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How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home
With the summer months approaching, it’s time to get excited about all the delicious cool drinks you can enjoy in the sun. Top of that list is digging the cold brew kit out of hibernation and batch-making delicious cold brew coffee to enjoy each morning.
Yes, your local coffee shop probably does a nice cold brew, but it’s so easy to learn how to make the perfect cold brew coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. So, you no longer have to spend $6 per day or wait in line just to get your cooling morning caffeine.
Coffee Beans for Making Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brewing coffee tastes very different from coffee that has been extracted with hot water. The long extraction in cold water mutes the acidity, making the coffee taste richer and sweeter.
So, do you need specific coffee beans to make cold brew?
Not at all. Whilst there will be some coffee beans that are better suited to this brewing style, it all comes down to your personal preferences. Generally speaking, darker roasts will taste best as they have more body to them, so they stand up to the lower acidity levels.
No matter which coffee beans you choose for cold brew, the most important factor is the grind size. Because cold brew extracts slowly through steeping, you need a very coarse grind. If the grind is too fine, the result will be an over-extracted, bitter brew.
This means you can pick any of Java Planet's organic dark roast coffees, order them ground coarse, and enjoy the flavor profile that fits your taste.
Best Grind for Cold Brew
If you have a grinder at home, or even just a Nutribullet/Ninja, you can grind your beans fresh for cold brew. You can also pick up a coffee grinder with very little investment.
The grind size you are looking for should look similar to freshly ground peppercorns or kosher salt.
Grinding beans fresh at home gives you the fullest, most vibrant flavor.
However, if you want your path to caffeine to be as quick and easy as possible, simply select coarse grind when ordering to get the best cold brew results.
Equipment Needed for Cold Brew
By now, we hope you’re convinced that making cold brew is a great (and easy) idea. So, what equipment will you need?
Well, you can make cold brew with coffee equipment you already have in the house. Grab your trusty French press and you’re ready to go.
If you want to make a really big batch of cold brew, all you need are — two large mason jars, a funnel, scale, and some paper coffee filters. So, for the price of 5 cold brew coffees from the big chain coffee shops, you can make a far superior cold brew at home that will last you weeks!
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
The key to making the perfect cold brew is the coffee-to-water ratio. Your idea of a perfect cup will depend on a few things. Firstly, how strong do you like your coffee? And secondly, do you want to make a concentrate to be diluted, or a cold brew coffee that you can pour and drink straight away?
The answer to these questions will be down to your personal preferences. However, as a good starting point we recommend making it stronger than you'll want, then dialing it back. Remember, you can always dilute your cold brew if needed, but it’s difficult to make it stronger after it’s brewed.
Cold Brew Coffee Ratios
If you’re just getting started with making cold brew at home, these ratios are a great place to begin:
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For a standard, ready-to-pour cold brew, use a ratio of 1 part coffee to 4 parts water.
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When using a French press, we found the brew came out stronger, so we preferred a ratio of 1 part coffee to 7 parts water.
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If you’d rather make a cold brew concentrate that you can later dilute with water, milk, or your favorite plant-based milk, use a ratio of 1 part coffee to 2 parts water.
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The best part about making cold brew at home is that you can adjust these ratios to create a flavor that’s perfect for you.
Easy Cold Brew Coffee Instructions
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Mix your coffee grounds and water in a container (like a Mason jar) or French press
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Leave in a cool, dark place for 12-24 hours. A good starting place is 16 hours, then you can adjust to the strength that suits your taste
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If you are using a French press, push the plunger and pour your cold brew into a clean container. If you used a mason jar, strain the brew through a coffee filter into a clean container
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Store your perfect cold brew in the fridge and enjoy
Be prepared to have fun — and be a little flexible — when making cold brew coffee. It may take a couple of tries to get it just the way you like it. If it’s not strong enough, try steeping for a few more hours or adding extra grounds. If it’s a bit bitter, reduce the steeping time or use fewer grounds.
Soon you’ll be brewing a week’s worth of delicious cold brew coffee for a fraction of the price of a café —customized exactly to your taste.
Flavored Cold Brew Coffee
If you’re a fan of flavored coffee or want something a bit sweeter and more exotic for summer, then you can try using flavored coffee beans to make your cold brew. It’s like a refreshing dessert in a glass!
Using a flavored coffee can give you a sweet, morning drink without having to add any sugar or syrups. As the cold brewing process will mute the natural acidity of the coffee, the sweet notes of Java Planet’s flavored coffee will be more prominent. A great choice is the Java Planet Cinnamon Vanilla Dream which, when cold-brewed, delivers a delicious low-calorie summer drink.
How Long Does Cold Brew Last?
As long as your keep your cold brew coffee in a sealed container, it can last a week to 10 days in the fridge — if you can keep your hands off it for that long!
Anything up to 2 weeks will still be drinkable. But the brewing flavor will deteriorate over time, so it’s best to drink it in the first week after brewing for the best quality.
How to Keep Cold Brew Coffee Cold
If you’re heading out the door and want to take your cold brew coffee with you, you’ll probably want a way to keep it cold during your commute.
You can add regular ice, but that will dilute your coffee as it melts.
A better option is to freeze some of your cold brew in an ice cube tray. These cold brew ice cubes will keep your drink chilled without watering down its flavor.
Get Experimental
There are so many options to customize your cold brew — different coffee beans, flavored coffee, milk, cream, and more! You can mix and match these elements to create cold brew drinks that are perfectly tailored to your taste.
Be daring and try some new combos. Or maybe get some flavored beans to cold brew and try adding some milk and syrup. There’s also the option to drop something a little bit stronger into the mix, Jack Daniel’s Honey perhaps? Let your imagination run wild.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of cold brew and have some great-tasting coarse coffee to work with, the world of cold brew becomes your playground.