Summer and coffee are a great combination. This cold brew coffee will get your taste buds ready for the summer.
So hot that our marketing manager melted along with her laptop. We recovered the document and are finally ready to tell you exactly how to make cold brew coffee at home.
Your guide to making cold brew
Iced coffee is coffee that has been brewed hot, then cooled down and poured over ice. What is the difference between cold brew and iced coffee? Cold brew is brewed with cold water to extract the flavors and caffeine over a long time. Iced coffee is brewed hot, then cooled down and poured over ice.
The end result of cold brewing is a less acidic coffee with a natural sweeter taste. This is different from iced coffee where you would simply pour an espresso shot over iced milk (with syrup if you desire).
For the past few years, cold brew coffee has been gaining popularity for its much more delicate taste. High street coffee chains have been getting into cold brew coffee to keep up with the trend.
We love cold brew coffee because it allows us to taste the different flavors in our light roast coffee. This Mexican single origin coffee has a spicy undertone which would be overpowered if it was mixed with milk.
Some of the videos that we particularly enjoy watching are of people slowly pouring milk over cold brew coffee.
This coffee is amazing! If you see any videos about it, please tag us because we love coffee content. You can put milk in cold brew coffee and we won’t think any less of you.
You only need coffee and a coarse grind to make cold brew at home.
Step 1: Grind your coffee
We all know that coffee tastes better when you grind fresh at home, and a cold brew is no exception. In fact, when it comes to making cold brew you need a grind that is fairly coarse.
You will need to grind fresh coffee beans if you want to use them for anything.
An electric coffee grinder is most useful when you want to grind your coffee beans into a fine powder. The Core All Grind has 40 different grind settings, so you can choose to make your coffee as strong as espresso or as weak as cold brew.
If you want to have a good coffee set-up, you need a decent bean grinder.
When making cold brew coffee, the amount of coffee you grind depends on the method you are using. A quick search on Amazon reveals many different options.
Instead of spending a lot of money on a cold brew maker that takes weeks to ship from China, try The One Brew by Barista & Co.
The machine can also make a hot brew, loose leaf tea, or iced tea. I personally think this is the best part of the machine.
You will need to grind around 30g of coffee beans if you want to make a cold brew using the One Brew coffee maker. If you’re using a different coffee maker, you’ll need to determine the ratio yourself.
Typically, you would use about 30g of coffee for every 250g of water when making cold brew.
Step 2: Choose your coffee maker
This blog post is not trying to sell you the One Brew, even though you now know that it is really easy to make cold brew with it.
While I understand that you may want to use a different coffee maker, the instructions I am about to provide may still be of some help to you.
We can assume, for the sake of argument, that you have already chosen your coffee maker (the One Brew, of course). And, since you are very well-behaved, you didn’t skip step 1. So we are all currently looking at some coarsely ground coffee.
The next step is to add 15g of ground coffee at a time into the glass beaker using a coffee measuring spoon. You will need 2 full measures for a cold brew.
If you don’t have a scoop spoon, you should be able to get a fairly accurate measurement using heaped tablespoons.
If you are not using a One Brew, your cold brew maker should have come with instructions on how to make cold brew coffee. These instructions will give you more information about the coffee-to-water ratio.
When using a cold brewing method, be sure to use more coffee than usual, as it takes slightly longer to extract all the flavors.
Step 3: Add water
Don’t give me that look. This isn’t as simple as you think it is.
Instead, you leave the water on a lower heat for a lot longer. Usually, you would boil water for a fresh coffee and then let it sit for a minute or so to cool to the perfect temperature. However, when making cold brew, you would leave the water on a lower heat for a much longer time.
Do you have fresh, cold water that has been filtered?
are properly in place and close the lid Put the coffee grounds in the One Brew. You don’t need to do anything complicated, just pour until you reach the line. Once the glass beaker is full, put the filter lid back on. Make sure the silicone seals are in place and close the lid.
You should use only cold water to make cold brew coffee at home.
Step 4: Put it in the fridge
Open the door to the large white appliance in your kitchen that emits a faint humming noise when active. This is your fridge; it’s used to keep food items cold.
After 12 hours, remove and give the chamber a little swirl. If you’re like me, you’ll need to reorganize a few things to make some space on one of the shelves. Just put your One Brew, full of cold water and coarse ground coffee, into the fridge. After 12 hours, remove and give the chamber a little swirl.
Briefly, the text is saying to close the door and leave the cold brew overnight.
What would you like to do while you wait? Maybe take a look at our coffee accessories sale?
