Cold brew coffee takes a night in the fridge and about five minutes of actual work.
Cold brew is one of the types of coffee served cold, and it needs no machine, only a jar and a strainer.
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew is coarsely ground coffee steeped in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, then strained. The result is a strong concentrate that you dilute with water or milk before drinking. It tastes smooth and mellow, and lab tests found it less acidic than hot coffee made from the same coffee.
You make it once and keep it in the fridge, ready for a quick glass. It's usually served over ice, but you can drink it hot too.
How to make cold brew at home
Here's how to brew cold brew coffee with what's already in your kitchen.
Cold brew recipe: what you need
- 100 g coarsely ground coffee
- 800 ml cold, clean water
- A clean glass or steel jar with a lid
- A fine strainer, plus a thin cotton cloth or a paper coffee filter
Ask for a medium-coarse grind, a little coarser than for pour-over. A very fine grind makes it hard to strain.
Steps
- Wash and dry the jar.
- Put in the coffee and pour in the water. Stir so there are no dry pockets.
- Cover and leave it in the fridge for 12–24 hours. About 14 hours is a good place to start.
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Strain it through the strainer, then again through the cloth or filter.
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Pour the concentrate into a bottle with a lid and keep it in the fridge. It keeps for up to about two weeks, though it tastes best in the first week.
- To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part cold water or milk over ice.
Cold brew ratio
The ratio decides whether you make a cold brew concentrate to dilute, or a brew that's ready to drink as it is:
| Coffee to water | What you get | How to serve |
|---|---|---|
| 1:8 | concentrate | dilute 1:1 with water or milk |
| 1:4.5 | very strong concentrate | dilute 1:2 or more |
| 1:11 | ready to drink | over ice, no dilution |
To make it stronger or weaker, change the dilution and keep the steep time the same.
How to serve cold brew
- Black over ice: the simplest way, and a smooth black coffee.
- With milk: mix the concentrate with cold milk instead of water.
- Sweetened: use a little sugar syrup, because sugar doesn't dissolve well in a cold drink.
- Hot: mix the concentrate 1:1 with hot water.
Once diluted, drink it within a few days.
Cold brew vs iced coffee and cold coffee
Iced coffee is brewed hot, or made with instant coffee, and then poured over ice. Cold brew is never heated, which is why it tastes smoother. Indian café-style cold coffee is different again. It's instant coffee blended with cold milk, sugar and ice until frothy.
Is cold brew stronger than coffee?
The concentrate is strong. Once you dilute it, though, the caffeine drops, so a glass ends up closer to a regular cup of coffee. How strong it is depends on your ratio and how much you dilute it.
Cold brew FAQs
What is special about cold brew coffee?
Time does the work that heat does in other methods, and one jar of concentrate gives you quick glasses all week.
Is cold brew healthier than regular coffee?
Lab tests found cold brew less acidic than hot coffee, and some people find it easier on the stomach. Beyond that, the caffeine and whatever you add, like milk and sugar, matter more than the brewing method.
What is nitro cold brew?
Nitro cold brew is cold brew infused with nitrogen and poured from a tap, which gives it a silky, foamy texture without milk, WBUR reports. It's a café drink that needs special equipment.
Start tonight
Set a jar going tonight and it'll be ready by tomorrow afternoon. Then adjust the dilution until it tastes right to you.