I still remember the slow, syrupy pour of cold brew into a glass of ice on a sticky July morning — smooth, low-acid, and somehow more forgiving than hot coffee. Cold brew is simply coffee grounds steeped in cold water for many hours to extract flavor gently. Home brewers love it for its mellow taste, long fridge life, and the ability to make a batch that carries through several days of easy, consistent cups.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Cold brew stands out because it tastes sweet and rounded without the bitterness or acidity hot-brewed coffee can show. It’s also incredibly flexible: make a concentrate for diluted iced drinks, or brew ready-to-drink coffee for quick pours. This method is perfect for busy mornings, entertaining, or anyone who prefers a gentler cup that pairs well with milk and flavored syrups.
“Made a pitcher on Sunday — it lasted through the week, kept in the fridge, and tasted fresh every morning. Smooth, low-acid, and kid-approved for our iced lattes.”
How this recipe comes together
Step-by-step overview
- Measure coffee and water (choose concentrate or ready-to-drink ratio).
- Combine coarse coffee grounds with cold water in a jar or French press.
- Stir, cover, and steep undisturbed for 12–24 hours (18 is a good target).
- Filter the liquid through a fine sieve, paper filter, or nut-milk bag.
- Store the finished brew in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Serve over ice, diluted if you made concentrate; add milk, sweetener, or flavorings as desired.
What you’ll need
- Coarsely ground coffee (freshly roasted if possible)
- Cold, filtered water
- A large jar, pitcher, or French press (at least 1 L / 1 qt capacity)
- A scale or measuring cup
- Fine-mesh sieve, cheesecloth, nut-milk bag, or paper coffee filters
- Airtight storage container (glass bottles or jars recommended)
Substitutions & notes:
- If you don’t have a scale, use 1 cup coarsely ground coffee to 4 cups water for concentrate, or 1 cup coffee to 8 cups water for ready-to-drink.
- Use filtered water for the cleanest flavor; chlorine or off-tasting tap water will show in the brew.
Ingredients (yields and ratios)
Choose one approach depending on how you like to drink cold brew.
A. Concentrate (dilute 1:1 or to taste)
- 100 g coarsely ground coffee (about 1 cup)
- 400 g cold water (about 1 2/3 cups)
B. Ready-to-drink (no dilution)
- 100 g coarsely ground coffee (about 1 cup)
- 800 g cold water (about 3 1/3 cups)
Scale up: Keep the coffee:water ratio the same and use the same steep time.
Quick measurement tips:
- By weight: coffee : water = 1 : 4 (concentrate) or 1 : 8 (ready)
- By volume: 1 cup grounds : 4 cups water (concentrate) or :8 cups water (ready)
Directions
- Grind coffee to a coarse texture similar to raw sugar or coarse sea salt. Freshly ground is best.
- Add grounds to your jar, pitcher, or French press.
- Pour the measured cold water evenly over the grounds. If using concentrate, pour less water according to ratio.
- Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to make sure all grounds are wet and no dry pockets remain.
- Cover the vessel to keep out odors and dust. Let steep at room temperature or in the fridge for 12–24 hours. Aim for ~18 hours as a balanced default.
- After steeping, press down the French press or strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another container to remove coarse solids.
- For a clearer brew, pass the liquid through a paper coffee filter, nut-milk bag, or several layers of cheesecloth.
- Transfer the cold brew to an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate.
- If you made concentrate, dilute with equal parts water or milk (or adjust to taste) when serving.
Best ways to enjoy it
- Classic: Pour over ice and dilute concentrate 1:1 with water or milk.
- Iced latte: 1 part concentrate + 1 part milk (dairy or plant-based) + ice.
- Sweetened cold brew: Add simple syrup (dissolves better than granulated sugar).
- Creamy versions: Stir in a splash of sweetened condensed milk or oat creamer.
- Cocktail twist: Use cold brew as a base for coffee cocktails (espresso martini-style twists).
- Serve with breakfast pastries, yogurt bowls, or a citrusy tart — the mellow cold-brew flavor balances bright and sweet foods.
Storage and safety
- Refrigerate in an airtight container immediately after filtering.
