An Easy Way to Make Iced Coffee

This post is sponsored by my addiction to iced coffee and is not affiliated with Starbucks. I was not paid to promote the following product. In fact, I paid for it with my very own moolah. All opinions, as is always the case, are my own. And in this case, they're backed by creamer, milk and ice. And some jitters caused by too much caffeine.

So I've got this iced coffee addiction. If you've been following me here and on my various social media outlets, this you already know. At first, it was all about the flavor. I would order a decaf and call it good because...jitters. But now, I willingly accept them as a side effect of caffeine consumption. Literally, I go to bed wondering when I'll wake up and how soon I'll be able to drink my cup 'o the day. Because usually, I just drink one cup. I'm not THAT addicted, not just yet anyway (for the most part).

But here's the thing. I've got a Keurig, and there's a Starbucks down the road. My complaints:

1) I have yet to find an iced K-Cup that I really, truly love. And at this time of year, they're hard to find anyway (at least at my stores).

2) There's no drive-thru at my Starbucks, so I have to plan accordingly because I almost always have the kids with me when I go. And we only have one Starbucks in town.

So I've been on this mission to make awesome iced coffee at home. And I think I've finally nailed it, thanks to this little contraption I ordered from Starbucks...

...and some Breakfast Blend, because that's what my barista suggested I try. And yes, she's MY barista and she totally GETS me. (Because doesn't your barista get you, too? Don't deny it.)

Literally, this thing was worth every penny. I concluded that after just one pitcher:

It couldn't have been any easier to make what you see above, and it would have been even easier if my teapot hadn't been full of rust (a testament to my interest in tea these days).

First, you have to put 16 tablespoons of coffee grounds into the attachment that holds a filter:

And then you pour (slowly) the hot water over the grounds and let it drip through. Which, of course, is where the teapot would have come in handy. But almost-boiling water in a basic sauce pot gets the job done (if you can be careful when you're pouring).

It takes a few minutes for the water to drip through, hence the sludge:

But when it's done, you're left with a hot pitcher of coffee concentrate.

And so at this point, you add a ton of ice to fill the pitcher, which then melts to create a perfect batch of iced coffee:

Now, here's where it gets fun. I'm sure you have your favorite coffee additions. Me, I like just a little bit of Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Sweet Cream and a splash of non-fat milk. And more ice. Because the colder, the better. Sometimes I put caramel syrup in it, too (I know). But I'm out and doing just fine without it at the moment.

Truth be told, it's a bit stronger than what I get at Starbucks, but I think that their iced coffee is pre-sweetened. So, there's that despite my efforts to ask for less caramel (and consequently less sugar) when I order it. Whatevs.

Let's just be straight about one thing: I'm no coffee aficionado. I treat it kind of like wine. If it tastes good, I'll drink it. So your opinion of this way to make iced coffee might be drastically difference if you're in-the-know about coffee more than I am. But if you're like me and you wanna save a little cash (and some calories) (maybe even some time), then you might like this easy way to make your own iced coffee.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must surf the Starbucks site because I want the entire Dot Collection. Have you seen all the awesome new mugs and cups in the stores right now? Little things like an awesome coffee tumbler have such great power to make me happy.

You see nothing wrong with that, right? Right. Okay.

Question: How do you make your iced coffee? What do you add to it? Do you have any bean suggestions for me? I feel like I need to experiment now that I know Breakfast Blend is good to me.