Today’s recipe gives you two cups of coffee for the price of one. A cafetiere of fresh coffee brews in about four minutes, after which time the coffee should be decanted, so it’s not too strong or bitter. The spent grounds left over still have plenty of flavour and caffeine left in them, so save them to make cold brew. Cold brew coffee is really expensive to buy, because of the time it takes to make it and the cost of the packaging, but it’s surprisingly easy and effortless to make at home.
Cold brew coffee is less acidic and less bitter than hot brewed coffee, but it is quite heavily caffeinated even when made with spent coffee grounds, because of the long infusion time. Sometimes, I ask my local cafe for a bag of spent grounds to make a big, three-litre batch of cold brew for the week ahead. I usually enjoy my coffee black, but when I fancy a treat, I sometimes mix it with raw milk and a little honey.
Spent coffee cold brew
If you like iced coffee, this is a great way to make the perfect cup. Having a nice smooth batch of cold brew in the fridge ready to pour over ice is a gamechanger, especially when it cost virtually nothing because you made it out of spent coffee grounds. Use spent grounds saved from a filter or espresso machine (store them in the fridge for up to five days until you have enough), or tap up a local coffee shop for some of their leftover grounds; you can also store spent coffee grounds in the freezer indefinitely. Alternatively, dry them on a tray in the sun and store them in a jar.
Makes 3-4 cups
350g used coffee grounds
Sweetener (eg, agave syrup, honey, sugar syrup), to taste (optional)
Milk or plant-based alternative, to taste (optional)
Measure the used coffee grounds into a glass or ceramic bowl, then stir in a litre of (ideally filtered) water; if you like your coffee sweet, add a liquid sweetener taste.
Cover the bowl tightly, put in the fridge and leave to infuse for 16-18 hours. Strain the mix through a coffee filter, muslin or sieve into clean storage jars – use a ladle or jug to avoid spillage. Seal and keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Serve your cold brew as it is, straight from the fridge or over ice, with your favourite milk or plant-based alternative, if you prefer.
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