Let me start out by making it clear that this is not a sponsored post. I’m going to be extolling the virtues of a product with no shame but not because I’m being paid — I just really love this cold brew coffee maker!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
As a bit of background, I love coffee as a sweet treat in the mornings or early afternoon, but I have never owned a traditional coffee maker, Keurig, espresso machine, etc. I always resisted because my counter space is maxed out and I didn’t want to spend the money or find a place to put it. This left me rigging up batches of cold brew coffee using an absurdly elaborate system of mason jars, strainers, and coffee filters. It was messy and time consuming.
Then my mom, who gives the absolute best gifts, gave me a Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker and the game changed. I love this thing! It comes in two sizes (I have the smaller one) and it’s so easy to use.
How to make cold brew coffee:
Step one: Fill the filter with about 3/4 cup of your favorite ground coffee and screw the lid onto the filter.
Step two: Fill the clear pitcher about 75% full with water. Insert the filter and screw it on tightly, then give the whole thing a good shake for about 5 seconds.
Step three: Place the pitcher in your refrigerator and let it sit and brew overnight, or for at least 5-6 hours until it goes from a watery brown color to a deep black. Shake again before pouring.
Hint: These instructions make a full batch. Feel free to cut it in half if you don’t need quite so much.
How to store your cold brew:
You basically have two options here. If you drink coffee regularly, just store and pour directly from the coffee maker for up to two weeks. If you think it might take you a while to drink all of it, you can transfer it to a jar or another pitcher (or freeze some coffee ice cubes!). See section below for why you might not want to leave it in the pitcher indefinitely.
Keeping it clean:
Pretty much all you have to do is take it apart and give all the pieces a good rinse. I do recommend giving your coffee maker a short break between batches. Every few weeks I try let all the pieces get completely dry.
For me, this looks like finishing a batch in the morning, rinsing it all out, and letting it dry the rest of the day before making more that evening or the next day. I do this because once I left it all together for too long (it had already been sitting in the refrigerator for like two weeks and then we were out of town) and it grew a little bit of mold on the filter that I then had to scrub off.
What to do with your cold brew:
- Keep it cold! You can drink it black, dress it up with some creamer, or use it in your favorite iced or frozen coffee treats. Two of my personal favorites are a Nutella Iced Coffee and Cookies & Cream Frappe.
- Heat it up! You definitely don’t have to have a separate coffee maker for winter (unless you just want one, and then you should totally get one). When I want my coffee hot I just pour the desired amount into a mug and pop it in the microwave for a minute or two.
See? Easy peasy! Now you can have delicious cold brew coffee at home whenever you want.
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