Today I am sharing the story of coffee in my family and how to make perfect iced coffee. The photo below was taken during a little photo shoot of my balcony when we lived in Midtown Atlanta. I was trying to get a good shot of the table that I later returned. I have returners remorse (is that a thing?) and have tried a couple of times to find another one with no avail. I really hope that the person that eventually bought it has given it a good home.
COFFEE IN MY LIFE
I grew up with a mother that was a very big coffee drinker. Now I am grown with a mother that is a big coffee drinker. By big, I mean take whatever amount you can imagine and double it. Before she retired, she was never found at work without carrying her travel mug. Ever.
When we go out to dinner as a family, most of us order water or tea. My mom? She orders a cup of coffee. She drinks it with everything no matter what the temperature is like outside! My sister and I have teased her that she must have coffee running through her veins.
As an adult I am a big coffee drinker. I wasn’t when I was younger. I didn’t even enjoy coffee until I was in grad school in my mid-twenties. I started as one of those people that could only enjoy it with a lot of cream and sugar. I am not really sure how it happened, but now I enjoy my coffee black. Most creamers are too sweet and sugar is way too sweet, unless it is bad coffee. If it is bad coffee, there isn’t enough cream and sugar.
My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t really drink coffee. He will have a cup or two if we are traveling, however he isn’t much for enjoying it when we are around the house. Maybe he secretly thinks I make bad coffee.
I have a weekend ritual that revolves around my love of the first cup of coffee in the morning. I wake up early on Saturday’s, make a cup in my lovely Keurig, sit in my over sized reading chair, and enjoy my coffee as I read. It is me time that I look forward to every week. My husband likes to sleep in, so I typically get an hour or two to myself.
WHY ICED COFFEE?
I love coffee, but it is hard to sip on a piping hot cup of Joe when it is 90 degrees outside. Just the idea makes me sweat a little.
In the summer months I like to cool down and change up my routine. I am a fan of consistency, but it is nice to change things up every now and again. Also, I make the iced coffee the night before and it is nice and cold when I am ready to leave in the morning. All I have to do is pour it into a mug and I am ready to go!
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT ICED COFFEE
Making iced coffee is super easy, but you have to do it with a long lead time. You will want to start this process the evening before you need it. You want to give the process a good 6 hours to get a good flavor.
- Add ground coffee to a French press. If you want a stronger brew, add more ground coffee.
- Add cold water
- Allow the French press to sit in the refrigerator over night.
- Pour and serve.
Note: It is possible to brew hot coffee and put it in the refrigerator to chill. This won’t give you quite the same effect. The difference will be in the flavor of the coffee. The cold brew tames the bitterness that regular brewing gives coffee. The cold brew allows for a much smoother taste.
