Easy Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

This easy recipe for Homemade Cold Brew Coffee uses a super simple technique to produce a smooth, strong coffee concentrate that's perfect for iced coffee, lattes, espresso martinis, coffee cocktails and more!

Cold brew coffee has revolutionized how people drink iced coffee. It is so much better than pouring hot coffee over ice cubes only to wind up with a diluted, lukewarm cup of bitter bean water. High end coffee shops charge an arm and a leg for high-quality cold brew, but it's so easy to make it at home for a fraction of the cost. Drink it straight or try it in a coffee popsicle!

Why this recipe works

• An easy, beginner friendly, fool-proof method that anyone can make!
• Produces a super smooth, strong coffee that lasts several weeks in the fridge.
• Only 2 ingredients needed!

Essential Ingredients

• Coffee - For the best tasting cold brew, use the best coffee you can get your hands on. Look for something that's locally roasted and fresh for best results. I love coffee from my local roaster Harry + Beans. It's important that the coffee is coarsely ground, and will taste best if made with beans that are freshly ground. If you don't have a coffee grinder at home, grind your beans at the grocery store or ask a worker at Starbucks or your local coffee shop to do it for you.
• Water - For the cleanest flavor, use filtered, bottled or distilled water. This way there won't be any added flavors from minerals, chlorine or anything else that might be in your tap water.

Helpful Equipment

• Coffee Grinder - Coffee tastes best when it's ground fresh, so a coffee grinder is essential if you're a coffee enthusiast. These basic, small grinders work fine, but if you can invest in a Conical Burr grinder, you'll be able to achieve more precise and uniform coffee grounds, which will produce a smoother cold brew coffee.
• Strainer - A strainer is essential for making cold brew. You can use a large holed colander in a pinch (lined with coffee filters of course), but a fine mesh strainer will work even better.

Step by step instructions

1. Add the coffee and water to a container with a lid, then give it a good stir.
2. Cover and let sit for at least 12 hours or up to 36 hours. You can brew the coffee at room temperature or refrigerated. If brewing at room temperature, the coffee will extract faster, so a shorter time is better. If brewing in the refrigerator, the coffee will extract slower so you can let it go a little longer. 
3. Place a fine mesh strainer over top of a large bowl, then strain the coffee once to remove most of the coffee grounds.
4. Discard the coffee grounds,* then place a coffee filter, a few layers of cheese cloth, or a few layers of paper towels inside the strainer set over top of another bowl.
5. Pour the coffee into the strainer and allow it to drain slowly over the bow. It will take longer to drain this time, so have patience and don't try to force it through. 
6. Once the liquid has finished straining, discard the solids and transfer the liquid to a jar ot bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
7. To serve, pour the cold brew coffee over ice and dilute it with a bit of water if desired. Add your favorite sweetener or creamer, then enjoy!
8. The leftover coffee grounds can be used as a body scrub or plant fertilizer. Don't throw them away! 

Tips for success

• Medium to coarsely ground coffee will produce the smoothest cold brew. Using a finer ground coffee will result in a cloudier, more sludgy coffee that could taste bitter. 
• It's best not to let your coffee brew for more than 24 hours at room temperature and 36 hours in the refrigerator. This can cause the cold brew to over extract and turn bitter. 16-24 hours is usually the sweet spot, but it will ultimately depend on the type of coffee you're using, the size of the grounds, the temperature it's brewing at and personal preference. It might take a few batches to make your perfect cup!
• For a flavored cold brew, try using flavored coffee beans or adding a few spices to the brew. Cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, star anise, nutmeg, vanilla beans and cacao nibs all make great additions. You can also flavor a cup of cold brew with your favorite flavored coffee syrup or creamer.
• If your tap water isn't the best quality or has a distinct flavor, definitely use filtered or bottled water to make your cold brew coffee. It will make all the difference!
• The leftover coffee grounds can be used as a body scrub or plant fertilizer. Don't throw them away! 
• Cold brew coffee at the 1:4 ratio is STRONG. Many people like to dilute it with some water before drinking, or just let the ice melt a bit. But be warned, this stuff will make you wired!

Faq about Cold Brew Coffee

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