Cold brew coffee is smooth and less bitter than regular coffee because the steeping process doesn’t use hot water. It also requires less equipment and can be made ahead of time to save you time in the morning!
Learn how to make your own at home using a mason jar and ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s surprisingly easy!
1. Choose Your Beans
The quality of your coffee beans plays a big role in the overall flavor profile of your cold brew. Choose a dark roast for a bolder, richer taste, or opt for lighter roasts for a smoother and more mild profile. You can also experiment with different origins and processing methods to find your ideal brew. For example, South American beans are known for their chocolatey and nutty flavors, while Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans are fruity and floral.
It’s important to purchase your beans fresh, and to coarsely grind them for cold brew. This ensures maximum flavor extraction and eliminates the gritty sludge at the bottom of your jar. If you don’t have a grinder, ask your local coffee shop to grind the beans for you. They will have a special grinder designed for cold brewing, which prevents the grounds from getting too fine and over-extracting bitterness.
The next step is to combine the beans and water. Stir well, and let the mixture steep for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge. The longer the mixture steeps, the stronger the concentrate will be. After the brew is done, strain the grounds out using a fine-mesh sieve or a coffee filter. The result is a concentrated cold brew that’s richer, less acidic, and much more flavorful than regular coffee. This brew can be enjoyed on its own, or you can dilute it with your favorite milk or sweetener to create your perfect cup. The best part is that making DIY cold brew is so easy and much more cost-efficient than running to the coffee shop! It’s the ultimate in convenience, and it will give you a strong, tasty cup of joe every time.
2. Grind Th2em
The first step in making a delicious batch of cold brew is to grind the beans. This will ensure that the grounds have a coarse texture which will allow the coffee to steep in the water without over-extracting. When grinding the beans, make sure to use a coarse setting on your grinder or to use short, 1-second pulses. A finer grind will over-extract the oils in the coffee beans which can result in bitter cold brew.
Once the beans have been ground, add them to a large container and pour in the water. Stir gently with a spoon to ensure that the beans are fully saturated. The ratio of water to beans is up to you, but a good place to start is with 4 cups of water for every cup of whole beans. This will yield a very concentrated cold brew, but you can always adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
If you’d like to spruce up your cold brew, try using buttercream in your coffee or adding a few pinches of sugar to the mix or some other sweetener of your choice. Some popular options include white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or even stevia. Another great option is to add a stick of cinnamon to the coffee grounds. The cinnamon will impart a beautiful, warm flavor to your cold brew.
If you’d prefer a less intense cold brew, consider diluting it with some still or sparkling water before serving. This will make it easier to drink and it also allows you to customize your drink based on your mood or preferences. A splash of cream will also elevate your cold brew to a new level of decadence.
3. Steep Them
Cold brew is steeped in water for a longer period of time than coffee brewed with hot water, and this process helps to create a more concentrated product. In addition, the longer steeping allows for the full flavor of the beans to shine through without being overwhelmed by the acidity and bitterness that can come from over-brewing or poor-quality beans.
To make your own DIY cold brew, all you need is ground coffee, water and a large pitcher or jar to hold the concentrate in the fridge. You can use tap water, but it’s best to opt for filtered or spring water so that there are no minerals in the water that could affect the flavor.
It is also recommended that you use a coarsely ground coffee, since this will help to ensure that all of the grounds are fully dissolved in the water. This makes the process of making a batch of cold brew easier and less messy.
Once the coffee is done steeping (it can be left on the counter for up to 24 hours, but 12 is usually good enough), it’s time to strain it. Many methods suggest using a cheese cloth, but I’ve found that a fine-mesh sieve works just as well, and it’s less messy.
Once the coffee has been strained, it’s ready to be kept in the fridge and diluted with water or milk of choice when desired. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or more, but it will lose flavor over time. If you’re not a fan of plain coffee, try adding some vanilla extract or a split cinnamon stick to the grounds before brewing. It will add a hint of warmth and sweetness that can help to balance the strong flavor of the coffee.
4. Strain Them
When you make cold brew at home, the process involves steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in water for several hours. The result is a more concentrated drink that has a smoother flavor and less acidity than regular iced coffee. And since you can control the ratio of beans to water, you can customize your recipe for your taste.
The most important part of making a great batch of cold brew is choosing the right coffee beans for your tastes. The best cold brew comes from high-quality beans that have been properly roasted and grinded. This allows the beans to release their full flavor, without being diluted by too much water or bitterness from over-grinding.
You can find these types of beans in most grocery stores, but we recommend buying them online or at a specialty coffee shop where you can speak with the staff about the brand and quality of the beans. We also recommend getting the type of grounds that have a rougher texture, similar to sea salt. If your grounds are too fine, you may wind up with a gritty sludge at the bottom of your jar, which will take away from the quality of your coffee.
If you’re not a fan of making your own cold brew, there are many pre-made options to choose from in the store. However, most of these products are actually a concentrate that needs to be diluted with water before drinking. If you decide to go this route, we suggest using a 1:1 ratio of concentrate and water or using a non-dairy milk like coconut or Milkadamia’s macadamia nut milk.
For a more streamlined cold brew process, consider getting a cold brew system that uses an immersion strainer to keep the grounds separate from the water. We’re big fans of the Toddy Home Model, which comes with a plastic brewing container and glass carafe.
5. Dilute Them
For a quick and easy breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up, serve a glass of DIY cold brew coffee over ice with milk, creamer, or sugar. Or if you prefer your coffee weaker, dilute it with a splash of water or more milk. You can also sweeten the cold brew with maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, Stevia, or simple syrup.
You can store the cold brew in your fridge in a mason or other airtight jar for up to a week. Keep in mind that the more your cold brew steeps, the stronger it will be. Make sure to stir it occasionally so the grounds don’t settle at the bottom of the container. If you like, you can even add the strained coffee to a cup of hot water to enjoy warm.
When making your own cold brew, it is important to use coarsely ground beans. Finely ground beans will over-extract, leaving the strained coffee too bitter. It is also best to use filtered water because this helps ensure that your brew will have a clean and sweet flavor.
The basic ratio for cold brew is one pound of ground beans to four cups of water. While you may have to experiment with the ratio in order to get a result that tastes good to you, it is best to start with a small batch and gradually increase the amount of beans as needed. This will give you a smoother and more concentrated cold brew that can be used to make a variety of coffee drinks. You can even use it to make a latte and sweeten it with your favorite syrup! Enjoy!
