How do you make cold brew coffee for beginners?

Steps for Making Cold Brew Coffee Combine the grounds with water, then let it steep overnight, or for around 12 hours . During this time, the coffee slowly infuses into the water, creating a strong, concentrated brew. Strain the next morning, and you're ready to go.

Can I make my own cold brew coffee at home?

Cold-brewed coffee is actually dirt simple to make at home using a Mason jar and a sieve . You just add water to coffee, stir, cover it and leave it out on the counter overnight.

What is the simplest way to brew coffee at home?

Originally Answered: What is the very simplest way to make coffee? Throw coarsely ground coffee into a vessel, pour in water just below boiling temperature, wait 4 minutes, then drink . Simple.

Can I use regular ground coffee for cold brew?

While it's best to grind your coffee beans just before brewing for maximum freshness, you can use pre-ground coffee if that's what you have on hand . Just make sure it's a coarse grind.

What is the perfect cold brew ratio?

A ratio of 1:8 of coffee to water will produce a nice coffee ready to drink after around 24 hours at a coarse grind. Another option is to create a much stronger cold brew (named cold brew concentrate), by using a ratio anywhere from 1 part coffee to 4 parts water, up to around 1 part coffee to 2 parts water.

What's the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?

Iced coffee is typically made by brewing hot brewed coffee and then pouring it over ice, while cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for a long period of time, usually 12-24 hours. Cold brew has lower acidity and bitterness than iced coffee and a smooth coffee flavor with subtle nutty undertones.

How long does it take to make cold brew coffee at home?

Cold brewing can take between 8 and 24 hours , depending on who you ask and what your target cold brew taste is. Cold brew coffee is also often made as a concentrate which is then diluted - or "watered down" - to taste from there.

What is the ratio of coffee grounds to water for cold brew?

For cold brew, we always use a 1:12 ratio (coffee:water). The grind size should be similar to that for pour-over or filter, about the same as coarse sand. Combine the grounds with 1 Litre or 3 Litres of water and mix gently.

What type of coffee is best for cold brew?

The best coffee beans for cold brew will, in part, depend on how you want to use them. If you want to add milk to the finished result, a normal espresso mix works well. However, anything lighter roasted is typically preferable for serving straight up, such as a filter roast or a mild espresso roast.

What is the best coffee to make cold brew with?

Roast profile If you usually prepare lighter roasts for hot coffee, you might want to go a little darker and choose medium roasts for cold brew. Medium to dark roasts contain more fully developed sugars thanks to the longer roast times, meaning the cold brew will be sweeter.

Do you use hot or cold water to make cold brew coffee?

Using cold water as opposed to hot makes the extraction process much slower and actually more selective. The flavor of the coffee is extracted, but bitter compounds are left behind. This can also explain why Cold Brew contains less acid than when you use hot water.

How many scoops of coffee for cold brew?

Use 4 Tbsp (22 g) of grounds for every cup (6 fl oz) of water . Fill the press with cold or room-temperature water. Gently stir the grounds a few times with a spoon.

How long should cold brew steep in fridge?

If you soak the grinds for just 12 hours you'll find a cold brew that is weak and somewhat astringent, but after about 18 hours the brew is super smooth. Stick it in the fridge: Use cold water (filtered, if you want to really get specific) and let the brew sit in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours before straining.

Easy At-Home Cold Brew Coffee Recipe | Our Home Made Easy (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Make super easy cold brew coffee for the perfect cup of iced coffee! Cold brew is less bitter than regular coffee and is so tasty!

(This post contains affiliate links. If you shop from my blog, I may be compensated for clicks or purchases that you make. Read my disclaimer page for more information.)

Do you run your day on caffeine? I’m over here in solidarity with you. My day cannot begin until this momma has at least 2 cups of coffee in peace & quiet. It’s why I wake up 45 minutes before the rest of the family. But, I have a small confession to make…. I never liked coffee. Like Ever. Never Ever.

