Cold brew coffee recipe [Step-by-Step]

Start cold brewing your own coffee for the best iced coffee ever! This simple step-by-step guide for Cold brew coffee recipe has the perfect coffee to water ratio and ultimate flavor to give you that delicious caffeine boost you need.

The BEST Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Another cold brew coffee post? Really? To my credit, this post was originally published in 2014 and was in dire need of an image refresh, but I also consider myself a drinker of OG cold brew coffee recipes.

Given my extensive experience with cold brew coffee I can promise you this is the BEST cold brew coffee recipe on the web. I’ve tested this hundreds of times and made more batches than you can imagine. You only need a few simple tools and ingredients so you can ditch the store-bought coffee concentrate and brew your own cold brew coffee at home for great flavor!

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

The name pretty much says it all, but essentially Cold brew coffee is coffee that is brewed using a cold water process rather than heating it. Ground coffee is soaked in water for 12-24 hours to absorb the coffee benefits instead of releasing it in hot water.

Why would you want to cold brew your coffee? For many reasons:

1. It’s less acidic – Pushing the coffee beans up releases more acid, but not heating the beans does not release that acid, making your digestion easier.

2. It’s stronger – This cold brew makes a concentrate, so it’s STRONG. You can dilute it or get a serious high. As you wish!

3. It’s cold – MORON. Summer is hot – make sure your coffee is cold, and instead of tossing that old hot coffee in the fridge, why not take advantage of cold brew?

What do you need to prepare cold brew coffee?

The preparation of cold brew coffee does not require any industrial equipment. You only need a few jars or containers (Mason jars work great!) and a few other items to make this cold brew coffee recipe.

• 1-2 large glasses – Make sure they have a wide opening that makes pouring easier
• Fine mesh screen – or use a nut milk bag or several cheesecloths
• coffee beans – At least 1 cup of high-quality, coarsely ground coffee beans (you can also buy whole coffee beans and grind them yourself)
• wooden spoon – for stirring
• Filtered water – 5 cups of water. The 1:5 ratio is the ultimate cold brew coffee recipe ratio.

How do you make cold brew coffee?

Let’s get to the process of making the cold brew concentrate…

STEP 1: GRIND COFFEE

Measure out 1 cup of coffee beans and coarsely grind them in your coffee grinder. If you’re coming out of a coffee shop, ask if it should be ground for the French Press as it makes straining that much easier.

STEP 2: PULL COFFEE IN WATER

In a large glass or pitcher, mix the coffee grounds and water. Stir, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours (or longer if you plan ahead!).

STEP 3: COFFEE SEVEN

Allow to steep for at least 12 hours, then remove from the fridge and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, 2 layers of cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag into a large bowl or pitcher.

STEP 4: POUR OVER ICE

Put several ice cubes in a glass, pour cold brew over ice.

STEP 5: LOAD ADD-INS

Add any other ingredients like milk, cream, sugar or the additives listed below.

Cold Brew Add-ins

Cold brew coffee is strong. Definitely stronger than regular coffee. I usually drink mine with some milk. Here are some suggestions of what to add:

1. Homemade almond milk – always a classic!
2. Homemade oat milk – haven’t tried oat milk yet? Now is your chance. It is easy to prepare and tastes great with coffee.
3. Add a spritz of Cold Brew to this Iced Golden Milk Latte
4. Spice things up with this Iced Horchata Latte
5. For a lavender-flavored cold brew, try this easy Lavender Syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

Can you double or triple this recipe for a large batch? Absolutely! If you have a large enough glass jar, you can easily double, triple, or even quadruple this recipe. You’ll probably need a lot of vessels to strain yourself, but it can be done.

How long does this cold brew coffee recipe keep? It usually keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week.

What Kind of Coffee Should You Use? I use quality dark roast coffee from a local coffee shop, but you can use whatever you prefer. Typically, dark roast coffee contains less caffeine than light or medium roast coffee.

Can you make cold brew coffee in a French press? Yes you can. You will likely need to quarter the recipe and mix together 1/5 cup ground coffee (ground to French press size) and 1 cup water. Soak less in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Press down the french press and then pour the liquid over the ice cream. Depending on your ground coffee, you may need to pass your cold brew concentrate through another fine mesh sieve.

Can you make coffee ice cubes? Absolutely! If you really want to crank up your caffeine, you can make this cold brew coffee recipe and freeze it into ice cubes.

What to do with leftover coffee grounds?

Don’t let the ground coffee go to waste! Here are a few ideas of what to do with it:

– Try making this DIY vanilla latte soap

– DIY this coffee, face and body scrub

– Add to your garden! Note – only add to acid loving plants like azaleas and blueberries

Press

Do you like this recipe? Try these other drink recipes: