Cold
Cold brew
Long, cold steeping for a smooth, sweet, low-acid concentrate that keeps for days in the fridge.
At a glance
CategoryCold
DifficultyEasy
Total time16–20 hours
Best forSmooth, sweet, low-acid concentrate that keeps for days
What you’ll need
A large jar or cold-brew vessel, a burr grinder, a coarse strainer or mesh bag, and paper filters for a final polish.
The recipe
100.0gDose
800gWater
1:8Ratio
20°CWater temp
CoarseGrind size
12–18 hrsBrew time
How to brew
Cold brew uses time instead of heat. Steeping coarse coffee in cold water for many hours extracts fewer acids and bitter compounds, giving a smooth, sweet, low-acid concentrate that keeps for days. This recipe makes a 1:8 concentrate you dilute to taste.
Step by step
- Place 100g of coarsely ground coffee in a large jar and pour over 800g of cold, filtered water.
- Stir gently to make sure every ground is saturated.
- Seal and steep undisturbed for 16–20 hours at room temperature (or 24 hours in the fridge).
- Strain through a coarse mesh or bag to remove the grounds, then filter a second time through paper to capture fine sediment and oils.
- Store the concentrate in the fridge for up to two weeks. Dilute about 1:1 with water, milk or ice to serve.
Advanced: bloom the grounds with 150g of near-boiling water for one minute first to lift the floral and fruity aromatics, then top up with the remaining cold water and steep as usual.
Troubleshooting
- Too weak? Steep longer, use more coffee, or dilute less.
- Too harsh or over-strong? Grind coarser, shorten the steep, or dilute more.
- Cloudy or silty? Give it a second filter through paper.
- Flat-tasting? Try the hot-bloom variation to lift the aromatics.
