How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is exactly what it sounds like: coffee that is brewed with cold water. It steeps for an extended amount of time and then filtered. The end result is a concentrated, caffeinated liquid that keeps well for up to two weeks.

The Best Beans

Coffee is all about your preference, so there’s no wrong answer when it comes to buying beans. Use coffee beans that you already love and there will be no disappointment. You’ll need 4 ounces of whole beans for our formula.

The Grind

Grind size is important! Use the coarsest setting on your coffee grinder. This works best to extract flavor compounds with a cold, slow brewing method. If you don’t own a coffee grinder at home, buy pre-ground coarse grind coffee.

Visual Cues

Examine your coffee grounds before brewing. The correct size is that of coarse crystal sugar. If the grind is too fine, it will not filter well.

Together at Last

Place the ground coffee in a large carafe, jar, or pitcher, at least 1.5 quart capacity. Add 4 cups of filtered water. The coffee grounds will immediately float to the top; this is normal.

Stir it up!

Give the water and coffee mixture a stir until well blended. Make sure all the coffee grounds are well saturated with the water. Cover tightly with a lid if using a jar or carafe, or use plastic wrap to cover a pitcher and secure with a tight fitting rubber band. Transfer to the refrigerator for a steep 18-24 hours.

Choose your Filter

You’ll need a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, a flour sack towel, or a large coffee filter. Any of these options will work well for filtering. Place the lined sieve over a large glass measure with a pour spout. Slowly pour the coffee through the cloth. If you have a small sieve, you may need to filter the coffee concentrate in batches.

Decant

Slowly pour the coffee concentrate from the large glass measure into another container with a tight-fitting lid for long-term storage. If your coffee was ground correctly, you shouldn’t have any sediment at the end of pouring.

Serve!

Fill an 8 oz. glass with ice cubes and pour in about 1/2 cup of cold brew (the glass should appear to be about half full). Add about 1/2 cup cold water to dilute.

Make It Your Own

This recipe can be doubled. Use the cold brew as a base and get creative with different ingredients such as flavored syrups, sweetened condensed milk, and non-dairy milk products. Undiluted cold brew coffee will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.