Cold Brew
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold or room-temperature water for many hours instead of minutes. Without heat, fewer acids and bitter compounds come out, so it tastes smooth, low in acidity and chocolatey. Most home recipes make a concentrate you dilute, and it keeps in the fridge for about a week, so you brew once and drink all week.
Steps
- PrepGrind 100 g coffee extra-coarse, coarser than French press
- 0:00Add the coffee to a jar and pour in 800 g cold filtered water
- 0:30Stir gently until there are no dry clumps, then cover
- 1:00Put it in the fridge and steep 12-18 hours
- PrepAfter steeping, strain through a paper or cloth filterTakes a few minutes, don't squeeze the grounds
- PrepDilute 1:1 with cold water or milk and serve over ice
Variations
Toddy Cold Brew (hot bloom)Counter Culture Coffee
Large batch in a Toddy bucket. Starts with a warm-water bloom, then a fridge steep of at least six hours.
200 g · 1600 g water · 77 °C · medium-coarse, like kosher salt
- PrepSoak the felt filter in hot water for 5 minutes, squeeze dry, fit it with a paper filter in the Toddy
- 0:00Add 200 g coffee and 300 g water at 77 °C, stir to saturate evenly
- 3:00Add 1,300 g room-temperature water, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours
- PrepPull the plug and let it drain for several minutes
- PrepDilute 1:1 with cold water, or 2 parts concentrate to 6 parts milk for a latte
Hario Cold Brew BottleBlue Bottle Coffee
Ready-to-drink strength (no dilution) made in the Hario bottle. Short 8-hour steep.
55 g · 700 g water · cold · medium-coarse
- PrepGrind 55 g coffee medium-coarse and load it into the bottle's filter
- 0:00Fill the bottle to the top mark (700 mL) with cold filtered water
- 0:30Cap and gently shake side to side, don't turn it upside down
- 1:00Steep 8 hours
- PrepRemove the filter and grounds, pour over ice
Room-Temperature Bottle BrewBlue Bottle Coffee (via Hario USA)
Stronger dose in the same Hario bottle, steeped up to 18 hours on the counter, then refrigerated.
68 g · 750 g water · room temp · coarse, like French press
- PrepGrind 68 g coffee coarse and load the filter case
- 0:00Fill the bottle with 750 g water, lower the filter in and seal
- 0:30Shake gently
- 1:00Leave at room temperature for up to 18 hours
- PrepShake once more, remove the grounds, then keep it sealed in the fridge
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Weak, watery | Too short a steep or too little coffee | Steep longer or use 1:6 to 1:8 |
| Bitter, woody | Steeped too long or ground too fine | Cut the steep to 12-14 hours, grind coarser |
| Sour, grassy | Under-extracted | Steep longer, stir once at the start |
| Stale, flat | Kept too long after straining | Drink within 7-10 days, keep sealed |
| Cloudy, gritty | Fines through the filter | Strain through paper, don't squeeze the grounds |
Tips
- Grind extra-coarse. Fine grounds make it bitter and clog the filter.
- Use filtered water. Cold brew is mostly water, so off-tastes come through.
- Steep in the fridge for a cleaner taste. Room-temperature steeps go faster but can taste flatter.
- Strain twice (mesh, then paper) for a cleaner concentrate with less sediment.
- Medium and darker roasts work best. Light, fruity coffees can taste dull brewed cold. For those, try Japanese iced instead.
- Dilute to taste. Start at 1:1 and adjust.
Common mistakes
- Using regular drip grind. It over-extracts and is hard to strain.
- Forgetting to dilute a concentrate and drinking it straight. It's very strong.
- Squeezing the filter bag to get the last drops out, which pushes bitterness and silt into the brew.
- Leaving the grounds in after the steep. Strain once it's done.
What you need
- Large jar, pitcher or cold brew maker
- Filter (paper, cloth or fine mesh)
- Scale
- Grinder
- Fridge