I Found an Effortless New Way to Make Barista-Worthy Cold Brew and I’m Never Going Back

One of my morning must-haves is a cup of tea or coffee. It changes daily (I never know until the moment arrives if I want it hot or cold), but fortunately, I have a number of options at my disposal. Lately, now that we’re approaching a hot Louisiana summer, I’ve been leaning toward cold brew more often than not. I love that instead of waiting for my coffee maker to warm up, I can reach right into my fridge for a cool and caffeinated drink that’s immediately ready to pour. However, there are times it comes with setbacks. If you’ve ever used a disposable cold brew kit, then you likely know how messy and wasteful it can be. The soggy bags of coffee grounds alone were enough to make me want to seek out an alternative brewing method. When I was introduced to the Hydros Stainless Steel Infuser that was specifically designed for cold brew, I knew it was going to change my coffee habit for the better.

This particular cold brew infuser is meant to be used in tandem with Hydros’ Glass Water Pitcher. I have the 64-ounce pitcher, but there’s also a 45-ounce option if you need to save some space. Like other editor-favorite Hydros water pitchers, the glass versions are equipped with a BPA-free carbon filter that snaps into the lid to give you clean, refreshing water — which just so happens to be the first step in the cold brew-making process. Once the pitcher is full of filtered water, the next step is to remove the filter and replace it with the stainless steel infuser filled with coffee grounds. From there, you can put the pitcher into the refrigerator for 10-18 hours (most of the time, I leave it in the fridge for 24 hours) before it’s ready to drink. It makes enough cold brew to last me all week, and best of all, I don’t have to deal with a dripping mess of soaking wet bags of old coffee. I simply wash the filter and pitcher once I’m done (both are dishwasher-safe), and then make another batch of cold brew for the following week.

My absolute favorite coffee to use with the Hydros Stainless Steel Infuser is from Copper Cow Coffee. It’s bold in flavor and goes down so smoothly that it actually caught me by surprise, so I’ve stuck with it ever since. I don’t consider myself a coffee snob, but even aficionados love it. At this point, I’ve made multiple pitchers of cold brew and it hasn’t let me down. In fact, the only “issue” I’ve had with the stainless steel infuser is that it doesn’t snap into place like the carbon filter. As a result, it has sometimes come loose from the lid when trying to remove the infuser, but it hasn’t been too big of a deal, since the wet grounds are so tightly packed that they don’t spill everywhere. Overall, I’ve loved the glass pitcher and cold brew infuser and it’s become one of my recent kitchen staples that I can’t imagine my life without.

Buy: Hydros Stainless Steel Infuser, $15