month. If not, go ahead and subscribe. You’ll receive a 20% off e-mail that will allow you to get the KitchenAid Cold Brewer for $59.99 + tax– a pretty good deal– and before Christmas. 🙂
My Simple Cold Brew Recipe
I use 14-18 TBSP of coffee beans in my Mr. Coffee Bean Grinder. Remember, this brewer will hold about a week’s worth of Cold Brew. I got mine from Amazon over Black Friday weekend, but it’s sold out currently. It is available at Target though. When making Cold Brew, you want to grind the beans coarsely and this grinder has grind settings. I add this to the filter.
I add 34 oz of water in a circular direction and then an additional 8 oz, as per the Cold Brewer instructions. I then use a spoon to ensure all of the grounds are covered. I let the Cold Brew sit in the fridge for 12+ hours and then drain the grounds in the morning. The Cold Brewer itself stays in the refrigerator and I simply use the tap to pour the concentrate.
You should have a 1:2 ratio of coffee to milk. I use milk and a tiny bit of Sugar Cookie creamer for flavor with one packet of Sweet’n’Low. I’ve also used Torani syrups to flavor instead of creamer. Salted Caramel is a good one. You can make your coffee however you’d like, but remember Cold Brew is a concentrate, so try to keep the coffee to 1/3 of your cup.
It’s funny because after making really good coffee for a few weeks, other coffees taste weak to me. I don’t need to stop at Dunkin’ in the mornings anymore because I have the perfect coffee brewing right at home. I don’t know if that makes me a “coffee snob,” but having coffee this good that I make all on my own… I’m ok with it. 😉
xo,
Ash
PS. Do you have coffee stains on your pearly whites? We recently used an amazing whitening system called Smile Brilliant and they’re giving away a free whitening kit ($150 value) to one of our readers. Contest ends tonight. Enter here.
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