Ice in the Heat—Low-Cost Cold Drinks

Here in San Francisco, our hottest months are September and October. So, I’m thinking cold drinks at this time.

First, let me tell you about a cold drink that saves money all year long. It’s home-brewed, cold-brewed, coffee. You can pour a cup and heat it in the microwave when there’s a chill in the air or even a blizzard outside—assuming that the power is on, G-d willing!

I assume that you don’t buy coffee in a café, except possibly as a rare treat. Coffee ground fresh in a grinder, electric or hand-powered, tastes the best. You can use beans, the cheaper canned ground coffee, or—as I do—a combination. (I use three scoops [a scoop is two Tablespoons] of beans and one scoop of ground coffee to prepare one-half gallon of cold-brewed coffee. See the following paragraph for how-to details on preparing a cold brew.) The reason for grinding ready-ground coffee is that it exposes more surface area to the water, thus giving you greater flavor and aroma.

You simply need two half-gallon jars that will fit into your fridge. Label one, “Coffee Brewing,” and the other “Ready Coffee.”

Set the “Coffee Brewing” jar, opened, in your kitchen sink. Grind four scoops—eight Tablespoons in total—of coffee. As stated above, you can use a combination of ready-ground and beans in your grinder. Tap down the cover fifteen or twenty times by fisting in its center so that no grounds stick to it. Pour out from the grinder into the “Coffee Brewing” jar as much coffee as you can. Then take a teaspoon (a flatware spoon or a measuring spoon) and scrape the sides and blade axle of the grinder so as to extract maximum grounds. Pour out from the grinder again.

Now fill the “Coffee Brewing” jar with cold water. Set it in the refrigerator. It needs to brew for at least 24 hours. I have left a cup or two of coffee inside the jar for as long as four days, but by then it becomes necessary to discard the bottom inch or so, as it is mere sediment.

Once at least 24 hours have gone by, place a disposable paper such as a paper towel or a piece of newspaper on the counter. Arrange the “Ready Coffee” jar in the sink with a long-handled sieve, preferably a large one, so that its handle is resting on the front lip of the sink. The business end of the sieve should be nestled in the jar as to its center. You’ll know that you’ve managed this right once the arrangement is stable. Now pour into the center of the sieve the coffee from the “Coffee Brewing” jar. You may spill a tad the first time or too—that’s why you’re doing this in the sink!

Fill the "Coffee Brewing" jar with fresh water. Rinse the "Coffee Brewing" jar out by pouring it through the sieve. Repeat until the jar is clean. Wash the jar with a little white vinegar in addition to soap and water before reuse.

Flip the sieve over into the middle of the disposable paper. Just leave it there to drain for five minutes or more—then you can compost it.

Meanwhile, pour some coffee if you like. Or simply cap the “Ready Coffee” jar and refrigerate it.

Excellent taste, and no extra cost for electricity (the refrigerator is running anyway!)

Second, an excellent pick-me-up is simply water with ice cubes. It does not add anything to your energy costs because the refrigerator is already on. It will keep you just about as alert as an additional jolt of caffeine, if taken on a day when you’ve already had one cup of coffee.