Quarantining last year really inspired me to try some new things in coffee-landia. There was no Dunkin' Donuts to be had, and k-cups got boring really fast. So I invested in a pour-over coffee maker and an electric tea kettle. I added some coffee accessories to my wish lists and was gifted a cold brew pitcher and a coffee grinder. It was one of the best decisions I could've ever made. There's something about freshly made coffee made from fresh ground beans that just tastes absolutely incredible. Regardless of the bean's roast, it's smooth and doesn't give me horrible acid reflux like most other coffees. 

But not only have I switched over from an instant style coffee, but I've also started pay more mind to the type of coffee we buy. I've opted for a subscription through Trade Coffee, which is extremely customizable - we generally opt for one 12 lb bag every two weeks, but you can do more or less. Plus subscribers get a discount on every bag bought - you can even get your first bag totally free through this link.

I've had a few favorites that I've tried over the past several months - Sparrows Coffee Joven roast and Onyx Coffee Lab's Southern Weather. Now I'm not a connoisseur so I can describe the different notes and flavors, but I can say both of these are incredibly smooth and almost chocolatey in taste. I am obsessed. Plus, the Joven roast was literally created by a young girl, so what's not to love?

How do I make my favorite at-home coffee?

For hot:

I grind the coffee right before it's ready to brew. 

I dump the ground coffee into the filter (I use the permanent mesh filter that came with my coffee carafe).

Then pour hot water (heated in an electric kettle) over the ground coffee in a spiral motion, starting in the middle. 

Once all the coffee water has dripped through the grounds to make my coffee, I then add in my Sweet-n-Low and oat milk (I've found the Chobani Plain Extra Creamy to be the best!), but of course - make it to your preference.

Sometimes, if I want my coffee a little darker, or if I'm running low on grounds, I pour the coffee into a large cup, and pour the lighter coffee back through the grounds, and repeat until the coffee is the right color.

For cold:

I grind up the coffee and put the grounds into the inner mesh of my cold brew pitcher. (If you don't have a reusable pitcher, cold brew bags are also nice!)

I put the coffee-filled mesh (or cold brew bags) into a pitcher filled with cold filtered water.

Lastly, I put it in the fridge to sit for at least 24 hours. Make sure to stir before you pour.

So that's it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

*I received some free items from Onyx Coffee Labs in exchange for this post. All opinions are entirely my own.