Cold brew is an immersion brewing method using cold water instead of hot water. Because cold water molecules move slowly, it takes longer to extract the valuable compounds out of the coffee. Instead of a brew method that takes a few minutes, cold brewing is a method that takes hours. The payoff for your patience is a smooth, highly caffeinated, refreshing drink with low acidity. Many people find that it feels different than the buzz you get from regular iced coffee. (Iced coffee is just regular hot-brewed coffee cooled down and served with ice.) It can really make you feel wired and focused, and if you’ve never tried it, it can feel a little jittery because of how strong it is. You can also customize it with flavor and other compounds once you have it down just the way you like.
Because cold brew takes so long to make, it’s a good idea to make it in large batches. Fortunately, it keeps its taste for a few days if stored properly in a refrigerator (sealed). That’s why this recipe is enough to make four 8 oz cups of cold brew coffee. Of course, you can scale it to your needs. If you just want to make one cup of coffee at a time, then use 2 tbsp of ground coffee and 8 oz of water instead of the stated amounts. Amounts in grams are also provided below.
Cold Brew Coffee Recipe:
Tools:
- Container, preferably one with a lid, and preferably glass (at least 24 oz). I like to use an extra large mason jar.
- A second container to strain the coffee into after its done brewing. This can be another jar, a pitcher, or anything you have around that will fit the amount of liquid you’re using. I recommend something with a lid so your coffee can keep tasting good for a few days
- Coffee grinder if your beans are not pre-ground
- Refrigerator, set to 40 F (4 C) or below
- A strainer of some kind: kitchen strainer, cheesecloth or coffee filter with a funnel or rubber band—just some way to strain the coffee grounds out later on. If you have a french press, you can use that and not have to use two containers. However, most French presses are not large enough to accommodate 24 fluid ounces, so you would probably have to scale down. Another option is to put the coffee in a reusable muslin bag or a disposable tea bag, and steep it like cold tea. If you do this, you won’t need a second container. Make sure the bag has more than enough room for all the grounds. This way it will more closely simulate the grounds being loose in the water.
Ingredients:
- Coffee beans: 80 grams, or about a cup. We are starting with a 1:8 ratio, but if you find that you’d like it to be even stronger, then up to a 1:4 ratio has been found enjoyable by people as well. For a 1:4 ratio, you’ll want 160 grams of coffee, or about 2 cups. If you want to have it right in the middle, use 120 grams of coffee or about 1.5 cups.
- Water: 23 oz or 680 mL. If you are measuring by weight, you will want 680 grams of water.
Steps:
- Grind your beans extra coarse if they are not ground already. You can read about why I love to use a mortar and pestle here. Another great choice would be a burr grinder, either handheld or electric.
- Put the ground beans in the container.
- Put the water in the container.
- Put the lid on the container.
- Put the container in the refrigerator.
- Wait 12-24 hours. The classic way to find your favorite time would be to start right in the middle at 18 hours, and you can tweak it from there. If you find that it is too strong after 18 hours, try it with a shorter time the next time you use this recipe. If you find that 18 hours makes your cold brew too weak, let it sit for more time. However, I will say that letting it sit for 24 hours is very easy because you will strain it at the same time of day that you prepared it. Since most people have the time to do something like this at the same time each day, that makes 24 hours a great time period. You can also dilute it with cold water if you find it too strong. It should be noted that diluting a 24 hour extraction is not the same as brewing it for a shorter time. Different brew times confer different properties, but they are dilutable nonetheless.
- Remove the container from the refrigerator
- Prepare your straining method, whether that be a kitchen strainer, coffee filter, cheesecloth, or what have you. If you used a french press, simply plunge the press. If you used a tea bag, just remove it.
- Pour the coffee through the strainer into the second container (if you used this method)
- You can now pour yourself a cup—it’s best enjoyed on ice from a glass 🙂
Bonus Tip: If you’re saving some for later, try to keep a lid on it, and definitely keep it in the fridge. The lid will help keep it fresh, and the cold environment keeps it safe to drink.
Now that you know how to make cold brew coffee, you can try the process yourself at home. After you have it down, you can customize it the way you want with different immersion times and ratios. Enjoy this cool coffee method to get caffeinated using this simple recipe, and stay awake and refreshed all day! You can save this recipe for reference by bookmarking it in your browser, and you can subscribe to Herbs and Brew for more recipes 🙂