Cold Brew Coffee...the best start to your day

So...I'm about to share with you how to make cold brew...You're welcome.

If you follow me on instagram (@donuteatingdietitian), you know that I drink a cold brew latte every single day. Seriously, every day. Sometimes, I drink it in the afternoon too. I've been asked several times about how to make it, so I decided I should just share here on the blog.

Making your own cold brew is suuuper simple. And way cheaper than buying the bottled stuff. I mean, have you seen how outrageous it is to buy it?? No thanks. Besides, I like getting to try different flavors based on the roast I buy. 

Cold brew is different than simply putting ice in coffee. It has it's own method of being made and it has a different taste profile as well. I find cold brew to be less bitter and far more flavorful. I have to add a bunch of sugar to regular brewed coffee to like it (caramel macchiato? Yes, puhlease), but I only add milk to my cold brew and it is ssooooo delicious! I highly recommend buying lighter roasts. I don't know how to describe how the dark roast cold brew tastes, but I'm not a fan.

Sorry to get off subject, but I have yet to catch you all up on my most recent employment status! Last time I posted, I mentioned that I had decided to go the private practice route. Welp, that changed. But it was a GOOD change. I am so stinking excited that it did and about my future....I received a job with a Christian counseling company in the area to do one-on-one nutritional counseling for those with eating disorders, disordered eating, and weight management issues. You guys, this is exactly in-line with my heart and passions and in the kind of environment I longed for!! I didn't think getting a job this perfect for me was possible, but God was good to provide it for me! In addition, I am also doing some part-time nutritional counseling for a physician group in the area. Holy moly, getting to do what you're passionate about is so exciting and rewarding. 

So lately I have been spending a lot of time researching and learning, networking with providers in the area, and getting my feet wet. It is going to take awhile to build up a solid clientele since it is a new service they are offering, but I am perfectly fine with that. And as I learn more about eating disorders and intuitive eating, the more mad I get at the dieting industry and the messages that the media sends us. Our views of food and our bodies and the language we so commonly use with each other is so detrimental! But that's for an entirely different post...

Back to making this cold brew concentrate. Pick a light coffee roast of your liking, place 1 cup of ground coffee in a large bowl with a pouring spout (or else you'll end up with water ALL over your counter), add 4 cups of water (always a 4:1 ratio), cover it, and leave it sitting on your counter for the next 12-24 hours. I normally start mine in the evening and then strain it at the same time the next morning. To strain the coffee, put a coffee filter into a colander placed over a medium bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer. Once it has strained completely, pour it into a resealable glass or plastic container and store in the fridge for up to a week...if it lasts that long. 

Lastly, to drink your delicious cold brew: fill a glass with ice, pour your coffee to about the halfway mark, and then top with milk! Beware, cold brew has more caffeine than brewed hot coffee, so if you get jittery easily, you may want to start out with smaller amounts than you normally drink! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!