How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at home! No more expensive and overpriced iced lattes – make your own with cold brew!
If you love Starbucks as much as I do but are trying to save money by cutting back on your daily iced latte habit, then you’re going to want to learn how to make cold brew coffee at home!
I’m usually a 1 cup of black coffee in the mornings type of girl, but some days I need a little pick me up. Here’s how it usually goes for me – I’m feeling energized and great in the morning, but as soon as the clock hits 2:30pm I start to get super sleepy and tired.
So what do I do? I walk to the Starbucks that’s literally around the corner from my house and grab an iced cold brew. Now I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, and it’s not always, but at the moment John and I are trying to save as much money as possible for a down payment on our first house. Which means we’re trying really hard to stick to a budget and cut down on any unnecessary spending. And let me tell you, money spent on coffee drinks can add up reeaal quick.
So my solution (naturally), is to make my own cold brew coffee…at home! It’s just as good, is so easy to do and is 4 times cheaper than buying it at the coffee shop!
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brewing is a way of making coffee that doesn’t require any heat or boiling water. It’s done by soaking coarsely ground coffee beans in room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours and then filtering it out. The result is a cup of coffee that’s smooth, low in acidity and free of any bitterness at all. This cold brew recipe makes a stronger and more concentrated cup of coffee than that of a normal drip coffee maker, making it ideal for iced coffee drinks since it won’t get “watered down” like regular coffee can.
To make your own cold brew, all you need are some coarsely ground coffee beans, a jar or pitcher, some cheesecloth, a strainer and some water. Here’s how easy it is to make!
What type of coffee beans should I use?
You can use any type of whole coffee beans to make cold brew coffee. There is no specific roast that’s required for the cold brew process. I personally like to use a medium to dark roast because I like the deeper, richer flavor profile, but that’s just personal preference.
How coarse should I grind the coffee beans?
To make cold brew coffee, you need coffee beans that are ground coarse to medium coarse as shown in the photo below. If you grind them any finer, they can be harder to filter out at the end and could leave your cold brew with a gritty and grainy mouthfeel. To avoid getting that sand-in-my-coffee texture, make sure to grind the beans on the coarsest setting possible.
My preferred ratio of water to coffee beans is 4 cups of water to 1 cup of whole coffee beans. I find this is enough for John and I for the week, granted we don’t drink iced coffee every day but more like 2 to 3 times a week. If you’re making it for 1 person, you can easily half the ratio and use 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup whole coffee beans.
How to cold brew coffee
- Grind 1 cup of whole coffee beans until coarse or medium coarse.
- Pour 4 cups room temperature water into a large jar or pitcher. Add the ground coffee and gently mix together until coffee grounds are fully wet and saturated.
- Cover the jar or pitcher with a lid. Let the coffee steep at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Pour the coffee through a piece of cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer into a clean container.
To serve, pour over ice. Since the coffee is concentrated, I like to add a little water or milk until it’s just right. Then, I add a bit of ground cinnamon for a Mexican twist. It just makes the whole thing feel extra fancy and I love it!
Like this drink recipe? You may also like these:
Cold Brew Coffee
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium or dark roast coffee beans
- 4 cups room temperature water
- large jar or pitcher
- cheesecloth
Instructions
- Grind coffee beans until coarse or medium coarse.
- Pour room temperature water into a large jar or pitcher. Add the coffee and gently mix together until coffee grounds are fully saturated.
- Cover jar or pitcher with a cheesecloth and secure with a lid or rubber band. Let coffee steep on the kitchen counter for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the cheesecloth from the jar or pitcher and lay it flat in a large strainer. Pour the coffee through the cheesecloth and strainer into a clean container.
- To serve, pour over ice. The coffee is concentrated, so taste and add a little water or milk to your liking.
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