We Just Found the Easiest Way to Enjoy Cafe-Style Cold Brew at Home

Any cold brew lover knows that whipping up your own batch requires 100 percent patience and precision. And as much as I love sipping cold brew year-round, I find it a whole lot easier to swing by my favorite coffee shop to get my fix rather than take on the hassle of making it at home. But when cafes around the country — NYC included — closed shop in March, I hit the panic button, fearing that it would be months before I could wrap my hands around a solid cup of coffee, let alone a strong cold brew. Luckily, I discovered Jot Ultra Coffee, an ultra-concentrated brew that can transform into any coffee beverage you can dream of in mere seconds, including a less acidic, deliciously smooth concoction that tastes just as good as barista-level cold brew!

So what’s bottled coffee concentrate? Think of it like liquified instant coffee, but without the muddy, heavy taste. The DTC coffee brand sources beans directly from fair-trade and sustainable farms in Central and South America and extracts the maximum flavor to create a concentrate that’s supposedly 20 times more intense than regularly brewed coffee. The brand recommends using a single tablespoon (which is helpfully included) as the base for any coffee drink, and if, like me, you like breaking the rules and sneaking in an extra tablespoon…DON’T. This stuff is potent!

Once my bottle arrived, I whipped up a nutty, creamy latte in just four minutes. The following day, I swapped eight ounces of hot milk for hot water and enjoyed a bistro-style Americano in less than two minutes. But it wasn’t until day three, when I accidentally added eight cups of cold water instead of eight ounces, that I discovered this thing could transform into one heck of a delicious cold brew! And unlike iced coffee, which tends to taste slightly bitter and acidic, I was sipping a more mellow, milder drink that tasted just as good as my favorite cafe’s cold brew. Pro tip: Top it with ice cubes and a dash of Torani’s salted caramel syrup for an added sweet kick.

Each Jot Ultra coffee bottle yields exactly 14 cups of coffee, and for $24, it’s still cheaper than buying cold brew from a cafe. You can also buy two or three bottles and save up to five percent, or like me, subscribe and get a bottle delivered to your doorstep every two, four or six weeks! Besides enjoying the easiest, fuss-free cold brew every morning, I have used my concentrate to make affogatos, Irish coffee and even add a splash to coffee-based cocktails. And with businesses slowly starting to open up, I do plan on supporting my local cafe again, but only to buy their matcha latte or cappuccinos!

Buy: Jot Coffee, $24

This post originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: This Is Hands-Down the Easiest Way to Enjoy Cafe-Style Cold Brew at Home