Ree Drummond's Batch Iced Coffee Can Literally Last The Whole Month
Iced coffee is as popular as ever and the time of year doesn't matter at all. According to Vending Times, consumers spent $1.7 billion in 2020 on cold brew. That number dipped during the pandemic but the outlet notes that "it has since returned to earlier growth levels." Technically, iced coffee and cold brew are two different things. Brewing coffee with cold water for a longer amount of time produces a unique flavor that differs from hot coffee.
Healthline notes that there are some reasons to enjoy a cold brewed iced coffee. Aside from being easy to make, it still has a similar amount of caffeine as hot brewed coffee. Plus, it might increase your metabolism, lift your mood, and lower your risk of heart disease, just to name a few.
In 2020, per Vending Times, 90% of cold brew sales were "mostly at limited service restaurants, including coffee cafes." They also note that the average price of a cold brew is around $4.40, although the price for a flavored cold brew at Starbucks, depending on the size, is about $5.65 (per The FoodXP). Maybe you'd prefer to make your own.
Make your own batch of iced coffee
Good iced coffee and cold brew recipes are easy to find and pull off. Steep ground coffee in room temperature water for ten to twelve hours. Or, in the fridge for a few days. Strain out the grounds and you're good to go. The only problem is these batches might only satisfy a coffee habit for a few days.
To solve that, food blogger and cookbook author Ree Drummond makes enough cold brew to last a month. According to her The Pioneer Woman, a few minutes of effort and twelve hours of waiting will produce up to thirty servings. The key to this big batch is a large container, at least eight quarts, with a lid. You'll also need some coffee. It's recommended to use your favorite coffee but the outlet notes that "the coffee should be coarsely ground, similar to how you would grind beans for a French press. The coarser grind gives the cold brew a smoother taste and also makes it easier to strain."
Add the coffee to the water, stir, and wait. When it's time to strain "make sure you have a fine-mesh strainer and some cheesecloth." Finally, you'll need a large container, or multiple containers, to refrigerate all that concentrated cold brew.
What to do with two gallons of cold brew
If you follow Drummond's directions, you'll have almost two gallons of cold brew. Finding room in your fridge might be the hardest part of this dilemma. Cold Brew's versatility is noted by Garrett Oden at Java Presse who says "Since it's made in the form of a concentrate, you actually have a lot of flexibility when it comes to making drinks with it."
Iced coffee is the most obvious use for all of that cold. Just pour this over some ice and doctor it up to suit your taste. As Oden notes, "It's simple, refreshing, and stunningly smooth. There's a reason so many coffee skeptics actually fall in love with iced cold brew."
Those appealing aspects can be heated up, too. Add boiling water to your cold brew and you'll have a quick, convenient cup of coffee. Oden recommends, "two ounces of cold concentrate and six ounces of hot water." And That sweet and super smooth option is refreshing to many drinkers, which they say produces hot coffee with up to 66% less acidity.
That's just the beginning of all you can do with cold brew. Add soda water and a sweetener for cold brew soda or a twist of lemon for a coffee mocktail. How about some coffee ice cream? Those two gallons of cold brew will be gone in no time.