Then, Jordan introduced me to iced coffee. Ohmigosh, it was a game changer. I’ve learned there are several perks to being a former barista’s wife. One of them was learning about iced coffee and cold brew.

The Perfectly Easy Recipe for Cold Brew Coffee

First things first. Let’s be honest, iced coffee is NOT hot coffee poured over ice. It’s not the hot coffee that you meant to drink this morning and then set in the fridge. #RealMomMoment

Real iced coffee is actually something called Cold Brew.

I’ve learned that by allowing the coffee beans to sit in cold filtered water allows the oils to be released into the water. I’m not a chemist, I’m not sure whathappens. But it’s magic. Pure caffeinated magic in concentrate form. *sigh*

For our iced cold brew coffee, we use a French Press. If you haven’t used one before, it isa method of drawing out theoils of coffee beans, but for hot coffee. In this house, we use it exclusively for iced coffee (see above note aboutperks ofliving with a former barista).

This is the time to break out the French Press thatyou received as a wedding gift. YES. If you don’t have one,you’ll need to make the coffee & water in a pitch or mason jar and strain with a cheesecloth. It will be one extra step of filtering itthrough the cheesecloth.

Don’t have a French Press? Need to see cold brew coffee in action? This video tutorial on Cold Brew Coffee is super helpful!

The Best Coffee for Cold Brew

It all begins with great coffee! And it doesn’t need to be expensive.

We’ve tried everything from Caribou, Godiva, Colombian, Folgers in Bulk, and all the Starbucks.

Each has their own taste and it’s definitely what you prefer.

However, over the years, we’ve learned the most important thing about making cold brew coffee-— fresh coarse coffee grounds.

First, you’ll want to begin with freshly ground coarse coffee.

But wait, you have lots of little people running around and don’t have time to grind them yourself?

That’s okay before kids I had the nerve to do it myself, too. 😉

Now, this momma has to rely on someone else to grind her coffee. Win some, lose some I guess. Anyways, if you can grind your own beans, fabulous, I’m envious. If you cannot, measure out 1/2 cup of your grounds from your Costco sized tub.

If you don’t buy your coffee from Costco, you can always go to your neighborhood coffee shop or Starbucks. They will grind your whole bean coffee for you on-site! Make sure to share that you want it coarsely ground, not the usual.

Store your coffee tightly sealed and out of sunlight. You’ll be good to go.

Love coffee at home? Grab a copy of my favorite DIY coffee bar checklist located at the bottom of this post! It only takes a few items to create your own little coffee shop 🙂

In a Bodum French Press , I fill the press with cold filtered water just to the bottom of the top metal band. This gives enough head space for the coffee. Pour the coffee grounds over the water.

Patiently wait 8-12 hours for the coffee to develop! Then it’s the best part. Not only do you get to enjoy the fruits of your patience, but you get to press down the French press. My husband usually beats me to it. It makes me sad for a small moment. 😉

I like to serve my coffee over a glass full of ice (it dilutes it perfectly) and some sweet creamer. Feel free to toss in your preferred sweetener or milk.

Enjoy!

P.S. Since we’ve moved North to Michigan, and it seems unusual to drink iced coffee all year long, I’ve learned to appreciate the hot stuff too! 🙂

P.S.S. We’ve moved to Arizona! I’m back to enjoying cold brew coffee year around!

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Learn how to make your own iced coffee at home with this delicious and simple cold brew coffee recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup coarse coffee grounds
32 ounces of cold filtered water
Optional: Creamer or Sweetener

Instructions

Fill the French Press with water to just below metal collar. Leave enough room for the coffee.
Pour the coffee grounds over the water.
Gently set the French Press Lid on top of the coffee mixture. Do not plunge.
Let sit for 8-12 hours. Plunge the French Press.
Pour the concentrate over a glass of ice. Add creamer or sugar as desired.
Store remaining coffee concentrate in the refrigerator.

Cheers!