The $7.99 Trader Joe's Cold Brew Hack I Can’t Live Without

Making this Trader Joe’s cold brew is the closest I get to meal prepping.

By
Molly Adams
Molly Adams
Molly Adams
Molly Adams is a classically trained chef, whose experience includes recipe development, recipe testing, food writing, and cooking for loved ones.
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Published August 10, 2022
Molly Adams
Trader Joe's store front

Simply Recipes

I often go to bed dreaming about my morning cup of sweet, sweet coffee. But it hasn't always been that way. During both of my pregnancies, coffee and I had a bit of a rough patch. I needed it to survive, but the acidity made me feel pretty miserable—cue the debilitating caffeine headaches! Thankfully, I learned that cold brew is less acidic and I’m now a full-time cold brew drinker.

Making cold brew at home is technically very easy, and two kids ago I would have convinced you that I loved every minute of loading my Toddy and patiently waiting for the cold brew magic to happen. Now I am much older and wiser, and fussing with those messy coffee grinds is just not fun, nor easy anymore. Enter: the Cold Brew Coffee Bags from Trader Joe’s. Not to be dramatic or anything, but this product has seriously changed my life.

Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Bags

Simply Recipes / Molly Adams

Why Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Bags Are Pure Magic

These clever oversized tea bag-like satchels are filled with 100% Arabica medium roast coffee, which is single-origin and grown in Tanzania at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro—not bad for $7.99!

Wait 'til you learn just how easy it is to make this coffee. Each pack comes with four large satchels. To make a large pitcher—about 7 cups of cold brew—simply pop two satchels into a 2-quart pitcher and fill it with cold, filtered water. In 8 to12 hours, you'll have perfect cold brew. Remove and discard (or compost!) the satchels and keep the cold brew refrigerated so that you can reach for caffeine whenever the need strikes. 

My favorite thing to do is make a big batch of cold brew at the beginning of the week—it’s about as close as I get to meal prepping. Now I hope you go pick up a pack or two, but let’s keep this little secret between you and me so that they don’t sell out.

Why Cold Brew is SO Delicious

To make cold brew, instead of applying heat (aka hot water), the ground coffee beans are soaked in cold water. This reduces some of the stomach-irritating acid often found in coffee and prevents the bitter heat-activated oils in the grounds from releasing into the final brew. Coffee nerd alert! This means you won't get the flavor-masking bitterness often found in hot brewed coffee, which allows you to savor the nuanced flavors of the coffee beans. That's why cold brew is so delicious!