DIY Summertime Iced Coffee!

Each Friday our #LoveYourLifeFriday team shares fabulous DIY projects, recipes, money-saving strategies, decorating ideas, holiday activities and even spiritual growth tools that will help you to live your priorities and love your life.

My favorite summertime drink is iced coffee. Actually, who am I trying to kid? It doesn’t matter what season or temperature it is outside, I’ll choose to drink iced coffee over hot coffee almost every time.

If you’ve never tried cold-brewed iced coffee, you are missing out! It is so much more than pouring hot coffee over ice to cool it. In a pinch I have taken whatever is left in the coffee pot after my hubby gets his coffee in the morning and put it in the fridge to chill, but it’s not the same.

Cold-brewing coffee reduces the acidity by about 70%, so if you think that coffee is too bitter or it bothers your stomach, cold brew is for you! Beware – if you like the bottled Starbucks frappuccino you may never go back once you try this! It will save you lots of money!

Here is my step-by-step guide to the perfect iced coffee.

Before you begin you will need the following:

½ pound bag of your favorite ground coffee (any brand or flavor will do).
A large bowl with a lid. (I use my big 44 cup Tupperware bowl.)
A piece of cheesecloth (purchase this in the kitchenware section of most stores)
Strainer
One gallon pitcher

1. For the first part of the process, you will need the bag of coffee, large bowl and water. Pour the coffee grounds into the bowl and then fill the bowl with at least one gallon of water. I usually fill the bowl almost to the top, but if you want stronger coffee, just use one gallon.

2. The coffee grounds will float on top of the water, so you will need to stir them in until the grounds are soaked. It will look like mud when they are all soaked.

3. Put the lid on your bowl and let it sit in the fridge to brew overnight or for at least 12 hours.

4. The next day your coffee will look pretty much the same as it did when you put it in the fridge, but what comes out will be amazing! Prepare your pitcher with a strainer on top. You will want to double up your cheesecloth and place it in the strainer so that it hangs over the sides.

5. Slowly pour the liquid and grounds out of the bowl into the strainer/pitcher. You may need two pitchers depending on the amount of water you used. Once your bowl is empty, squeeze the excess liquid out of the grounds and then discard the grounds and cheesecloth.

6. You now have at least one pitcher of amazing cold-brewed coffee to enjoy. You can store it in the fridge this way for several weeks.

7. Fill your favorite cup halfway with ice and then add coffee. You can also add your favorite flavor syrup and a splash of milk or half & half.

8. Now sit down, put up your feet and slowly sip your delicious creation!

I hope you enjoy!
April

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April Lech is from a small Midwestern county in Mid-Michigan where she has lived since she was in elementary school. She is a wife, mother, stepmom, mother-in-law, and grandma who loves spending time with and feeding her family. When she’s not working full-time at her “real job,” she escapes from the everyday stresses of life through sewing and crafting. Check out her creations, like super cute aprons, pillows, bigs, bags and such, in her Etsy shop.