This recipe for Cold Brew Coffee yields a strong, smooth and almost sweet-tasting cup of joe. Brewed over a period of hours, its flavour is mild, balanced and not acidic.
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Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe is really simple to make and uses only 2 ingredients.
You can make a batch and keep it in the fridge for the week.
Cold Brew Coffee is mild in flavour, which is great if you don't like the taste of bitter coffee.
All you need is some time.
What is cold brew coffee?
First, cold brew refers to the process of cold extraction, which is a gentle and passive process that takes place over a period of time.
Cold brew coffee is a concentrated coffee that is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water.
Unlike traditional coffee brewing methods, cold brew is not heated at any point in time.
Cold brew is typically stronger than drip coffee.
What's the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Cold brew is made with cool or room temperature water and left to steep over several hours in the fridge.
Iced coffee can be made in minutes and is regular drip (hot) coffee with lots of ice.
Cold brew has a mellow, less acidic and less bitter flavour.
Iced coffee can taste more bitter and acidic.
What is espresso?
Espresso is a type of coffee that contains more coffee grounds to water than regular coffee.
More particularly, espresso uses high-pressure to extract the coffee shot, which is more concentrated.
Ingredients you'll need
- coarse ground coffee beans: you can use any coffee beans that you enjoy
- filtered cool or room temperature water: don't use hot water for this application
How to make it
Add the ground coffee to a clean, tall mason jar (3 cup capacity).
Cover with cool, filtered water.
Give it a stir and cover with a lid.
Place into the fridge overnight, or at least 12 hours.
The next day, the coffee grounds will have floated to the top.
Line a funnel with a coffee filter and strain the cold brew into another clean glass jar.
If you prefer a very clean coffee, you can filter it over a sieve a second time.
Discard the coffee grounds or add them to your compost bin.
Enjoy over ice or with milk of your choice.
Remember: cold brew is more concentrated than regular coffee, so you don't need as much.
How to store
Store the Cold Brew Coffee or Espresso in a clean airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can also pour the coffee directly into ice cube trays and freeze them.
How to serve
For the purist, serve it on ice for a clean and refreshing morning coffee.
Try infusing the brew with other flavours, such as Pandan Cold Brew Coffee.
Feel free to add milk, creamer, or sweetener to your taste.
Use it in iced or cold coffee recipes.
Try it in Iced Doppio Espresso with Oat Milk (Starbucks Copycat) or Iced Brown Sugar Oat Espresso (Starbucks Copycat).
FAQs and expert tips
Does cold brew contain more caffeine than drip coffee?
Even though cold brew is stronger, it actually contains less caffeine than drip coffee.
Can I use espresso coffee beans to make cold brew?
Yes, this is how I make my coffee.
Can I use decaffeinated beans to make it?
Yes, absolutely.
How can I make it half-caf?
For times that I want half-caf, I'll make one batch of decaf cold brew and one regular caf cold brew and mix the two.
Can I make a larger batch?
You sure can -- just ensure you've got a large enough jar/vessel.
Coffee ground particles in my drink
Use a fine coffee filter over a sieve to eliminate coffee ground particles in the cold brew.
If you prefer, you can strain the coffee twice to ensure a cleaner brew.
Can I use instant coffee powder?
You could, but the flavour won't be the same as freshly ground coffee beans.
Garden Tip
If you have a garden, add the spent coffee grounds as fertilizer.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these coffee-based recipes:
Homemade Matcha Espresso Fusion
Iced Brown Sugar Oat Espresso (Starbucks Copycat)
Iced Doppio Espresso with Oat Milk (Starbucks Copycat)
Cà Phê Sữa đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)
Yuenyueng (Hong Kong Coffee Tea Drink)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Cold Brew Coffee (Or Cold Brew Espresso)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
For cold brew coffee:
- 90 g freshly coarse ground coffee beans any roast you like
- 500 ml cool or room temperature water
For cold brew espresso:
- 90 g freshly coarse ground espresso beans
- 250 ml cool or room temperature water
Instructions
- Add the ground coffee to a clean, tall mason jar (3 cup capacity).
- Cover with cool or room temperature filtered water.
- Give it a stir and cover with a lid.
- Place into the fridge overnight, or at least 12 hours.
- The next day, the coffee grounds will have floated to the top.
- Line a funnel with a coffee filter and strain the cold brew into another clean glass jar.
- If you prefer a very clean coffee, you can filter it over a sieve a second time.
- Discard the coffee grounds or add them to your compost bin.
- Enjoy over ice or with milk of your choice.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
Ah, I do enjoy a good cold-brew coffee on a warm day! We've made our own once or twice, but it's been years now. I totally want to try making cold-brew espresso now. Great post!!
Neil
An interesting and different way to enjoy coffee here Michelle. I'll maybe wait until the weather here is a bit warmer before trying.
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
Mmmmmmm, I do love a cold brew coffee! Especially when the warm weather finally returns. I need to try the cold brew espresso option.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
With the weather heating up, it's the perfect time to brew up some cold brew!
That was a great tip for straining "the coffee twice." I definitely need to give this a try.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I've actually never tried cold brew coffee, also confusing the concept with other methods. So thank you for the detailed explanation - I'll need to give it a try now 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
The only time I tried cold brew was when I was in Hawaii, it makes much sense there. I think I have a bit of time to make this at home before autumn.