How to set up an easy coffee station at home, plus an easy recipe for cold brew iced coffee! Cold brew coffee is smooth, flavorful, and inexpensive to make. Perfect for warm spring days!
I'm quite addicted to iced coffee, and though I'll be the first to admit Starbucks is not the best coffee on the market, they are the only ones I've found to make my iced coffee "right". So between that, and their gold star rewards, I find myself there multiple times a week.
Since there is no Starbucks close to my house, I often make up a batch of cold brew coffee to keep on hand for those occasions when leaving the house seems like way too much work. It's super easy, stores well, and I can make it "right" myself - and save money in the process!
Cold brew coffee is better than simply refrigerating brewed coffee until chilled. It's much stronger, to to handle the ice melting, and smoother in taste.
While I typically drink hot coffee black, I love adding flavored creamers and syrups to the iced version. Try this homemade maple vanilla coffee creamer or homemade rosemary simple syrup for a delicious twist!
Scroll down below recipe to see details on the DIY coffee station!
Cold Brew Iced Coffee
1/2 lb bag coffee beans, coarsely ground
6 cups water
Place the coffee in a gallon sized container/pitcher. Slowly pour the water over top and gently stir with a wooden spoon. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours (or up to 24 hours).
Line a mesh strainer with a piece of cheesecloth or paper towel and place over a medium bowl. Slowly pour the coffee over the strainer until most of the liquid is gone from the pitcher. If using paper towels, you'll need to change out the towel frequently.
Store covered in the fridge for about a week.
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While iced coffee is typically my first choice, I'm an equal opportunity coffee fan. Having all the "makings" for a hot beverage in one spot makes getting my hands on a cup of coffee early in the morning that much easier, and it comes in handy when we have house guests! This easy coffee station has become the perfect addition to our kitchen.
In the galvanized tray, you'll find:
- cinnamon sticks
- sugar
- ground cinnamon
- tea bags
- hot chocolate mix
- stir sticks
- mugs
- selection of K-Cups
I hit up the Dollar Tree and bought small glass dessert shot glasses that were perfect for storing cinnamon sticks and stir sticks {I put the 3rd in the guest bath and stocked it with q-tips!}. I also picked up a pack of salt and pepper shakers, which were perfect for sugar and cinnamon. The white metal pail that the tea bags are in is from Target dollar spot. They seem to have a steady stream of great containers there.
Of course, I just point house guests to the iced coffee and coffee creamers/milk in the fridge before heading to bed so they can help themselves. We put the coffee station right next to the fridge so it's all easy to access.
Now who's ready for a big cup of coffee?
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