SUMMER OBSESSION: COLD BREWING COFFEE

I didn't really get the fuss about cold brewing coffee until recently. And now I make it every Sunday for the whole week ahead. For two people, the cost is about $4 a week.

The thing is I actually like hot, black coffee. However, if you cold brew coffee, it tastes like it smells -- the bitterness is gone and it just glides down your throat. 

First of all, it's very easy to make. I go to the store and buy coffee beans and grind them right there in the aisle. This week I bought the cheapest coffee the store had at $5.99 a pound. Last week we bought a more expensive coffee. Don't get snooty until you know what you like and make sure you grind it coarsely.

Then put the coffee in a jar. I use an old pickle jar that you can get at Sam's Club -- it's the one that holds a ginormous amount of pickles. I actually got rid of the pickle smell by letting coffee water soak in it for a couple of days. I was planning on using the jar for kimchi but now it's turned into my cold brew can. Karin Swanson actually knows I'm a jar collector, so she understands my excitement of possessing such a large jar.  

The recipe I found online was pretty simple from allrecipes.com -- 

• 1/2 pound coarsely ground coffee beans
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• cheesecloth (I now opt for a coffee filter and a small strainer) 

The rest is pretty easy. You just let it hang out for about 15 hours at room temperature.

Want to add sugar or half and half? Try this recipe from CHOW.

When time's up, all you have to do is strain the coffee. Some people will tell you to use cheesecloth but after buying it once, I decided I didn't want that to be a normal expense. I strained it back through my coffee pot (a suggestion I found online) and I also used a small strainer and a coffee filter.

When it's finished, I transfer the strained coffee into another pitcher that I keep in my fridge. I bought the one on the right from Hyvee for about $6. Nothing fancy but it does the job. 

Since this is a concentrate, it's good to put your ice in a glass first, add 1 part coffee and 1 part milk or water. I have also just used less coffee in my cold brew because I use whatever coffee I have leftover from the week before. I'm sure some cold brew coffee expert might scoff at that, but I'm the one drinking it and don't mind.

I like mine black with no sugar and no milk. It's become my go-go juice!