How to Make Cold Brew Coffee | Your Guide to Brewing at Home
Ever wonder how to make cold brew coffee?! We have the answer!
Make your mornings brew-tiful!
If you love iced coffee, then you’ve gotta try making this cold brew coffee. It’s a popular and deliciously refreshing drink served up at most coffee shops, but here’s how you can make it at home for so much less!
Why Cold Brew?
Say goodbye to watered-down iced coffee and hello to a deliciously smooth and non-bitter refreshment! When coffee is brewed at a high temperature, the result tends to have high acidity.
When cooled down, that bitter taste tends to be more noticeable. Cold brew uses cold or room temperature water to brew over an extended period of time. This is why more people are enjoying cold brew for their summer caffeine fix!
Making your own cold brew coffee is simple with this guide!
I personally love cold brew in the summer, and I’m excited to report that this simple DIY at-home version using a Mason jar, coffee beans, and cold water works GREAT. In fact, no fancy equipment is needed!
Hip Tip: Any leftover coffee can be frozen into ice cubes so you have a non-diluted chilled brew!
Homemade Cold Brew Coffee
yield: 3 SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINUTES
total time: 5 MINUTES
Here's how to easily make a smooth cup of cold brew at home!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coffee beans, coarsely ground
- 3 cups cold water
- any desired coffee creamer, milk, or sweetener (optional)
Directions
1
Use coarsely ground coffee beans. I use a medium/dark roast. You can grind your own coffee beans to a coarse consistency using a coffee grinder or use one at the grocery store.
Note: If you want to make more or less cold brew just use the ratio of 1/4 cup coffee grounds for each 1 cup of water.
2
Mix filtered water with coffee in a large Mason jar or a glass container. Place the lid on the jar and let steep overnight on the counter or for at least 12 hours.
Tip: Use filtered water because it sets coffee up for success by having any lingering flavors filtered out.
3
Strain mixture using a cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Note: This could take a while but it's worth the wait.
4
Pour coffee into a glass with ice and a little water (if desired). The amount will depend on how strong you like your coffee. You can also use any type of creamer or milk. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 3 cups,
Amount Per Serving:
This cold coffee concoction is so smooth!
In fact, I normally need some kind of sweetened creamer for my coffee. I can drink cold brew with just a little milk or cream and no sweetener because it’s not bitter at all! This was pretty easy to make, and I love that you can make a batch of brew and keep it in the fridge for a few days!
Curious about other popular cold brew methods?
My coffee brewing expert sidekick Emily shares the following helpful tips to make cold brew using a French press.
To brew: It’s pretty much the same process as using a French Press for hot coffee, except for the water temperature and brewing time.
- Add 1 tbsp of coarsely ground coffee for every 6 oz. of cold, filtered water.
- Stir them together gently. Place the top on, BUT don’t press it down. You could also leave it off and cover the top with plastic wrap.
- Let it steep for about 12-14 hours in the fridge.
- Once the time has passed, simply press down the top and pour over ice.
Don’t feel like brewing your own cold brew coffee? Try store-bought cold brew!
There are tons of different pre-made cold brew brands, including Starbucks and Mr. Brown. Another popular option is High Brew! With about six different flavors available, High Brew 8 oz. cans have been described as “Coffee Heaven” on Amazon. They have low acidity and smooth taste and retail for around $2 each.
Want another way to enjoy cold coffee? Check out our review on the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee maker!