Cold Brew Coffee

...The best part of waking up.... Is coffee in your cup!

Growing up I used to hate the smell of coffee. Smelling it on my grandfather's breath is a nice memory to have,(RIP Tata Casio!) but when I was younger this wasn't enjoyable to me. As I graduated high school and transitioned into being a responsible adult, I found a strong friend in a cup-o-joe to get me ready to start my day off without becoming Oscar the Grouch.

Also when I was younger, I never liked to take naps. With so many siblings and cousins running around, there was always something more exciting to get up to. Sleeping the afternoon away was a surefire way to 'miss out'. Nowadays, I love going to bed and waking up early... To Enjoy my coffee seemingly sooner, and in the wee hours before anyone can hassle me- Or interrupt my brew time.

I have many favorite coffee types, so here is just one way I take it. Most preferable on a humid summer morning, cold brew coffee over extra ice is the absolute best way for me to start my morning ritual. I hope you enjoy this blog, and please tell me/share photos of your morning routine!

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee beans, coarsely ground
4 cups cold filtered water
Ice
Sugar (optional)
Milk if desired

You'll Need:

Filter tea bags (large size)
A container

Directions:

1. Grind up your beans and pour into the filter tea bag.

2. Measure 4 cups of cold water in the container, add the tea bags cover. Set aside away from direct sunlight.

3. Let stand at room temperature for at least twelve to fourteen hours.

4. Once done brewing, take the bag out and pour the coffee over in a glass of ice. Add sugar and milk if desired.

You can buy either whole beans and grind it at home or buy a pre-ground coffee but for me, I love grinding my own coffee beans just because it tastes so much better. Also because of the fresh taste that you get and I love the fragrance of coffee while it's grinding that it awakens my senses.

I use two filter tea bags for 1 cup of grind beans since the large size tea bags still can't hold all of the coffee but if you have a bigger filter tea bag, then it's even better.

The photo that you can see with the beans soaking in water is a french press but I don't press it down since I am doing a different method of cold brew. Sometimes I also use a mason jar, there's nothing really fancy when it comes to making a cold brew, you can be as creative and use what you have at home. I believe the taste of the coffee depends on the type of coffee beans and how long you will brew it.

The shorter you brew it the less coffee taste you get and if you over brew it the coffee can have a bitter taste it.

Another thing is, do not grind the beans too fine because it heats up the grounds. Though it's a theory that I read online, I think when they said 'too fine' they meant grinding your coffee into almost like a flour texture. I did this one time out of curiosity and fun (yes, it's fun grinding coffee beans! ;p), the coffee was hot, as if I was cooked it in a pan, lol and when I added water to it, it was one of the most bitter coffee in whole existence, lol!

Regular iced coffee (no milk or sugar)

One of my barista friends said that the temperature of the water also had a negative effect on the coffee. The brewing temperature should be between 90c to 95c if water is at 100c above the coffee will simply create a burnt taste. Nothing's worse than a bitter and sour coffee!

You can store the cold brew for up to two weeks in the fridge make sure to put in an airtight container. Although, mine never last that long since it's hard for me to control my coffee addiction. I can go on 5 to 6 cups of coffee a day if I wake up early but not have it if it's past 12noon so imagine me sipping coffee like there's no tomorrow actually, I call gulp, lol!

I hope you'll enjoy this simple cold brew recipe.

XOXO,

Gilaine