Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Use this Cold Brew Coffee Recipe to make cold brew coffee at home. Save money and still drink delicious, smooth and flavorful coffee.

In this post, you will learn what cold brew coffee is, the tools I use to make it and of course how to make cold brew coffee in your own home.

What is cold brew coffee?

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.

Cold brew coffee then can either be served chilled over ice or warm like traditional coffee. It is more common to see cold brew served cold over ice.

Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee

Traditionally, iced coffee is brewed as hot coffee and then slowly cooled down and chilled. Both can be served over ice and with milk.

Due to the long, slow brewing process of cold brew coffee, it usually has a stronger, more intense flavor than a hot brewed iced coffee.

Why should you cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee is lower in acidity than standard hot brewed coffee. This means it won’t cause as much heartburn, tooth decay, or GI distress.

I prefer to cold brew coffee because I like the taste. 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.

What kitchen tools will I need to make cold brew coffee at home?

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.

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 1 quart mason jar to make your cold brew coffee. If you use the mason jar technique, you will also need some cheese cloth or a nut milk bag for filtering your cold brew coffee.

You can also use a french press 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.

Use coarsely ground coffee beans for cold brew

An important step in this cold brew coffee recipe is using coarsely ground coffee beans. I got this amazing Encore coffee 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 bean grinder that allows you to coarsely grind the beans.

Finely ground beans will result in a different coffee brew and will be more difficult to filter out. You can also purchase whole beans at the grocery store and use the grinders there. Switch the settings to a coarse grind before running your beans through the machine.

What ingredients will I need for this Cold Brew Coffee Recipe?

To make cold brew coffee at home you only need 2 simple ingredients:

• Coarsely ground coffee beans
• Water

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 nut pods. If you like a less intense coffee flavor you can dilute this cold brew with some water.

What is the best coffee for cold brew?

Dark roast beans tend to create a lower acid coffee than light roast beans. They also have a more robust flavor profile. For that reason I look for organic dark roast beans when I am making cold brew.

Have some fun trying coffee from local coffee shops and then choose the one you like best! You may find that the cold brew coffee made from dark roast is easier on your stomach than the drip coffee thanks to the lower acid amount.

What is the proper ratio for cold brew?

The ideal cold brew coffee ratio depends on how strong you like your coffee. The good news is that you can always dilute a cup of cold brew with water to make it weaker.

To make a perfect cup of cold brew coffee you will want a ratio of anywhere from 1:8 to 1:4 coffee to water. That means 1 part coffee to 8 parts water for a lighter cold brew and 1 part coffee to 4 parts water for a cold brew concentrate.

For this recipe I used the cold brew ratio of 1 part coffee about five and a half parts water. That means that cold brew is stronger than others.

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.

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 cold brew

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.

How long will this cold brew coffee keep in the fridge?

Once prepared, consume this cold brew coffee in at least 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.

Check out these delicious coffee syrups to mix into your cold brew!

• Peppermint Mocha Syrup
• Sugar Cookie Latte Syrup
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup
• Gingerbread Latte Syrup

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!