How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home

Warm days call for iced coffee. But you don’t have to drop serious cash at the coffee shop every day — all you need to make a batch of cold brew is whole coffee beans, a grinder and some good ole’ fashioned patience.

Good to Know: This recipe produces a coffee concentrate, so not only can you make more servings in one batch, but you can also customize the coffee to suit your preferences. Use a small amount and treat it like espresso to make an iced latte, for example, or simply dilute with water until it reaches that perfect consistency before serving.

Cold Brew Coffee

Yield: about 2 cups

What You Need

Ingredients

Tools

Good to Know: As with any coffee, you want to start with high-quality, freshly-roasted beans that look plump and shiny. (Old beans look more dry and dull.) The fresh beans have more flavor and yield a better cup of coffee regardless of how you brew.

Instructions

1. Grind and Brew

Measure out your coffee beans, then coarsely grind in a coffee grinder. Place grounds in a large pitcher, pour water over top and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

Pro Tip: If your coffee is very coarsely ground or if you prefer more intense coffee, you should opt for a longer brew time.

2. Filter

Place a coffee filter or cheese cloth over a second pitcher. Pour the chilled coffee into second pitcher a little at a time, straining the grounds out. The mixture may need to be strained twice to remove any fine grounds.

3. Mix

Use 1 part coffee concentrate and 1-2 parts water (depending on how strong you like your coffee) and combine over ice for smooth, satisfying cold brew coffee. Sweeten to taste, if needed.

Photos by Nicole Weston