I've always been an iced coffee girl. Even when it was 2°F and snowing, you could spot me walking to class holding a Dunkin iced coffee in my gloved hand. After I graduated college and didn't have an excuse to go buy iced coffee every day, I tried making it at home, but it was always tedious and not as tasty as I was used to. Reluctantly, I started drinking hot coffee. 

Then, I found out about cold brew coffee.  

What is cold brew coffee? 

Cold brew coffee, as the name suggests, is coffee that has been brewed in cold or room temperature water. It is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cool water for 12 to 24 hours and then straining. This produces a coffee concentrate that is then diluted with water, milk, or both. It can be served hot but is usually served over ice. Cold brew coffee has a higher caffeine content than traditionally brewed coffee and often tastes less acidic. 

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brewing coffee is incredibly easy to do at home. You'll need:

• Coarsely ground coffee (My personal ratio calls for 6 oz. by weight.)
• Cool water (I use 3 cups or 24 oz.)
• A container (Make sure it is big enough to hold all your water and grounds.)
• A coffee filter, fine-mesh sieve, or some other way to strain out the coffee grounds.

To brew the coffee:

• Place your coffee grounds into the container and pour the water on top. 
• Place the lid onto the container tightly and give the whole thing a good shake to make sure all the grounds are wet. 
• Let the coffee steep for 12-16 hours out on the counter at room temperature or 18-24 hours in the fridge. 
• After the coffee is done steeping, carefully strain out the grounds by pouring the contents of the brewing container through the sieve or filter and into another container. You may want to do this filtering process twice, depending on your filter. 

Then, you'll have cold brew concentrate that you will need to dilute with water, milk, or both. How much you'll need to dilute the concentrate depends on your personal tastes. 

My personal ratio of 6 oz of coffee to 3 cups of water is what works for me, but feel free to experiment if you find that you like your concentrate weaker or stronger than I do!

Products That Make Cold Brewing Coffee Even Easier

As easy as it is to make cold brew coffee, it can be even easier if you have the right tools! Here are some products to try if you're looking to simplify your cold brew experience, even while enhancing it:

1. Compact Cold Brew Maker

This small, compact cold brew maker from OXO is actually my preferred brewer. When you place the included glass container below the brewer, it automatically filters the coffee for no-mess and no-hassle brewing. It yields enough coffee for just me for about a week. It is easy to take apart and clean, just make sure that you close it as tight as possible to prevent leaking. 

2. Two Quart Maker

If you have more than one person drinking coffee or would just like a bigger batch, this Takeya Cold Brew Maker has a 2-quart capacity. It features a removable fine mesh filter that the coffee is held in, so there's no pouring to filter. After the 12 to 24 hour steep time is over, just remove the filter and replace the airtight lid to store the coffee until you're ready to serve. 

3. Gallon Size Cold Brew Maker

If you have a lot of coffee drinkers at home, or just drink a lot more coffee than me, you may be interested in this gallon-sized cold brew maker from Original Grind Co. It comes with a removable filter like the 2-liter Takeya brand maker, so all you need to do when your brewing time is up is remove the filter from the container. The spigot on the container (that reviewers recommend tightening with a wrench) makes for easy serving when you're ready to drink. 

4. Single-Serve Cold Brew Maker

With this cold brew maker from Primula, you brew your coffee in the same container you drink it from, saving you time and dishwasher space. This brewer features the same removable filter concept as the previous two makers, just on a smaller scale. Place your coffee and water into the bottle, set it in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours, and then remove the filter and grounds. You're ready to prepare your coffee with ice, milk, and sugar the way you like it.

5. Cheesecloth Bags

If you don't want to buy a whole new container to brew your coffee in, try these cheesecloth bags. They work just like the filters in most makers. Just place your coarse coffee grounds into the bag, tie it closed, and place the bag into a container of water. Then, remove the bag and dispose of the grounds. The best part is that cheesecloths are washable and reusable.

6. Food Scale

Since I measure my ratio of coffee-to-water by weight, a food scale is essential to my setup. If you're looking for accuracy in your coffee making, invest in a food scale! I also find measuring the weight of things to be easier than using measuring cups and spoons. 

7. Electric Grinder

You can buy your coffee already ground, but some of the best taste comes from freshly ground coffee beans. Additionally, some beans are only sold whole, and if you want to make a cold brew out of those specific beans, you'll need to grind them yourself. If you're grinding a large number of beans, you'll want an electric grinder, as hand grinding takes a lot of effort. I recommend the Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder because burr grinders preserve the flavor and aroma of beans better than blade grinders, and it is the one I personally use.  

8. Airtight Containers

One way I make my coffee experience easy is by buying my beans or grounds in large quantities. I save money, and I don't have to visit the store as often. In order to preserve the freshness and flavor of my coffee, I use airtight containers to store it. 

9. Single Serve Brew Bags

When I'm staying with family or friends and can't bring all my coffee accessories with me, I like to pack single serve brew bags. You use one disposable bag per one cup of water and let it sit in the fridge overnight. My favorite is brewbike Cinnamon Sugar flavor, but there are a ton of single-serve and pitcher size brew bags to choose from. These brew bags are also excellent for students who live in dorms and don't have a ton of space. 

10. Bottomless Coffee

Though Bottomless is more of a service than a product, they're one of the main reasons making coffee at home has become a breeze. Bottomless provides you with a scale to place your coffee on and automatically orders more for you when it detects that you're running low. I have never run out of coffee thanks to this service, and that is why it's one of my essential coffee tools. 

I hope these products can make your coffee routine easy and save you time and money. If you're missing those fun coffeehouse flavors though, you'll be happy to know that you can buy flavored syrups like vanilla and caramel to use at home! Happy brewing!