The pros:Â Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate is pre-made coffee that just needs to be diluted.
The cons: Just as expensive as buying a 12 ounce package of Trader Joe's coffee which will brew more coffee than this package.
The verdict: Â Trader Joe's caters to quite a few different audiences. They are clearly interest in the organic crowd, the vegan crowd, the gluten free crowd, and a crowd that I am very proud to be in: the lazy crowd. There are times when I forget to grind coffee or buy coffee for that matter. So this was a good try.
I realized that it would be even better given where I work. Depending on where you work dictates how many amenities you have. I worked at one job where there were bagels daily. I now work in a place where I get excited if there is actually warmish water in the bathroom. You see some places of work have coffee. We have more of a communal coffee pot.
I work in a place where it is BYOC. Bring your own coffee. In the past we have had some coffee makers, but given how burnt they smell I would not dare drink from them. We do have a communal Keurig and a new coffee pot that someone looks lovingly after. But still. I'd still rather bring my own.
This bottle is concentrated. So, not pour and drink. I watered it down to the recommended 2:1 water to coffee concentrate level. It was solid. It's a medium roast so you'll get the coffee flavor, but it's not a nuanced coffee. It's smooth as anything and easy as can be. So if easy if your thing, then absolutely reach for this.
For $7.99 this is a bit of premium for such a lazy product. If you want to see how easy it is to make this, then check out the NY Times recipe on how to accomplish this item at home. With some coffee grounds, time, and possibly a french press you'll save yourself a lot of green. If money is of no concern, then feel free to enjoy away as this makes a solid cup of coffee. As for me, I'm totally up for buying this again. It made a good cup of coffee that in a pinch I would pay for again.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The bottle of Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate:
The ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
Would I buy this again? While I would consider buying Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate again, I'd still rather brew my own. It's more cost effective that way. Otherwise, this perfectly good daily drinker.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Dag says
Hhhhmmmm- I'm thinking this might be better to have on hand for smoothies, milkshakes or recipes calling for the addition of coffee especially since it is concerntrated. I can imagine it would make a really yummy coffee mocha Frappuccino. And I've used espresso or coffee in making chocolate cakes and brownies. It really adds to the depth of the chocolate. I have this awesome brownie recipe from quite some time ago that won multiple awards. And it has a great name to boot-San Francisco Fudge Foogies.
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! Now those are some really good uses I hadn't thought of yet. I can't tell you how many times I've made brownies and used my keurig only to need two ounces of coffee. I'll try to see if I can look in those Foogies. Thanks as always for sharing your insight!