Cold brew coffee is rich, smooth and just as refreshing as iced coffee—plus it’s surprisingly easy to make at home! You can use a French press, a cold brew coffee maker, or you can use our Test Kitchen’s go-to brewing method that utilizes a standard Mason jar and sieve. The process is straightforward, but there are a few tricks you can use to ensure this cold brew recipe tastes as good as the one you get from your local coffee shop.
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew coffee is exactly what it sounds like: coffee brewed with cold water. The cold brewing technique reduces the coffee’s acidity, which in turn enhances its natural sweetness and complex flavor notes. Even those who take their hot coffee with sugar and cream might find cold brew coffee flavorful enough to enjoy plain.
In case you’re wondering, there’s a notable difference between cold brew vs. iced coffee. Iced coffee is hot coffee served over ice, whereas cold brew coffee is steeped for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Most people consider cold brew coffee to be smoother and less acidic, making it a terrific option for anyone with a sensitive stomach.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
To make cold brew coffee, you only need two ingredients—coffee and water—plus a Mason jar and a sieve for straining. These are our top tips for making cold brew so good that you’ll ditch the cafe for good (OK, maybe you’ll still stop in for a scone):
- Any coffee roast works: You can make homemade cold brew with any coffee roast, from dark to light roast, from single-origin to blends. Some coffee roasts have more caffeine and roasts vary in flavor and acidity, so be sure to take this into account.
- Grind size matters: A fine grind can slip through the sieve and create a gritty, cloudy end product. The grind you want is extra coarse, which is slightly larger than what you’d use for a French press or percolator. If you buy your beans from a coffee shop, ask the barista to grind for cold brew; they’ll know exactly what to do. If you use a coffee grinder at the grocery store or home, opt for the coarsest setting.
- Get the ratio right: There is a huge range of cold brew ratios. We’ve seen everything from a strong 1 part ground coffee to 4 parts water, to a more watered-down 1 part ground coffee to 16 parts water. We prefer somewhere in the middle: 1 part coffee to 8 parts water. We use measuring cups for our ratio, so there’s no need to pull out the kitchen scale.
Cold Brew Coffee Ingredients
- Coffee: If you’re unsure of where to start, grab a bag from your favorite local coffee shop. Snag your favorite roast or ask the barista for a recommendation.
- Water: Water is key to any great cup of coffee. Tap water can add off-flavors to brewed beverages, so consider using filtered or bottled water for the cleanest results.
- Optional mix-ins: If you don’t enjoy black coffee, feel free to mix in milk or half-and-half cream. For a dairy-free experience, try a nondairy milk alternatives like oat, coconut or hazelnut milk.
Directions
Step 1: Steep the grounds
Place the coffee grounds in a clean glass container. Stir in the cold water. Cover and refrigerate the brewing coffee for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the coffee sits, the stronger the flavor will be.
Editor’s Tip: Some members of our Test Kitchen recommend blooming the coffee (steeping the grounds in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes) before adding the remaining cold water. The near-boiling water releases carbon dioxide in the grounds, extracting more flavor from the beans.
Step 2: Strain the cold brew twice
Strain the coffee through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the grounds. Strain the coffee again through a coffee filter and discard the grounds. Serve the cold brew coffee over ice, with milk or cream if desired. Store the cold brew in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Editor’s Tip:Â The second strain removes any fine particles or grounds, yielding the smoothest possible cup. If you don’t have a coffee filter, use cheesecloth or a clean linen napkin that you don’t mind staining.
How to Serve Cold Brew
- Keep it simple:Â Serve the coffee over ice, either black or with a dash of milk, cream, alternative milk or your favorite coffee creamer brand.
- Sweeten it up: For a sweeter cold brew, stir in a little simple syrup, honey or agave syrup. These syrupy concoctions mix into cold coffee better than a spoonful of sugar. You can also add a pinch of salt to cold brew. It sounds strange, but salt brings out the inherent sweetness of coffee.
- Top it with cold brew foam: Turn cold brew coffee into a coffeehouse delight with copycat Starbucks cold brew foam (or copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream, for a seasonal twist).
- Get creative with add-ins: Try creative and unexpected coffee add-ins like vanilla extract, ground cardamom or tonic water.
Cold Brew Variations
- Make cold brew in a French press: With its built-in filter, a French press makes cold brewing easy. Simply mix the coffee and water in the press, but do not press down on the plunger. Store the French press in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Then, slowly press the plunger down and pour the brew through a coffee filter to remove the fine sediment.
- Heat it up: We know it’s called cold brew, but there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy it hot! Heat the cold brew in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warmed.
- Make cold brew concentrate: Our cold brew coffee recipe is ready to drink straight from the fridge. However, if you plan to enjoy cold brew every morning, you may want to make a space-saving, concentrated version. Simply reduce the water by half to create a cold brew concentrate. Just make sure to dilute it with water or milk before drinking, or it’ll be too strong to be palatable!
How to Store Cold Brew
Store the strained cold brew in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in the refrigerator, where it’ll stay good for up to two weeks. It will lose its brightness and aromatic properties over time, though, so try to enjoy it within a week.
Can you freeze cold brew coffee?
We love to freeze cold brew coffee in ice cube trays. The frozen coffee cubes are great for chilling iced coffee drinks without watering them down. Try using them in recipes like shaken espresso or mocha frappe.
Cold Brew Coffee Recipe Tips
Is cold brew coffee strong?
Cold-brew coffee can be strong, depending on factors like steeping time, the type of coffee beans used and the ratio of coffee grounds to water. We recommend aiming for a stronger brew when you’re just starting. You can always dilute it with cold water or milk, but it’s harder to correct if you brew it too weak.
Should you make this cold brew coffee recipe with hot or cold water?
You can make this cold brew coffee recipe with hot or cold water—your choice! Letting coffee bloom in hot water for 10 minutes releases carbon dioxide from the coffee ground and extracts more flavor from the beans, adding depth to cold brew. That said, some prefer to make the recipe with all cold water to keep the acidity low. Try it both ways and decide which is right for you.
Why is cold brew coffee more expensive?
A cup of cold brew is usually more expensive than a same-sized cup of freshly brewed hot coffee because of two factors: time and materials. Cold brew coffee steeps longer than regular coffee—anywhere between 12 to 24 hours. It also requires a greater volume of ground coffee than other types of coffee, like drip, French press or pour-over coffee.
