Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

We all have a few recipes we return to time and time again. 

In the case of cold-brewed iced coffee, we actually have the recipe taped inside our kitchen cabinet, and in the summer, we use it several times a week.

If you like iced coffee, this is fantastic recipe.  It takes all of 90 seconds of active time. You just stir coffee and water in a jar and let it sit overnight. The next morning, strain the coffee, mix equal parts of the coffee concentrate with water, and drink over ice.  Add milk if you're into that.

No need to brew hot coffee and then chill it.  None of the bitterness that iced coffee can sometimes produce.  We sometimes make a few jars on a Friday and drink them throughout the weekend. 

On a summer weekend morning, there's no better way to drink coffee.  We think you'll agree. 

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee
NYTimes.com

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)
Milk (optional).

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.

Yield: Two drinks.

NOTE: To make hot coffee, dilute concentrate one-to-one with water and heat in the microwave.

Comments

[cassidy]

Ohmygod, this is brilliant! I may never sleep again, but at least I'll be cool!

[Melissa A.]

Tasty!

[Luke]

I am a big fan of iced coffee. We actually just used our french press to make this. I put 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of grounds in the press, fill it with water and let it sit overnight. In the morning simply plunge, pour it into another container and then enjoy.

I love it :) I found out how to make this from you last year, and I just made my first of the summer last weekend!

[Karyn]

Somehow I neglected to sign my entry above...

<3 Karyn

[Zach @ The Bitten Word]

Luke -- Using a French press is a fantastic idea. That eliminates the one part of this that I don't like: Having to strain the coffee in the morning. (Which is taxing, especially when, of course, you haven't had any coffee yet!)

Great idea! Thanks!

[Ann at One Bag Nation]

Since discovering this recipe last summer, I haven't looked back! I'll follow your lead and tape it to the cupboard door - brilliant! It's amazing how sweet and caramelly the coffee tastes made this way.

Here in the NW, we've hardly had spring yet, never mind summer, so I'm still drinking hot hot coffee - but I have hope that summer will arrive eventually.

[dawn]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am such an iced coffee junkie. And Starbucks is making a fortune off of me. I can't wait to try this and hoepfully save some money.
I like the Illy coffee. This will work good, no? And maybe a little cinnamon in the marinating mix.
Thanks again!! Wonderful!

[Nathan]

This is great. I had been brewing hot coffee the night before and cooling it off overnight, but this is so much better. I have been using a french press, sometimes the grounds sneak through.

For best results, use the French Press first then quickly put through a coffee filter.

[Jessamin]

Here's another tip to go along with this. Whenever you have a little left-over coffee in your coffee pot, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. It keeps for quite a while this way, and if you use these instead of regular ice cubes in your iced coffee, it won't ever get all watery.