How to Make Cold Brew: Ratio & Easy Method

Cold brew has no heat to hide defects, so use fresh, good beans.

Coarse grounds soak up a lot of water, so a batch always yields less than you pour; the brew yield calculator works out how much to start with.

No cold brew maker? A French press works well: steep in it, then press. See how to use a French press for grind and cleaning tips.

1. 1

   Grind coarse. , coarser than French press.

2. 2

   Weigh. 100 g coffee and 800 g cold water.

3. 3

   Stir gently. For 30-45 seconds so no dry pockets remain.30-45 seconds

4. 4

   Seal and refrigerate for 18 hours. 18 hours

5. 5

   Filter slowly. Without stirring or pressing; allow 10-20 minutes.10-20 minutes

6. 6

   Store in sealed glass. And label the date.

• Over ice: 2-3 oz concentrate plus 2-3 oz cold water.
• Latte: 2 oz concentrate over ice, then 2-4 oz cold milk. See also the espresso iced latte.
• Tonic: 2 oz concentrate topped with 4 oz tonic water.
• Warm: 1 part concentrate to about 3 parts hot water; do not heat the concentrate directly.

Use large ice cubes, since small ice melts and dilutes fast. For how it differs from other drinks, see coffee drink differences.

Heat drives extraction. Hot water pulls out acids, aromatic oils and bitter compounds quickly; cold water dissolves them far more slowly, so a long cold brew steep leaves much of the sharp acidity and harshness behind. That is why cold brew tastes rounder and sweeter, and why it is lower in perceived acidity rather than truly acid-free. To size a batch, use the cold brew ratio calculator.

Because the process is immersion with a high coffee-to-water ratio, you make a concentrate that is diluted afterwards. Contact time, grind size and ratio replace temperature as your main controls: finer grounds or a longer steep raise extraction, and over-extraction shows up as woody, papery bitterness instead of sourness. For a starting point, use the coffee grind size calculator.

Cold brew is not the same as iced coffee, which is hot coffee chilled, or Japanese iced coffee, which is brewed hot directly over ice.

• Weigh everything. A kitchen scale makes a ratio repeatable; scoops vary with roast and grind.
• Grind coarse and even. A burr grinder gives fewer fines than a blade, which means less silt and bitterness. See the burr vs blade grinder comparison and the grind size chart.
• Steep in the fridge for 12-18 hours if you want a cleaner, brighter cup; room-temperature steeps extract faster and taste heavier.
• Filter twice. Strain through a mesh, then a paper filter, for a clearer, longer-lasting concentrate.
• Use filtered water. Chlorine and very hard water both dull the flavour of a long steep.
• Store sealed and cold, and finish a batch within about a week.

Immersion pitchers and cold brew towers add convenience, not better flavour; a jar and a good filter produce the same extraction when the ratio and time match.

Concentrate takes less fridge space and lets you decide the strength each time: dilute more for a light drink, less for a strong one, or mix it with milk for a cold brew latte. Ready-to-drink cold brew is simpler but takes more space and cannot be made stronger later. If you are new to cold brew, start with a concentrate around 1:5 and dilute it 1:1, then adjust.

• Store cold brew in a sealed glass jar or bottle in the fridge.
• Concentrate usually stays good for up to about two weeks; diluted cold brew is best within a week.
• Flavour fades gradually; it tastes flatter and sometimes more bitter after the first week.
• Discard it if it smells sour, musty or off, or if you see any mould.
• Do not leave it at room temperature for long; cold brew is not acidic enough to stay safe outside the fridge.

Strain thoroughly before storing. Fine grounds left in the brew keep extracting slowly and make it taste bitter and muddy. A paper filter after a mesh strainer gives the cleanest result.

Label the jar with the date you made it so you know when to finish it, and give it a gentle swirl before pouring, as fine particles settle at the bottom.

Cold brew is made by steeping coarse coffee in cold or room-temperature water for many hours, so it extracts slowly and tastes smooth, sweet and low in acidity. Iced coffee is brewed hot and then poured over ice or chilled, which keeps more of the bright, acidic flavours and aroma. Cold brew tastes rounder and chocolatey; iced coffee tastes crisper and more like hot coffee.

Cold brew takes planning but is easy to make in batches. Iced coffee is ready in minutes. If you like the taste of your regular coffee, brew it slightly stronger and pour it straight over ice; if you want something smoother, make cold brew. Our how to make an iced latte guide covers the espresso-based option.

Our pick

OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Maker

Pick it if you brew often and want less mess: the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Maker (32 oz) filters faster. Skip it if a jar already works for you.

Read the full review

Our pick

Takeya Tritan Cold Brew Maker

Pick it if you want a lower-cost pitcher: the Takeya Tritan is cheaper. Skip it if you want the cleanest filtering.

Read the full review

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A KitchenAid glass carafe is another reviewed option. Check the listing for current prices.