Use this Cold Brew Coffee Recipe to make cold brew coffee at home. Save money and still drink delicious, smooth and flavorful coffee. You will learn the perfect cold brew ratio, the tools I use to make it and of course how to make cold brew at home.
Make-ahead
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: The cold brew coffee ratio for rich, balanced flavor that you can adjust to your tastes
Worth It: It’s a money and time saver
Bonus: Homemade syrup recipes
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Save money – As much as I love going to a coffee shop for a cold brew, learning how to make cold brew at home is a great way to save some money.
- Delicious coffee at home – Have local coffee shop quality coffee at home! Once you find your favorite coffee beans for this recipe, you will have the most delicious coffee ready to go in your fridge.
- Switch up your routine – Hot coffee is great, but I love cold brew as a way to switch up my caffeine routine and have something different.
How is it different from Iced Coffee?
Traditionally, iced coffee is hot brewed coffee that is slowly cooled down and chilled.
The term cold brew refers to how the coffee is made, not the temperature of the coffee when it is served. Cold brew coffee is brewed over a long period of time (24-48 hours) either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Due to the long, slow brewing process of cold brew coffee, it usually has a stronger, more intense flavor than a hot brews.
Kitchen Tools
There are so many different cold brew methods you can use to make the perfect cup. The method you use depends on which vessel you choose for making cold brew coffee.
I highly recommend investing in a cold brew pitcher. We grabbed this one from amazon and have used it constantly since it arrives. The fine-mesh sieve filter is reusable, so you do not have to worry about paper filters.
Using this pitcher allows us to make delicious cold brew coffee at home and our only waste are some coffee grinds that can easily be composted!
If you don’t want to invest in a cold brew coffee pitcher you can use a chemex or 1 quart mason jar to make your cold brew coffee. If you use the mason jar technique, you will also need a fine mesh strainer like a cheese cloth or a nut milk bag for a coffee filter your cold brew coffee.
You can also use a french press or aeropress to make cold brew. Pour cold water into the french press followed by the coffee grounds. Allow the mixture to steep in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Then push down the French press plunger to strain the beans. You can also pour the coffee over a piece of cheesecloth to be sure you have the smoothest result.
Serving Suggestions
Once your cold brew coffee is made you can doctor it up however you like. I usually serve mine with lots of ice and some half & half or creamer. I love adding fun flavors, like this caramel brulee latte syrup.
This cold brew coffee is great for on the go. You can make it ahead of time and enjoy it all week without having to brew every morning. I love taking it with egg bites or potato cheddar chive bakes for a quick and easy breakfast. For a sweeter breakfast, I love these small batch banana muffins, cranberry orange muffins or these coffee cake muffins.
ingredients
- Coarsely ground coffee beans – Make sure you use coarsely ground beans. I got this amazing Encore burr grinder as a Christmas present from my parents a few years ago, but it is pricey. We grind our coffee beans at about a 28 (setting on our grinder). You can use any electric coffee grinder that allows you to coarsely grind the beans.
- Water – I use cold brew ratio of one part coffee to five and a half part water. This ratio makes my cold brew a bit stronger than others. I like to make it a bit stronger and then dilute as needed based on your preferences.
FAQs
What is the best coffee?
Dark roast beans tend to create a lower acid coffee than light roast beans. They also have a more robust flavor profile. Have some fun trying light, medium and dark coffee from local coffee shops to find your favorite!
How should I grind the beans?
I have a grinder at home that I use to grind the beans to a level 28. If you have a grinder than can grind coarsely, that is perfect. If not, you can also ask the coffee shop to grind coarsely for you! A coarse grind makes sure you do not have over-extraction, which makes the coffee very bitter.
What is the proper cold brew ratio?
For this recipe I used the cold brew coffee ratio of 1 gram of coffee to five and a half grams of water. To make a perfect cup of cold brew coffee you will want a coffee to water ratio of anywhere from 1:8 to 1:4. The good news is that you can always dilute a cup of cold brew with water for your personal preference.
Does it taste different?
Cold brew coffee is lower in acidity than regular drip coffee. I find it to be sweeter and smoother than a traditional iced coffee. Many people even drink their cold brew coffee without any milk or cream because the flavor is so smooth.
How do I make cold brew concentrate?
Use less water. I recommend 1 part coffee to 4 parts water for a cold brew concentrate. Then you add more water and milk if you would like when serving.
How do you make cold brew coffee?
Step 1: Grind the beans
First, take your coffee beans and grind them coarsely. You will need about 12 tbsp of ground coffee for this cold brew coffee recipe.
Step 2: Combine with water
Then, add 12 tbsp of ground coffee to the filter portion of the cold brew coffee pitcher or directly to a 1 quart mason jar. Next, screw the filter into the lid of the cold brew coffee pitcher.
Use a measuring cup to add 4 cups of filtered water to either the mason jar or the cold brew pitcher. You can either use cold water or room temperature water, but never hot water.
If using a mason jar, gently stir the mixture to combine. Then, place the lid on either the pitcher or the mason jar and screw on tightly.
Step 3: Brew at room temperature or in the refrigerator
Next, brew your coffee for 24-48 hours. I prefer to do this in the refrigerator, but if you don’t have space you can brew your coffee at room temperature on your kitchen counter.
The longer you brew your coffee, the more intense the flavor will be. I prefer to brew mine for 24-36 hours, but you can wait for up to 48.
Step 4: Filter the coffee
Finally, if you are using the cold brew coffee pitcher you can pour your coffee into a flip top glass bottle or another container to store in the refrigerator.
If you are using the mason jar method you will need to filter your cold brew coffee with cheese cloth or a nut milk bag. You may need to filter more than once to get all of the coffee grounds out.
how to dilute
Some cold brew coffee makers recommend diluting cold brew with water. Cold brew can be very strong and have intense flavor.
If you want a less intense cup of coffee, make your cup of coffee with 1 to 1 ratio of cold brew and water.
Storage and Freezing
Once prepared, consume this cold brew coffee within one week. After a 24-48 hour brew time, I remove my coffee from the cold brew pitcher and pour into a flip top glass bottle for storage.
Then I usually clean out my pitcher and immediately make another batch.
If you do not drink all of the cold brew, you can also freeze your cold brew to make cold brew ice cubes to add to your coffee.
Check out these delicious coffee syrups to mix into your cold brew!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Cold Brew Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- 12 tbsp coarsley ground coffee
Instructions
Cold Brew Pitcher Instructions
- Add coffee grounds to the filter portion of the pitcher
- Screw the filter column into the lid of the pitcher
- Run this filter column under water to get the coffee grounds wet
- Add 4 cups filtered water to the pitcher
- Place the filter column/lid onto the pitcher and screw the lid shut
- Brew in the refrigerator or on the countertop for 24-48 hours
- Transfer to a glass bottle for storage in the refrigerator
Mason Jar Instructions
- Add ground coffee and 4 cups of water to a 1 quart mason jar
- Gently stir the mixture
- Screw the lid to the jar on tightly
- Allow the mixture to brew in the refrigerator or on the countertop for 24-48 hours
- Pour into a nut milk bag or through cheese cloth to filter
- Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar
Equipment
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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