Starbucks Cold Brew Pitcher Pack-We Tried It
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Starbucks Cold Brew in their coffee stands is a strong, smooth brew that it took me a while to appreciate. But, when I’ve forgotten to brew my coffee overnight, Starbucks has become my go-to alternate and I have acquired a taste for them (and a need to have a chocolate croissant with it). I have been intrigued for a while by the pitcher packs and with my local grocery store running low on new options for my Cold Brew Challenge, I decided to give it a go.
The pitcher pack contains 2 pouches, and each pouch contains two large tea bags of coffee. To prepare, you put both the bags (from one pouch) into a pitcher and add 4 cups of water. The recommendation is to brew in the fridge for 24 hours. After brewing you remove the coffee bags and add 3 more cups of water to dilute the concentrate.
The first attempt:
My first attempt started well enough. I had large mason jars that seemed perfect for the job. This turned out to be a mistake, as I did not account for how fragile the coffee bags would be to remove (yes, paper has been soaking for 24 hours–I get that now). Mistake is actually an understatement. I couldn’t get the bags out of the jar without breaking them. Coffee. Everywhere. Yet, once I had strained all of the grounds out, I was left with a bold, smooth brew that was surprisingly tasty.
On my second attempt, I got smarter and used an actual pitcher to brew, and then transferred the finished coffee to my over-sized mason jar for storage (you end up with close to 7 cups of coffee). Be sure to cover your pitcher with plastic wrap to minimize odors from the fridge. Also, a glass vessel is preferable.
Here is my second attempt:
- Place both coffee bags in a pitcher and add 4 cups of water
- Place in the fridge for 24 hours, covered
- Remove the coffee bags. I used a cone filter to try and squeeze some extra coffee out.
- Add 3 c. of cold water and store in the fridge for up to a week.
The verdict:
This made a really nice, smooth cup of coffee with no hints of papery taste from the tea bag. For the price of 3 trips to Starbucks for a tall cold brew, you can get about 12 cups of coffee for $12 (factoring in all the ice they put in that 12 oz. cup!). This one is a winner.