I love coffee. Adore it. I just don’t like it when it’s hot. Warm liquid beverages make me sleepy, which negates the joy and the impact of the fully caffeinated version I drink. I like my coffee cold, over tons of ice — and I drink A LOT.

Despite my love of the brew, it always seemed crazy to me to maintain and store a coffee “machine” that requires electricity, prime counter and/or cabinet space, and the purchase of a never-ending supply of filters.

So I bought a french press. Then, when I discovered how much I liked it, I bought a bigger, nicer french press. This is the one I used every day.

I’ll be keeping it around for traditional coffee, in case of unexpected guests and personal forgetfulness… but my daily drink — my iced coffee — will be made an even easier way, and will require even less energy and effort and nothing disposable.

Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

• 1/2 pound of freshly ground coffee beans
• 8-10 cups of filtered water

Place the coffee in a large glass container (with a lid). Add water. Stir until all grounds are “swimming” in the water, rather than staying on top of the surface. Seal. Wait 12-24 hours (on the longer side of that scale for those of us who like darker coffee.)

Strain liquid into a second jar (or straight into a whoppin’ huge glass if you are me!) I use several layers of cheese cloth (which I wash and reuse next time) to strain off the grounds.

Pour this over a glass full of ice. I usually prefer mine black, but you can add half & half, sweetened condensed milk, skim milk, heavy cream — whatever you like.

Use light to medium roasted varieties of coffee to avoid bitterness with this method of brewing. Flavored coffees do well. Cold brewing results in a much less acidic end result, so it may be the best brewing method for anyone with a sensitive tummy.

Enjoy!