In case you didn’t notice, IT’S SUMMEEER! Yay! Temperature is hitting 80’s and upper 90’s and here, in Texas, things will get even worse, probably in July, when I usually get around 110-115 degrees.
The best way for me to cool down these days is either to have a sparkling water with lemon on the side or, especially in the morning, to have a great iced coffee, specifically a caffè latte following the most amazing recipe which I am excited to share here. Before I start, let me quote Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tanks: I don’t pay $2.50 for a coffee, I rather prefer to invest. Couldn’t agree more!
You already know that, here, at 9to5hacks, we are budget freaks. We break down the numbers and always make informed decisions and, most of the times, we share our insights here. Now, when it comes to coffee, my personal commitment is simple: I don’t want to pay more than $1 on a coffee and I want to have THE best ingredients in the world in that coffee. I ran the numbers for you at the end of this article, but first, let me share the recipe with you!
(The most amazing) Coconut milk mint iced coffee
For this hack you will need:
8 fl oz of brewed coffee, preferably cold or, at least, not hot
- coconut milk – I use Aroy-D from Amazon – it comes in BPA-free packing and super cheap (12 pack for $20). You can find many other types at your local grocery store (try Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s)
- a silicone tray – I got this set of 3 BPA trays from Amazon for dirt cheap ($12) and I love them
What you need to do next is fill one of your trays with coconut milk and then store in the freezer. One the milk is frozen and feels like ice, take the tray out and extract 3 cubes. Put them into your coffee and let them dissolve a bit until you see the coconut milk blending nicely with your coffee.
Final step is to put few mint leaves on top and then sip and enjoy your uber-awesome coffee. You’ve done it!
How I reached the $1 price tag
I’ve ran the numbers for you so you don’t have to. One thing I did not include below is the cost of the trays which will pay for themselves in about 1 month after purchase. So:
- I always choose Counter Culture coffee that costs around $12 for a 12 oz pack. That gives me 20 servings, each 8 oz, of coffee per this bag. That brings the price per coffee: 60 cents
- With a 12 pack of coconut milk, each box having 8.5 oz, you get 102 fl oz
- 1 coconut milk ice cube is around 0.5 fl oz, which means each pack of 12 boxes of milk give you roughly 204 cubes
- Finally, we reach the price of a coconut milk cube of roughly 10 cents
We, thus reach the final price of the coffee which is 60 cents + 3 * 10 cents = 90 cents. Add in the cost of refrigeration and mint and you probably end up in the 92-95 cents per coffee. And this is not just a regular iced coffee but one of the healthiest, most-amazing and super tasteful you’ve ever had!
That’s it. Enjoy your new coffee gain and saving to your budget!