Homemade Cold Brew Coffee
This smooth, rich cold brew coffee concentrate transforms your morning routine with its low acidity and natural sweetness. Made with just two ingredients and no special equipment, this simple recipe creates café-quality coffee at home for a fraction of the cost.
Equipment
- Coffee grinder - Burr grinder preferred for consistent coarse grind
- 32-ounce mason jar - 1-quart size or large glass pitcher
- Long spoon - For stirring
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth - 2-3 layers
- Large bowl or measuring cup - For straining into
- Glass storage container - With airtight lid for finished concentrate
- Coffee filter - Optional, for second straining
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee beans - 120g, medium to dark roast, coarsely ground
- 4 cups cold filtered water - 960ml
For Serving (per cup)
- 0.5 cup cold brew concentrate - 120ml
- 0.5 cup cold water, milk, or milk alternative - 120ml
- ice cubes - For serving
- sweetener - Optional: simple syrup, honey, or sugar
- vanilla extract - Optional, splash
- flavored syrups - Optional
Instructions
- Grind coffee beans on the coarsest setting until they resemble coarse sea salt or raw sugar.
- Place ground coffee into a clean 32-ounce mason jar, then pour cold filtered water over the grounds.
- Stir gently for 15-20 seconds until all grounds are fully saturated with no dry pockets remaining.
- Cover the jar and let steep at room temperature for 12-24 hours, or refrigerate for 18-24 hours.
- Line a fine mesh strainer with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth, position over a large bowl, and slowly pour the mixture through without pressing or squeezing the grounds.
- For cleaner concentrate, strain a second time through fresh cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
- Transfer strained concentrate to a clean glass container with airtight lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice, add 1/2 cup concentrate and 1/2 cup water or milk, stir, and add sweetener if desired.
Notes
- Use freshly ground beans for the best flavor - pre-ground coffee loses aromatic oils quickly.
- Do not skip the coarse grind - fine grounds create bitter, over-extracted coffee with unpleasant sediment.
- Steeping time matters: 12 hours yields lighter concentrate, 18-20 hours is ideal for most, 24 hours creates the strongest flavor (do not exceed 24 hours).
- Never squeeze or press the coffee grounds during straining - this forces out bitter compounds and creates cloudy concentrate.
- Store cold brew concentrate in glass rather than plastic to prevent odor absorption and maintain freshness.
- The concentrate keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but tastes best within the first 7-10 days.
- Adjust the dilution ratio to your taste - use less water for stronger coffee or more water for a milder cup.
- For a latte-style drink, replace the dilution water with milk, oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.
- To enjoy hot cold brew, gently warm the diluted concentrate in a saucepan or microwave - do not boil.
- Make cold brew ice cubes by freezing concentrate in ice cube trays to add to iced drinks without dilution.