- Best quality: use within 7 days. You can keep up to 10–14 days if continuously refrigerated, but flavor degrades; discard if it smells off.
- Concentrate may keep a little longer (up to 2 weeks) but check aroma and taste before using.
- Freezing: Pour concentrate into ice cube trays for iced drinks that won’t dilute as they melt.
- Food safety: Cold-brewed coffee is less hospitable to bacteria than milk-containing drinks, but still follow regular refrigeration rules and don’t leave batches at room temperature for days.
Helpful cooking tips
- Grind coarsely. Too-fine grounds make the brew cloudy and can lead to overextraction and bitterness.
- Use a scale. Measuring by weight gives consistent results as you scale the recipe.
- Stir once at the start; stirring mid-way (after 6–8 hours) can help extraction if you want a slightly bolder brew.
- If the brew tastes weak, increase the coffee dose next time or steep a few hours longer. If it tastes bitter, shorten steep time or use a coarser grind.
- Paper filters remove oils and micro-fines for a cleaner cup. Metal filters let more body through for a richer mouthfeel.
- Clean your equipment well. Old coffee residue will make subsequent batches taste stale.
Variations
- Flavored cold brew: Add a vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, or cardamom pod during steeping for subtle spice notes.
- Nitro-style: Pour cold brew into a whipped cream dispenser charged with a nitrous cartridge, or use a nitro tap for creamy texture.
- Citrus cold brew: Muddle a strip of orange peel into each glass (not during steeping) for a bright finish.
- Decaf cold brew: Use decaf beans with the same method to lower caffeine while preserving flavor.
- Sweetened concentrate: Stir in a simple syrup (1:1 sugar to hot water) after filtering for ready-to-use bottles.
FAQs — Your questions answered
Q: How long should I steep cold brew?
A: 12–24 hours. Around 18 hours is a good balance for sweetness and full extraction. Shorter yields lighter coffee; longer can extract bitter compounds.
Q: What grind size should I use?
A: Coarse—similar to raw sugar or coarse sea salt. Finer grinds make the brew cloudy and bitter; too coarse yields weak flavor.
Q: Can I make cold brew with hot water?
A: No — that’s a different method (hot-brewed iced coffee or flash-brew). Cold brew requires cold or room-temperature water and a long steep time.
Q: How long does cold brew last in the fridge?
A: Best within 7 days for flavor and safety; you can keep up to 10–14 days but quality declines. Discard if it smells sour or off.
Q: Can I reuse the grounds?
A: You can steep grounds a second time, but they’ll be much weaker and less flavorful. Consider composting used grounds instead.
Q: Is cold brew stronger in caffeine than hot coffee?
A: Concentrate made with a high coffee-to-water ratio will be higher in caffeine per volume than a typical cup of drip coffee. Diluted cold brew (ready-to-drink) often has comparable caffeine to regular brewed coffee.
If you want, I can convert the ratios into a printable card with exact cup-to-cup amounts for 1, 2, or 4-quart batches, or give a step-by-step guide optimized for a French press or a mason jar. Which would you prefer?
Print
Cold Brew Coffee
- Total Time: 735 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Smooth and low-acid cold brew coffee that can be prepared as a concentrate or ready-to-drink.
Ingredients
- 100 g coarsely ground coffee (about 1 cup)
- 400 g cold water (about 1 2/3 cups) for concentrate
- 800 g cold water (about 3 1/3 cups) for ready-to-drink
Instructions
- Grind coffee to a coarse texture similar to raw sugar or coarse sea salt.
- Add grounds to your jar, pitcher, or French press.
- Pour the cold water evenly over the grounds.
- Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to ensure all grounds are wet.
- Cover the vessel to keep out odors and dust, and let steep at room temperature or in the fridge for 12–24 hours.
- After steeping, press down the French press or strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another container to remove coarse solids.
- Transfer the cold brew to an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate.
- If made concentrate, dilute with equal parts water or milk when serving.
Notes
Use filtered water for the best flavor and avoid chlorine-tainted tap water.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 720 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Infusion
- Cuisine: American