Be your own barista: Make cold brew coffee at home

Cold brew coffee is all the rage, and for good reason—it’s smoother and naturally sweeter than “hot brew” coffee. It also stores easily in the fridge and tastes fresh far longer than traditional coffee. And for those of us who need an afternoon pick-me-up, no worries. Cold brew is just as caffeinated as the hot stuff.

There’s another upside to cold brew: it might be a little easier on the tummy because it’s less acidic. Why? Well, coffee beans contain oils, and inside these oils are fatty acids. During a hot brew process, the oils containing the acids are released. Cold brewed coffee can be up to 70% less acidic because the fatty acids in the beans are not extracted.

Since 2015, when Starbucks introduced its signature cold brew and saw drink sales spike, cold brew has become a staple in cafés and on grocery store shelves. But cold brew isn’t new—it was enjoyed even in 17th century Japan and has long been popular in warmer climates. Unfortunately, the traditional infusion method for making cold brew requires time and patience. Search “how to make cold brew coffee” and what turns up is some variation of this process: take course-ground coffee, add water, stir and let the brew sit for 12 to 24 hours. Then filter the grounds out by pouring the brew over cheesecloth.

Save time and money with homemade cold brew coffee

This is where Hamilton Beach^® comes to the rescue with a cold brew maker that can deliver a delicious cold brew coffee in just six minutes. This innovative cold brew and hot coffee maker works by using pressure instead of time. First the coffee grounds are spritzed with a little warm water to open them, then cool or room-temperature water is passed through the grounds with added pressure from the cold brew machine. The end result, delicious cold brew available at least 11 hours and 54 minutes sooner than it would have been with the traditional infusion method.

So what to do with that delicious dark elixir? Take advantage of its natural sweetness, for starters. It’s easy to make dessert-type cold coffee drinks using a little less sugar than might be required with regular iced coffee or espresso. Here are five recipes for decadent cold brew coffee drinks that cost far less than the ones we stand in line for at the café.