7 Things to Know About Making Cold Brew Coffee at Home

Cold brew coffee season isn't ended just because summer is over. How else can I get back into my regular routine after beach vacations and lazy weekends?

Since I uploaded my cold brew coffee recipe two years ago, it's gone viral. So many cold-brew coffee fans!

National Coffee Day is September 29th, so I thought I'd answer some of the important questions in cooperation with Westrock Coffee. Ready? Now!

Homemade Cold Brew Coffee: 7 Tips

Best coffee for cold brew?

Like cooking, your ingredients matter. High-quality beans give cold brew coffee a strong, subtle, complex flavour. I enjoy drinking coffee this way.

Buying beans from companies like Westrock Coffee that care about their product and believe in ethical and sustainable processes makes your morning coffee even better. Westrock partners with farmers to ensure fair trade, and their high-quality coffee tastes great.

Use any coffee you choose (drip, pour over, French press, etc.) to produce cold brew.

How can I flavour iced coffee?

This is my most-asked question. My three favourite cold brew coffee flavours are:

Simple syrup is easy to create; there's no need to buy it. Equal parts sugar and water should be simmered and stirred until dissolved. Refrigerate for at least a week.

You can flavour this simple syrup by using turbinado or coconut sugar. These make a caramel-flavored syrup that pairs well with chestnut and milk chocolate-flavored coffees like Westrock's East African blend.

My favourite is vanilla simple syrup with a split vanilla bean (this is a great use for any pods you might have leftover after using the beans for baking). This mild simple syrup goes beautifully with Westrock's Meza Morning mix, which has nutty, clove, and vanilla notes.

2. Flavored creamer is easy to create. Use milk, half-and-half, coconut milk, or nondairy milk. Bring milk or half-and-half to a simmer, add spices or herbs, then turn off the heat.

Star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cardamom make my favourite chai-spiced milk. Gingerbread and pumpkin spice mixes are excellent.

Use whole spices, not blends. Whole spices are fresher, tastier, and easier to separate from infused milk.

If you prefer your coffee without sweetener or creamer, infuse herbs and spices with the coffee grounds when preparing cold brew.

Use fresh whole spices and more than you think you'll need. It takes a lot for other flavours to come through in cold brew.

I recommend using three cinnamon sticks for cinnamon-infused cold brew. Add cacao nibs for a chocolate-infused cold-brew. (Skooga's tip!)

Decaf coffee?

Indeed! No issue switching to decaf. Westrock manufactures a robust, dark Arabica decaf blend. Enjoy!

French Press cold brew?

Absolutely! If your French press can accommodate four cups of water and a cup of grinds, use it.

Several readers liked Bodum's 8-cup French Press. I got one and it's fantastic.

Can I reuse the cold-brew cheesecloth?

Cheesecloth wears out, but it may be rinsed, dried, and reused until the fibres fray.

I wash a cotton flour sack cloth with my kitchen towels after rinsing it. Flour sacks are durable.

Paper filters to strain cold brew?

Definitely! Paper coffee filters are very slow, so be patient. Over time, grinds compress, slowing the straining process.

• Using a filter yields exceptionally smooth coffee with no grounds.
• Cold brew how long?
• Cold brew is excellent within a week. Then it becomes sour.

You can freeze what you won't use within a week if you prepare larger batches. Freeze it in a canning jar, then thaw it in the fridge.

In addition, we have a Roast N Tea shop where we deliver coffee beans all over the world. We have many different types of coffee beans, such as arum, coffee break, and sweet coffee beans, among others. So, what are you still waiting for? Order it right now.