Step 5: Pour slow over ice
I hope you followed my advice and waited 12 hours for your cold brew. It should be fully extracted by now and packed with flavor. Pour it over ice in your favorite glass and enjoy.
I prefer cubed ice in my cold brew, but crushed ice has its own merits.
Now go to the fridge where you left your cold brew brewing. Take out the One Brew and start pouring slowly into the glass.
Ideally, the coffee should pour for about 30 seconds. If you notice the filter start to clog, you are pouring too fast.
Now is the time to decide if you want to put milk in your coffee.
Coffee beans for your cold brew. Here are 3 options:
- Buy them already coarsely ground. While this option may not be widely available at your local grocery store, you can often find coarsely ground beans on Amazon by searching for ‘coarse grind coffee beans’ or ‘cold brew coffee beans.’ You can also check your local coffee roaster, who may be able to grind the beans for you!
- Grind them yourself. Your next option is grinding the beans yourself. If you are very particular about your coffee, or like one specific brand, this may be your best bet. Luckily, coffee grinders are easy to use and you don’t need an expensive one! Look for one in the $20-$30 range like this one.
- Use the bulk coffee section of your grocery store. Many grocery stores have a bulk coffee section where you can buy beans and grind them right there. The grinders have settings from fine espresso to coarse grind, so you don’t have to invest in your own grinder! As a bonus, these beans are often cheaper than what you buy pre-bagged and are just as good, if not better, quality.
- Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve – this is the full-caffeine version of the half-caff variety listed above. This coffee has been specially formulated for cold brew and makes a smooth, well-rounded coffee.
- Cooper’s Cask Organic Cold Brew Coffee – Cooper’s Cask has a variety of cold brew coffees that are all fair-trade, organic, and roasted in Rhode Island. I love this single-origin Guatemala blend because it is smooth and just slightly sweet on its own. This one is the closest thing to Chameleon to me!
- Tiny Footprint Organic Cold Brew – This cold brew is organic, fair-trade, and for every pound sold, Tiny Footprint will donate a portion of the proceeds to fund reforestation in Ecuador’s Mindo cloud forest. This is a medium-roast Ethiopian blend coffee that results in a yummy, rich brew.
- Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Dark & Bold – If you like a stronger, darker coffee, this one is for you! Bizzy’s beans are completely organic, coarsely ground, and ethically sourced from Guatemala, Peru, and Nicaragua. They still produce a smooth brew, but with a more bold flavor than the other beans listed here.
The perfect ratio for cold brew coffee
The key to making a great cold brew coffee is to start with the right ratio of coffee beans to water.
There are two ways to make cold brew coffee. The method you choose should be based on the size of your container, how strong you want the coffee, and how much coffee you want to make.
- Ratio for cold brew concentrate
When you buy cold brew from a store, it is usually a concentrate. This means that you will need to add water to it before you drink it, or else the coffee will be very strong and have a lot of caffeine.
If you’re using a smaller container, we recommend using this method. You’ll use a 2:1 ratio of water to coffee. For example, if you’re using 2 cups of cold water, you’ll use 1 cup of coffee.
- Ratio for ready-to-drink cold brew
You can make cold brew coffee quickly by using a 4:1 ratio of cold water to coffee.
Why cold brew
1. It’s smoother than regular coffee
I love a cappuccino or an iced latte, but I often go for cold brew because it’s smoother than coffee or espresso that has been brewed with hot water.
Traditionally, coffee is made by boiling water quickly to create a hot brew. If you want a cold beverage, coffee or espresso is poured over ice.
An acidic and strong iced coffee is not always the best option even though it may be tasty.
You mix ground coffee and water to make cold brew coffee. It is best to let the mixture steep for 12-24 hours so that the fatty acids in the coffee beans have a chance to be extracted.
The slow brewing process in cold temperatures prevents many of the oils stored in coffee beans from being fully extracted. This means that the acids contained within the beans aren’t present in the final product.
The beans’ flavors are more pronounced in a less intense brew.
2. It’s easier on digestion
The text claims that cold brewing coffee produces a less acidic brew than regular coffee.
The amount of caffeine in cold brew coffee can vary depending on the type of beans and brewing methods used. Some people find that cold brew coffee is easier on their stomach because it is less acidic than other types of coffee. If you avoid coffee because you can’t tolerate it, you may want to try cold brew coffee.
3. It lasts for weeks
Although cold brew coffee takes a little more effort to make than regular coffee, you’ll be able to enjoy it for much longer – possibly for weeks, depending on how much you drink.
After you have prepared a batch, simply pour it over ice, mix with your preferred add-ins, and enjoy!