Just in time for those cozy autumn mornings, Trader Joe’s has released a $10 bottle of pre-brewed espresso as we approach pumpkin spice latte season.
I’m a huge fan of making coffee at home, despite often biting the bullet on the occasional $8 iced cold brew. That’s why I was very pleased to find that for around the same price, I could avoid a far too expensive Grande Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew or Pumpkin Spice Latte and make one from the comfort of my own kitchen.
The bottle itself advertises 16 one-ounce espresso shots per container, which for me meant I’d get to enjoy about eight to ten coffee beverages from the bottle, depending on whether I was enjoying an iced coffee or an iced latte.
While the bottle offers instructions on how to make an iced coffee or an iced latte, it also suggests that the bottled espresso would be great for espresso martinis or affogatos. Next time I’m picking up a pint of vanilla ice cream…
First, I wanted to try the espresso itself over ice. When I worked as a baker, my favorite afternoon pick-me-up was an iced espresso from the coffee shop next door. It was bitter and biting, warm, but never burnt, exactly how an espresso should taste. I was expecting this iced espresso to be far too bitter and excessively burnt, but I was very surprised to find that it went down fairly smoothly.
Next, I followed the instructions on the bottle to make an iced coffee. Trader Joe’s suggests mixing four parts water to one part espresso, adding milk if desired.
I started with two ounces of espresso and added eight ounces of water, resulting in what would be a medium iced coffee at your average coffee chain. I tried the iced coffee black, and similar to my experience with the iced espresso, I found that it went down smoothly.
Thankfully, I picked up a bottle of my favorite pumpkin spice coffee creamer (‘tis the season…) and added a splash to my iced coffee. While it wasn’t as strong as an iced coffee you’d get at your favorite coffee shop, it tasted nice. But honestly, if I were to prioritize iced coffee at home, I’d probably reach for a bottled cold brew over this product.
For the iced latte, Trader Joe’s suggests mixing three parts of the milk of your choosing with one part espresso, pouring over ice.
Because it was the afternoon and I didn’t want to feel too buzzed, I poured one ounce of espresso over ice and mixed it with three ounces of oat milk and a splash of pumpkin spice creamer to taste. I found this to be very delicious and honestly really rivaled my go-to coffee chain’s PSL. Looks like I’ll be saving some serious cash this autumn.
Since I already had my barista hat on, I decided to have a shot at the beloved pumpkin cream cold brew, one of my favorite autumnal beverages. I poured one ounce of espresso over ice and mixed it with four ounces of water, following the instructions for an iced coffee. In a separate cup using a milk frother, I whipped about one ounce of pumpkin spice creamer until very light and frothy, gently pouring it on top of the iced coffee.
Overall, I think this product is a solid addition to the Trader Joe’s shelves, especially as a sister product to their bottled cold brew, which I always keep stocked in my fridge. Smoother than expected while still warm and strong, this might just become my new coffee shop cheat this October and beyond.
