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Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Perfect Cold Brew Coffee

This easy cold brew coffee recipe creates a smooth, rich concentrate that's perfect for iced coffee. With just two ingredients and minimal effort, you'll have a delicious coffee base that stays fresh for up to a week. The slow steeping process extracts bold flavors while eliminating bitterness.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Steeping Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 cups concentrate
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Calories: 2
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cold Brew Base
  • 1 cup whole coffee beans medium to dark roast, about 113 grams
  • 4 cups filtered water room temperature, about 907 grams

Equipment

  • Coffee grinder or spice grinder
  • Large glass jar or container
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
  • Storage bottle or jar

Method
 

  1. Grind the coffee beans: Use the coarsest setting on your coffee grinder to grind the beans. The grounds should look like coarse cornmeal, not fine powder. You should have just under 1 cup of grounds.
  2. Combine coffee and water: Transfer the coffee grounds to your large container. Pour the filtered water over the grounds, stirring gently with a long-handled spoon to ensure all grounds are thoroughly saturated.
  3. Steep overnight: Cover the container with a lid or small plate to protect from dust. Let the coffee steep for 12 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  4. Strain the concentrate: Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a large measuring cup or bowl. Pour the coffee mixture through the strainer slowly to remove all grounds.
  5. Store and serve: Transfer the concentrate to a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate for up to one week. To serve, dilute with equal parts water, milk, or serve over ice. Adjust strength to taste.

Notes

Serving Tips: Start with a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to liquid and adjust to taste. For hot coffee, warm the diluted concentrate in the microwave.
Storage: Keep concentrate refrigerated in an airtight glass container for up to 7 days.
Troubleshooting: If coffee tastes weak, use more grounds or steep longer. If bitter, use coarser grounds or shorter steeping time.
Pro Tip: Make coffee ice cubes to chill your iced coffee without diluting it.