Cold Brew Coffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the perfect ratio for cold brew coffee? ›

A ratio of 1:8 of coffee to water will produce a nice coffee ready to drink after around 24 hours at a coarse grind. Another option is to create a much stronger cold brew (named cold brew concentrate), by using a ratio anywhere from 1 part coffee to 4 parts water, up to around 1 part coffee to 2 parts water.

Iced coffee is brewed using hot water then added to ice to cool. Cold brew coffee is made using cold water and takes longer to make.

The basic formula for cold brew is one pound of ground coffee beans to one gallon of water. Unless you're running a small café out of your kitchen (or just plan on being really productive), you likely won't need to make that much. A more home brewing-friendly ratio is a quarter-pound of beans to four cups of water.

Fill your 2 Quart cold brew pitcher almost to the top with water (leave enough space to add filter back to it and not overflow). Add 1 cup of coffee grounds to the coffee filter. Screw the lid onto the filter and insert it back into the water.

Use Coarse-Ground Coffee

A coarse grind size is ideal for cold brew — similar what you'd use for a French press. The coarseness will allow water to evenly saturate the grounds for a nice even extraction. If the grounds are too fine, they tend to float together in a dense mass and won't be evenly saturated with water.

The best part about making cold brew at home is you can dial it in to your personal taste. Somewhere in the 16 to 20 hour range is the sweet spot for most coffees. We're willing to bet you'll find your favorite steep time right in there somewhere. Start with a 16-hour batch, taste, and go from there.

Cold brewing leaves behind some acids that hot coffee pulls out easily. This not only creates a coffee that is flavorful, smooth, and mellow, but also one that can hold up for days and still taste fresh.

Cold brew concentrate is stronger than iced coffee. Because this concentrate is made with a higher ratio of coffee to water than iced coffee, the resulting beverage will have a much higher concentration of caffeine.

Cold brew may even be healthier than regular coffee, Hu said. Because it's less acidic than regular, many people may find it tastier and thus have less need to mask the acidic taste with calorie-laden cream, milk, and sugar.

What is the best coffee to make cold brew? ›

The best coffee beans for cold brew will, in part, depend on how you want to use them. If you want to add milk to the finished result, a normal espresso mix works well. However, anything lighter roasted is typically preferable for serving straight up, such as a filter roast or a mild espresso roast.

To ensure your cold brew lasts longer with clarity and freshness intact, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10-14 days. If you notice cloudiness after this period or any sour smells or tastes, discard it immediately as these could be signs of spoilage.

It All Begins With The Golden Ratios

Now let me show you the actual Golden Ratios: 1:15 to 1:18 (coffee to water). In here is where most people find the coffee to be at that sweet spot, though there are a few exceptions, like with espresso, for example. Here's why this matters.

Use 4 Tbsp (22 g) of grounds for every cup (6 fl oz) of water. Fill the press with cold or room-temperature water. Gently stir the grounds a few times with a spoon. One or two stirs is plenty.

Use 4 Tbsp (22 g) of coffee for each cup (6 fl oz, 180 ml).

Iced Pour Over Coffee Ratio

We recommend a coffee to water to ice ratio of 1:10:6. This means 1 gram of coffee to 10 grams of water and 6 grams of ice. At the end, we'll pour the coffee into a glass filled with ice but we're not measuring the ice we're puting in that glass.

That's about 24 ounces of water and a 1:8 ratio. This will leave you with a smooth, drinkable brew. If you prefer to make a concentrate, increase the amount of ground coffee you use to make the brew stronger. So, 6 ounces of coffee for that same 24 ounces of water will get you a double strong batch at a 1:4 ratio.

Get to know the golden ratio

For drip coffee brewing — which encompasses most home coffeemakers, bulk brewers and pour-overs — Helfen says that the ratio of 60 grams of coffee to one liter of water, or roughly 1:17, is the one most commonly used by coffee pros (and is often referred to as “the golden ratio”).

Use a coarse grind size, similar to what you would use for a French press. This allows for a slower extraction and a more flavorful cup of cold brew.