How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home (Easy Method)

Slug: how-to-make-cold-brew-coffee-at-homePillar: Food and Drink > RecipesKeyword: how to make cold brew coffee at homeExcerpt: Cold brew coffee is smoother and less acidic than iced coffee and incredibly simple to make at home. Here is the easy no-equipment method.

What Is Cold Brew Coffee and Why Is It Different?

Cold brew is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, then filtering out the grounds. Because heat is never used, the extraction produces a concentrate that is naturally sweeter, less acidic, and smoother than hot-brewed coffee. That is why it tastes so different from iced coffee, which is just hot-brewed coffee poured over ice.

What You Need

You do not need specialist equipment. A large jar or pitcher, a fine mesh sieve, and either a paper coffee filter or muslin cloth are all that is required. For a standard batch: 100g of coarsely ground coffee and 800ml of cold water at a 1:8 ratio. This makes a concentrate. Dilute with water or milk 1:1 when serving.

Step 1: Grind Your Coffee Coarsely

The grind size matters more than the coffee brand. You want coarse grounds roughly the texture of raw sugar. Too fine and you get over-extraction: bitter, muddy coffee that is difficult to filter. Ask a coffee shop to grind your beans on the coarsest setting if you do not have a grinder.

Step 2: Combine Coffee and Water

Add the grounds to a large jar. Pour over 800ml of cold or room-temperature water. Stir briefly to ensure all the grounds are saturated. Cold brew is very forgiving.

Step 3: Steep for 12 to 24 Hours

Cover the jar and leave it in the fridge. Twelve hours gives a lighter result. 18 to 20 hours gives a rich, balanced result most people prefer. 24 hours gives a very strong, bold concentrate. Never go beyond 24 hours as over-steeping produces bitter flavours.

Step 4: Filter

Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher. Then line the sieve with a paper coffee filter and pour through again to remove fine sediment. Do not press or squeeze the grounds as this forces bitter compounds into your coffee.

Step 5: Store and Serve

Pour the concentrate into a sealed jar and refrigerate. It keeps well for up to two weeks. Fill a glass with ice, pour in concentrate, and top with cold water, oat milk, or full-fat milk. Adjust the ratio to taste. For more drink recipes, visit our

section.Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to use filtered water for cold brew?

Filtered water produces a noticeably cleaner, sweeter result by removing chlorine and minerals in tap water. If your tap water tastes fine to drink, it will make perfectly good cold brew.

What is the best coffee for cold brew?

Medium to dark roasts work best and produce a naturally sweet, chocolatey concentrate. Light roasts can taste thin and sour in cold brew. Most supermarket ground coffee works well if it is coarse or medium-coarse.

Can I make cold brew without a filter?

Yes. A clean tea towel, muslin cloth, or reusable cloth coffee filter all work. You can also use a French Press: steep the grounds in the body for 18 hours, then press and pour.

Why is my cold brew bitter?

Bitterness usually means over-steeping beyond 24 hours, grounds that are too fine, or water that is too warm. Try a shorter steep, a coarser grind, or using water straight from the fridge.

How much caffeine is in cold brew?

Cold brew concentrate is significantly stronger than regular coffee. When diluted 1:1, it is roughly equivalent to a strong cup of coffee at 100 to 120mg of caffeine. The NHS recommends keeping caffeine intake below 400mg per day for healthy adults.