Ahhh … cold brew concentrate. The perfect iced coffee. Cold brew coffee is deep, rich, cool, and creamy. Even a little … chocolaty? There’s just nothing like it.
And, guess what? It’s so easy (and inexpensive!) to make cold brew concentrate at home. So I thought I’d gather together everything I know about how to make cold brew coffee, and share with you here!
I’ve been making my cold brew iced coffee at home for years now, and through lots of trial and error, I think I’ve pretty much got it down.
After trying it several different ways, I settled upon this cold brew concentrate method. It’s basically a magical way to brew coffee into pure deep-roast goodness without any of that shiver-inducing, bitter acidity. Pure mild-tasting – but potent – goodness.
“Cold brew” really means room temperature, by the way. Basically, you’re not brewing hot coffee.
Cold brewed iced coffee results in a delicious, potent elixir which, if you’re not careful, could give you a seriously surprising caffeine jolt. Start slowly! I’m serious – the extreme jitters are no fun, and trust me – I’ve been there. This concentrate is meant to be mixed with an equal amount of water and poured over a glass packed with ice.
The cold brew ratio for concentrate is so simple. It’s simply 1 part ground coffee beans to 4 cups water. Done! The cold brew ratio for straight-up cold brew (not concentrate) is 1 part ground coffee beans to 8 cups water.
Take one cup of beans and grind them. Go for a medium-to-large grind – not too fine. Preferably, you can grind your beans at home for the freshest, most flavorful result – but if you need to have them ground at the store or coffee shop, you’ll still be in good shape.
Place the grounds in a 40-ounce or larger jar or pitcher with airtight lid, and add 4 cups cool water. I like to use one of my big 2-quart mason jars (affiliate link). Preferably filtered, but if you don’t have it, no biggie. And then stir! The grounds and water need to be good and stirred together to get the everything flowing.
Put the lid on the jar or pitcher and sit it somewhere on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight. And let it sit overnight (at least 6 hours), or up to 12 hours.
I’ve strained my iced coffee a gazillion ways, and I suppose every single one qualifies as a hack.
Here are a few ideas for how to strain cold brew coffee:
The best part! Pour 1/2 cup iced coffee concentrate and 1/2 cup water over a glass of ice or coffee ice cubes. Add cream and a little sweetener, if desired. Stir, plop in a straw, and enjoy the good (caffeinated) life.
I also really enjoy this cold-brew coffee straight-up, without water – it tastes incredible and has quite the jolt of caffeine, so I do have to take it easy.
Your cold-brew should keep in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Once you’ve enjoyed a few iced coffees, you might be in the mood to shake it up. Here are a few ideas for your cold-brewed iced coffee concentrate including DIY coffee syrups to spice it up and more:
Keep cold brew coffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
And here’s the actual recipe and handy-dandy print option if you’d like.