A glass of cold brew coffee with a French press and jar of cream in the background.

5 from 1 vote

How To Make Cold Brew Coffee

Here’s how to make cold brew coffee. All you need is the right ratio of coffee grounds to water and a little patience. This homemade version works in a French press or a Mason jar. (For the uninitiated, cold brew coffee is achieved without any heat. The coffee grounds are instead saturated with cold water and set aside at room temperature to steep. What results is an insanely smooth, ridiculously addictive brew that's not at all bitter.

Prep Time10

23 50

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 2

Ingredients

▢ 2 2/3 cups coarsely ground coffee
▢ 4 cups cold water
▢ Milk or half-and-half, for serving (optional)

US - Metric

Instructions

Combine the coffee and cold water in a large bowl or Mason jar or, preferably, a vessel of some sort with a built-in filter (such as a French press or similar item for brewing). Stir until all the coffee grounds have been saturated with water.
Cover the container with a lid and let it sit on the counter at room temperature to steep for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the cold brew coffee steeps, the stronger the flavor.
If you’ve infused the coffee in a bowl or jar, strain the cold brew coffee concentrate through a fine-mesh sieve, metal coffee filter, or fine cheesecloth into a bowl. You may want to press on the grounds to remove more coffee. If you’ve infused the coffee in a vessel with a built-in filter, deploy the plunger to press the grounds down or follow the manufacturer’s instructions for filtering. You may want to press on the grounds to remove more coffee.
☞ TESTER TIP: You can line your strainer with a paper coffee filter if you like, but there’s really no need as the coffee grounds swell during steeping.
Pour the strained cold brew coffee concentrate into a container with a lid. You should have 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Cover the container and stash it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To serve the cold brew coffee, dilute the concentrate with ice and water, milk, or half-and-half to taste. The amount of liquid needed for diluting is up to your discretion. A good place to start is 1 part cold brew coffee concentrate to 1 part water. Taste and tweak if need be. Originally published June 3, 2016.

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