Cold brew coffee sounds like one of those things that should require special equipment, exact timing, and a degree in coffee science.
It doesn’t.
At its simplest, cold brew is coarsely ground coffee + cool water + time. Instead of brewing coffee quickly with hot water, you let the grounds steep slowly for hours. The result is a smooth, full-flavored coffee that’s easy to make at home and easy to adjust to your own taste.
The trick isn’t making cold brew complicated. It’s starting with good coffee, grinding it correctly, and giving it enough time.
So let’s make cold brew.
Table of contents
What Is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew isn’t simply hot coffee that’s been chilled.
It’s a different brewing method.
Coarsely ground coffee steeps in cool or room-temperature water for roughly 12–24 hours. Because heat isn’t doing the extraction, time does the work instead.
The Specialty Coffee Association has a deeper look at the science behind coffee concentrates and cold brewing if you’d like to geek out a little further.
Cold brewing tends to produce a smooth cup with less of the sharp acidity and bitterness people sometimes associate with hot-brewed coffee.
And despite the fancy bottles and elaborate cold brew setups you may have seen, you don’t need much equipment to make it yourself.
Choosing the Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew
Here’s where cold brew gets interesting.
There really isn’t one best coffee bean for cold brew. The best choice depends on what you want your finished glass to taste like.
If you like a rich, chocolatey cold brew, try a medium-dark or dark roast with chocolate, nut, caramel, or molasses notes.
Want something brighter? Experiment with a lighter single-origin coffee with fruitier notes. Cold brewing can bring out flavors you might not expect.
Single-Origin Coffee or a Blend?
Both work.
A single-origin coffee can give your cold brew a more distinctive flavor based on where the coffee was grown and how it was processed.
A blend combines coffees to create a particular flavor profile and can make a wonderfully balanced, dependable cold brew.
Neither is automatically better.
Curious why we often reach for organic coffee? Read our guide to organic cold brew coffee.
That’s part of the fun of making cold brew at home: change the beans and you change the drink.
At Klekolo, we’re always happy to help you choose a coffee based on the flavors you enjoy. If you’re buying whole beans, just remember that you’ll want them coarsely ground for cold brew.
What You Need to Make Cold Brew
You don’t need a special cold brew maker.
You’ll need:
- Good coffee, coarsely ground
- Cool filtered water
- A jar, pitcher, or French press
- Something to strain the grounds
- A container for storing the finished coffee
That’s it.
A French press makes straining particularly easy, but a mason jar and fine-mesh strainer work just fine.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Start with approximately:
1 cup coarsely ground coffee to 4 cups water
This makes a fairly strong cold brew that you can dilute when serving.
- Put the coarsely ground coffee in your container.
- Add the water.
- Stir gently so all the grounds are wet.
- Cover and let it steep for 12–24 hours.
- Strain the coffee thoroughly.
- Refrigerate the finished cold brew.
- Serve over ice, adding water or milk if you’d like.
That’s cold brew.
No mysterious equipment. No magic tricks.
Want to explore other ways to brew at home? Our Home Coffee Brewing Guide covers the basics of better home brewing, from grind size to water and brewing methods.
Getting the Coffee-to-Water Ratio Right
The 1:4 ratio is a starting point, not a law.
If your cold brew is stronger than you like, dilute it with water or milk when you serve it.
Too weak? Use a little more coffee next time.
That’s one of the advantages of making your own. After a batch or two, you’ll figure out exactly how you like it.
How Long Should Cold Brew Steep?
Generally, 12–24 hours works well.
A shorter steep produces a lighter brew. A longer steep generally gives you a stronger extraction, although leaving coffee steeping indefinitely won’t necessarily make it better.
We like the middle ground: give it plenty of time, taste it, and adjust your next batch from there.
Coffee should ultimately taste good to you.
How to Serve Cold Brew
Pour it over ice and drink it straight.
Add water.
Add milk or your favorite alternative.
Sweeten it.
Turn it into something elaborate.
There are no cold brew police.
If you’ve made a concentrated batch, start by diluting it and adjust from there. If you’ve made it exactly the strength you enjoy, pour and drink.
Storing Your Cold Brew Coffee
Once you’ve strained your cold brew, transfer it to a clean, covered container and keep it refrigerated.
Making smaller batches is often better than making enough to survive the apocalypse. Coffee changes as it sits, and fresh cold brew simply tastes better.
And always strain the grounds out before storage. Leaving them in will continue the extraction and can eventually give you flavors you didn’t bargain for.
Cold Brew Coffee FAQs
Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
It can be, but not automatically.
The strength and caffeine in your finished drink depend on the coffee-to-water ratio, the beans, steeping time, and how much you dilute the concentrate before drinking it.
Can I use regular coffee beans for cold brew?
Absolutely.
You don’t need a special type of “cold brew bean.” The important part is choosing coffee you enjoy and using a coarse grind.
Can I use regular pre-ground coffee?
You can, but most coffee sold pre-ground is finer than we’d choose for cold brew. A coarse grind is easier to filter and generally gives you better control over the extraction.
What are the best coffee beans for cold brew?
Start with the flavors you already like.
For a rich cold brew, look for coffees with chocolate, nut, caramel, or molasses notes. For something livelier, experiment with coffees that have fruitier flavor profiles.
There’s no single right bean—which means you have a very good excuse to experiment.
Make Cold Brew Your Way
That’s really all there is to it.
Good coffee. Coarse grind. Water. Time.
Once you’ve made your first batch, start playing with it. Try another coffee. Change the ratio. Steep it a little longer or shorter. Drink it black one day and with milk the next.
Cold brew doesn’t need to be complicated.
And if you aren’t sure which coffee to start with, come see us at Klekolo. Tell us what flavors you like, and we’ll help you find a coffee to experiment with.
Then go home, find a jar, and let time do the brewing.