Cold brew coffee at home
Smooth, low-acid homemade cold brew coffee concentrate with the right grounds-to-water ratio. Five minutes of work, then let it steep overnight.
1% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Resting
- 12 hr
- Serves
- 8
- Calories
- 0
- Protein
- 0 g
- Per serving
- $0.23
Why this recipe works
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for hours instead of brewed hot. It comes out smooth, sweet and low in bitterness, and a jar of concentrate in the fridge means iced coffee in seconds all week.
- A 1-to-4 ratio of coarse grounds to water by volume makes a strong concentrate you dilute to taste, so the coffee never tastes weak or watery.
- Coarse grounds extract slowly and evenly over 12 to 18 hours; fine grounds over-extract and turn the brew bitter and muddy.
- Straining twice, through a sieve and then a paper filter, removes the fine sediment that makes cold brew gritty.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Large jar or pitcher (at least 6 cups)
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Paper coffee filter or cheesecloth
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Combine
Put the coffee in a large jar, pour in the cold water and stir until all the grounds are wet.
Steep
Cover and leave at room temperature or in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours. Shorter tastes lighter; longer tastes stronger and more chocolatey.
Strain
Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then strain again through a paper coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth. Don't press the grounds.
Serve
Fill a glass with ice and pour in equal parts concentrate and cold water or milk. Sweeten if you like. Keep the concentrate covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Cook's notes
- Ask for a 'French press' or coarse grind if buying ground coffee, or grind it yourself to the size of raw sugar.
- Brew tastes sour or thin? Steep longer next time. Too bitter? Use a coarser grind or a shorter steep.
- Freeze some concentrate in an ice tray so your iced coffee doesn't get watered down.
Nutrition per serving
0 calories
$0.23 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | NaN% of calories | 0 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | NaN% of calories | 0 g |
| Fat | NaN% of calories | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
What is the ratio for cold brew coffee?
For concentrate, use 1 part coarse coffee to 4 parts water by volume (about 1 cup grounds to 4 cups water), then dilute it 1:1 with water or milk to drink.
How long should cold brew steep?
12 to 18 hours. Under 12 hours it's usually weak; past 24 hours it can start to taste woody and bitter.
Does cold brew have more caffeine?
The concentrate does, but once diluted 1:1 a glass has roughly the same caffeine as a cup of hot brewed coffee.
