Ever wanted to know how to make cold brew coffee at home? It's incredibly easy and much cheaper to make a home with just a few simple steps. This recipe is for a cold brew coffee concentrate intended to be diluted with water or made into lattes, cappuccinos or however you wish to mix it—I love to make cold brew coffee during the hot summer months with plenty of ice and chilled almond milk. This recipe makes enough concentrate to create 4 or 5 cups of coffee (after diluting).
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The Cold Brew Difference
There are a few ways in which cold brew coffee differs from regular drip or hot water steeped coffee. Understanding these difference helps you know what to expect and how to make sure you get the best results from the process.
- The biggest difference is that cold water steeping results in less acidity in the coffee. Cold brew is thus less acidic and has a subtle sweetness to it.
- The amount of caffeine in cold versus traditional brew is somewhat debatable. Because caffeine is water soluble, I share the opinion that cold brewing coffee beans results in higher caffeine levels simply because the steeping time is so lengthy (12-14 hours). Also, don't forget that this recipe creates a concentrate which will have more caffeine per cup than regular coffee, so be sure to dilute it!
- Cold brewing is a slower process which yields a final brew with rich flavour that doesn't degrade over time. Cold brew coffee concentrate lasts several days in the fridge and still tastes fresh.
- You can enjoy it many different ways. It makes excellent iced coffee, however, you can also enjoy it a room temperature, serve it black or use it in iced lattes. Moreover, you can heat it up like traditional drip coffee, if you wish.
How to Make It
You can easily make cold brew coffee concentrate at home one of two ways. The French press method or the mason jar method. Both work equally well. You will also need to make sure that the coffee beans are ground fairly coarse, rather than finely.
- The French Press Method - simply add the ground coffee beans and water to a french press. Cover and let steep for 12 hours in the fridge, then filter with the press.
- The Mason Jar Method - Add all the ground coffee and water to a 1-quart mason jar, cover tightly and let steep in the fridge for 12 hours. Filter the coffee into a sterile glass jar through several layers of fine cheesecloth, a clean linen, or use traditional paper filters.
Special Equipment
Along with either a French press or 1-Qt mason jar, you will also need a coffee grinder, or something to grind the beans (I use a high speed blender which may or may not garner some questionable looks from aficionados). If you purchase bulk coffee, you can have it ground in house or use the coarse grind/french press setting on the grocery store coffee grinder (if available).
Important Tips
Storage
Unlike hot coffee, cold brew will last several days covered in the fridge with no degradation in flavour. Simply pour it into a sterile glass storage vessel with a lid and keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your cold brew concentrate is cloudy, try filtering it a second time. If after a second filtration it's still cloudy, use a coarser grind.
Because a finer coffee grind can cause the final brew to be cloudy or allow more of the natural acidity to steep from the beans. This will result in a bitter tasting coffee as opposed to the smooth subtly sweet taste cold brew is known and loved for.
More Recipes
If you enjoyed my cold brew coffee tutorial, you may be interested in trying my Dairy-free pumpkin spice latte or my Homemade Holiday Tea Blends.
If you made this cold brew coffee, please leave me a comment below with a star rating; it really helps others who are interested in making the recipe. For more from The Simple Green, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Consider becoming a subscriber to receive emails of new recipes and posts.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee (Concentrate)
Special Equipment
- French Press Coffee Maker or 1 quart mason jar
- Coffee Filters
- Coffee Grinder (optional) or high speed blender
Ingredients
For the cold brew coffee concentrate:
- 1 cup coarsely ground coffee beans
- 4 cups cold or room temperature filtered water
To Serve:
- ½ cup cold brewed coffee concentrate
- ½ cup chilled almond milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or a pinch of pure stevia extract, to taste
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Mix the ground coffee and water: In a large french press, or 1 quart mason jar with a lid, place the coarsely ground coffee and filtered water. Stir to ensure all the grounds are fully immersed and saturated with water. Cover and place in the fridge to steep for 12 -14 hours.
- Filter the coffee: if using a french press, simply use the plunger filter. Alternatively, filter the steeped grounds through a fine mesh sieve, several layers of cheesecloth, or a double lined paper coffee filter (my preferred method). If your filtered brew is cloudy, filter once more (see notes below).
- Serving suggestion: to your favourite mug or glass, add ½ cup of cold brewed coffee concentrate and sweetener of choice. Mix until the sweetener is dissolved. Add ice and pour in ½ cup of chilled almond milk or water.
Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.
Thank you for the feedback! Straining twice does help if you have a cloudy brew (likely caused by too fine of a grind)!
Admiring the commitment you put into your site and in depth information you present. It's nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same unwanted rehashed information. Great read!
Great post. I'm inspired to give cold brew coffee a try!
Thank you, Camille!