Okay there’s no sailing right now, so let’s talk about the next most important thing: coffee.
I have been experimenting with cold brew coffee at home. Don’t get me wrong -- I love hot coffee especially when it’s cold outside. But I found another way to make it, one that’s a lot faster in the morning, and also a lot easier to make a smaller amount.
So, I’m asking current and future crew: please give this a shot (so to speak) since making hot coffee at sea might be a lot easier with this approach.
- Buy some cold brew concentrate from your local store. Get the smallest one you can since we don't know if you're going to like it for hot coffee or not. It is found in the refrigerated section.
- Pour 2 ounces of the cold brew into your mug
- Add 4 ounces of boiling hot water. If you like your coffee a little weaker, you can add more hot water, up to about 6 ounces total, to make an 8 ounce cup.
- Add cream or sugar if you normally do that
- Enjoy
Why is this better? Well, cold brew is actually pretty easy to make. It’s basically super concentrated coffee, brewed with time rather than heat. It can be frozen into ice cubes, or keeps about 10 days in the fridge. Boiling some water and making coffee without having to grind beans or slowly brew.
I’d love to get some feedback as to whether the store purchased cold brew tastes as good as the coffee you brew. I personally find it a little better -- it’s less bitter than hot brewed coffee and so I don’t need any milk or sweetener.