Though few things are more rewarding than brewing a fresh cup of coffee and staring longingly into the distance as the sun rises, the truth is, we don’t always have the luxury of time… especially on busy mornings. And same goes for stopping for yet another absurdly expensive cup of cold brew from the local coffee shop. (Seriously, when did it become okay to charge $9 for eight ounces of bean juice?)
Good news for folks in search of quick, delicious, and highly-caffeinated coffee: We just discovered the most efficient, budget-friendly way to make big-batch iced coffee concentrate at home. The ready-to-go coffee gets made in an Instant Pot for hands-free (and mental energy-free) brewing, and it will give you a much-needed boost of energy without compromising on flavor or consuming a single minute of your morning. Heck, you can even doctor it up with almond milk and cinnamon ahead of time and have caffeine at the ready for an entire week. Talk about a reason to actually look forward to dragging your tush out of bed!
How to make big-batch iced coffee concentrate in an Instant Pot
Have two ingredients (coffee and water) and five minutes to spare? Believe us when we say it’ll be well-worth your time. According to this Instant Pot iced coffee concentrate recipe from Recipes From A Pantry, you can make a large batch of concentrated java in the multi-function device in just a few minutes, and it’ll stay top-notch in terms of freshness and flavor in the refrigerator all week long.
To do so, simply combine water and freshly-ground coffee beans in an Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for five minutes, then allow the pressure in the device to release naturally once the cooking time has been completed. Next, carefully strain the coffee grinds using a filter or paper towel and transfer the freshly-brewed coffee into an airtight container (a mason jar is great) to store in the refrigerator for up to a week. The big batch of iced coffee concentrate can then be customized to your heart’s content with your favorite mix-ins like oat milk or plant-based creamer, a dash of pumpkin spice, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
In a recent TikTok video by @findbex, Rebecca Coleman demonstrates just how easy it is to make this concentrate at home. She adds one and a half cups of water, three-quarters of a cup of freshly ground coffee, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then, Coleman brews the coffee at high pressure for five minutes. Once it’s all set, she strains it into a bottle for later. To make her perfect cup of iced coffee, she adds a bit of the concentrate to a glass filled with ice, a splash of simple syrup and the milk of her choice, and gives it a stir before enjoying it.
If you don’t intend to drink all of the coffee concentrate within a week, you can also freeze it using silicone ice cube molds for later use. (PSA: Using coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice is the perfect way to keep your cold coffee from getting watered down.) These frozen cubes can also be added to your favorite smoothies or smoothie bowl recipes to add an extra zap of energy and tons of delicious coffee flavor.
Speaking of which, if you love drinking flavored coffees like pumpkin spice lattes during this time of year, try adding additional flavorings to your batch of coffee while it cooks in the Instant Pot. Some ideas? Bintu from Recipe From A Pantry suggests adding anti-inflammatory spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla while cooking to give the concentrate even more rich spice notes. Alternately, she suggests pouring the concentrate over vanilla ice cream for an affogato-style dessert. (Swoon.) You can also try adding your favorite flavors like hazelnut, ginger, caramel, or French vanilla for a coffee shop-quality drink you’ll want to sip on all day long.
Easy Instant Pot Iced Coffee Concentrate Recipe
Yields 32 servings
Ingredients1 1/4 cups freshly ground coffee, regular or decaf18 cups water
1. Add ground coffee and water to the Instant Pot insert and stir to mix.
2. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it, and set the valve to the sealing position (not venting).
3. Select pressure cook (or manual) high pressure, and set the timer for five minutes.
4. When cook time is finished, allow for a complete natural pressure release.
5. Remove the insert from the Instant Pot and carefully strain the Instant Pot iced coffee concentrate.
An RD shares all of the reasons why you *should* drink coffee:
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