Homemade Cold Brew: The Easy Way
In the world of coffee there are so many options: drip, mochas, lattes, cappuccinos. You can get so creative with coffee and have a delicious experience every time. My husband is consistent, hot brewed coffee every day. He pours it in his Yeti and off to work he goes. I on the other hand, well, I don’t always know what I want and to be honest, but it usually isn’t a hot coffee. When in doubt: a homemade cold brew it is.
There are so many things you can do with it, mix the concentrate with milk and make a latte, add cream and vanilla for a sweet cream treat, or mmmmm a cold foam cold brew. SO delicious. Even though there are so many ways to make cold brew, my favorite way to drink it is black. With LOTS of ice. It’s just simple and I love it. I’m going on 15 years on staff at my church’s coffee shop and whenever I don’t know what to have, I default to a cold brew; I’m never disappointed.
I want to share with you the way we make our homemade cold brew at the coffee shop so you can have coffee shop quality cold brew coffee every day!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Info About Cold Brew
To be honest, I don’t have places to cite my info on cold brew from. I can only share the knowledge that I have accumulated over the years at the coffee shop. I learned that cold brew seems to have originated from Japan, but there are rumors that they may have learned about cold brew from Dutch sailors. Who knows if we will ever really know, but that’s one question I would like to know the answer to.
Cold brew is so much smoother than drip coffee because it doesn’t get heated and develop that acidic bite that many hot coffees have. In turn, because it’s not as acidic it’s easier on those of us who suffer with heartburn. That’s a win in my book.
Another fun fact about cold brew is that it has more caffeine in it than regular drip coffee because it is steeped in water for such a long period of time. Same amount of coffee with more punch? SOLD!
Tips for Making Cold Brew
Basically, use a light roast that is coarsely ground.
I am still on the hunt for the perfect coffee to use for my cold brew. Personally, I don’t get coarsely ground coffee because my grinder is broken and I don’t see much of a difference in the end product.
I search the shelves at the grocery store for the perfect bag of beans every time I decide I’m going to make cold brew. This leads me to test out a different coffee every time I make it. I find that when I don’t know what new beans to try, I tend to use the 1850 Folger’s coffees for my cold brew. It’s affordable and good quality. I typically us the Pioneer blend, which I believe they renamed to the Expedition Blend, and that goes over pretty well when I serve it to my guests. The Colombian coffee they have is also a safe choice.
*Special Note*
This process calls for a 1lb bag of ground coffee to a 96oz water ratio. If you have a 12oz bag you can use the ratio of 12oz ground coffee to 72oz water.
Tools You May Need
- Filtered water
- Possibly a coffee grinder
How to Make Homemade Cold Brew
Step 1: Prep the jar
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Place the cotton coffee filter in the gallon sized jar. Open the filter around the mouth of the jar so that it is ready for the grounds.
Step 2: Add in the coffee grounds
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When adding the coffee grounds be sure to evenly distribute them in the filter bag.
Step 3: Add the water
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Once you’ve got the grounds in the bag/jar, add the water and stir the grounds until they are completely saturated.
Step 4: Let it steep
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Once the grounds are soaking and ready to steep, cover them and put the jar and its contents in the fridge for 24 hours. If you’re impatient like me, you can alternatively leave the jar out on the counter for 12-14 hours to steep and it will be done more quickly.
Step 5: Remove the grounds
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Once your cold brew is done steeping, you can remove the filter with the grounds and let them strain. I like to put the whole bag of grounds in an actual strainer and let them rest on top so that I don’t have to sit there and hold and squeeze the bag. Once it’s done dripping you have your concentrate! Yay!
Step 6: Creating the perfect ratio
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I like to use a 1:2 ratio for my cold brew (one part concentrate to two parts water). I typically don’t like my cold brew too strong and it makes it go a little farther than using a 1:1 ratio. Feel free to test it out and find the strength you like most.
Storing Your Cold Brew
I suggest filling a small pitcher in the fridge with your cold brew at the perfect ratio so it’s ready to drink but leaving a little jar as concentrate. That way you can make a few different drinks and mix it up if you decide to try something different.
Your cold brew concentrate is good in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
I have a post here that includes different drinks to make for the Spring and it has a recipe that uses cold brew concentrate.
Homemade Cold Brew: The Simple Way
Make cold brew the way the coffee shops do with this cold brew concentrate recipe. This cold brew recipe is great because you can tailor it to how you like it! Choose your favorite bag of coffee and create a refreshing cold brew concentrate that is good in the fridge for up to 14 days.
Ingredients
- Gallon glass jar
- Canvas filter
- Your favorite 16oz bag of coffee
- Water
Instructions
1. Put the empty filter in the glass jar open for the coffee grounds.
2. Pour 16oz bag of grounds into the filter.
3. Add in 96oz water.
4. Let sit on countertop for 12 hours.
5. After 12 hours is up, pull the filter containing the grounds out of the glass jar and let drain.
Notes
*If you have a 1lb bag of coffee grounds you can use 72oz of water.
* If you'd like to, you can put your cold brew in the fridge for 24 hours to steep instead of leaving it on the counter for 12 hours.
* I use a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water however, you can use a 1:1 ratio if you like your cold brew stronger.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
~22Serving Size:
8ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: ~2
There you have it! A simple process for making homemade cold brew that will last you for 2 weeks! However, if you’re anything like my husband and I, there is no way it’s lasting that long. Happy sipping!
Wishing you a day filled with good things,
Nicole Marie
