To make cold brew coffee, follow these simple steps:
- Coarsely grind your coffee beans - the grind should be coarse, like cornmeal, to avoid over-extraction and a gritty texture
- Mix coffee grounds with cold water - a common ratio is about 1 cup of coffee grounds to 4 cups of water (or roughly 100 g coffee to 1 liter water)
. You can adjust the ratio depending on how strong you want the brew
- Let it steep - cover the mixture and let it steep at room temperature or in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. The longer it steeps, the stronger the coffee concentrate will be
- Strain the coffee - use a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, a paper filter, or a cold brew coffee maker with a built-in filter to remove the grounds
- Store and serve - refrigerate the strained coffee. Serve it over ice and dilute with water, milk, or milk alternatives to taste. You can also heat it if you prefer hot coffee
Tips for best results:
- Use filtered water for a cleaner flavor
- Avoid over-steeping beyond 15 hours to prevent bitterness
- Make coffee ice cubes if you want to chill your drink without diluting it
- Cold brew coffee is smoother and less acidic than hot brewed coffee, with a naturally sweet taste
This method is easy, requires minimal equipment, and you can make a large batch to keep in your fridge for several days
