I fell in love when I moved to New England. With iced coffee. It’s a cultural phenomenon, really, most likely stemming from the influence of Boston’s hometown darling, Dunkin’ Donuts.

You can’t walk five steps without a coffee post slinging an array of iced coffee flavors. Coconut Macaroon? Yes…wait, no I’ll have the Extra Minty York Peppermint Patty With Extra Chocolate iced coffee, please. And thank you.

As much as I love the emotionally uplifting experience of walking to grab an iced coffee during work (after all, coffee has more of a psychological than physical impact on me), I’d be spending a small fortune if I spent money on coffee twice a day. This is why I’ve decided to engineer the perfect easy-to-make iced coffee.

What you’ll need:

– A French press
– 1/2 cup of freshly ground coffee
– Tap water
– 1 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1 tsp. cinnamon
– Half and half
– Sugar to taste

Place your 1/2 cup of coffee in the French press. I love using Kona coffee because of it’s mild and sweet flavor. Next, fill the French press to the top with cold tap water and give it a stir. Put your filled container sans the lid in the fridge until the morning. As it turns out, your coffee will brew with a more powerful flavor when it sits in cold water overnight!

In the morning, remove the French press from the fridge, place the lid on top, and slowly plunge the filter. I like to add a bit of flavor and sweetness to my coffee, so after I pour my black magic into a cup, I add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar. By using common ingredients I’m able to forgo buying flavor syrups at the grocery store.

After topping my coffee with a little half and half, I’m ready to start my day. I’ve noticed that French press coffee – especially when chilled instead of scalded with water – packs some great flavor. It’s not burnt and it is so refreshing!

Oh, and aren’t these ranunculus lovely? Trader Joe’s has the best (and most affordable) flowers. Can’t beat fresh flowers around the house.

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