Make Cold Brew at Home

I loved Cold Brew before it was cool. I'd been sucking back Cold Brews from May through August long before Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts were slinging them across the counter. If it's over 60 degrees outside you can guarantee I'm carrying a Cold Brew wherever I go! And here’s why you should too:

Cold Brew Coffee never touches heat, so it's a lot smoother and tastier than regular iced coffee. Since Cold Brew is so much smoother, it’s easier to drink it black, so you don’t have to waste any space in the cup on milk. AND Cold Brew has 60 percent less acid than hot coffee, so it's easier on the stomach. What a win!

The good news for me (and now you!) is: Cold Brew is super easy to make! You can make Cold Brew without leaving the air-conditioned comfort of your home. All you need is coffee beans, water, some kind of container, and a filter! Oh, and time. It takes 24 hours to steep perfectly smooth Cold Brew.

Perfection takes time.

Seriously, you have to try making your own Cold Brew! It's delicious and easy—just follow these steps!

Step 1: The Beans

Pick out your favorite coffee beans and grind them on the coarsest setting possible. The grinds should be about the size of breadcrumbs. If you don't have a grinder, you can bring your beans to a local shop and have them ground!

You can use any beans to make Cold Brew. But to get the best flavor, dark roasts are best. Personally, I pick something with tasting notes of chocolate or nuts because Cold Brewing coffee will really highlight that yumminess!

Step 2: The Ratio

Determine your ratio. After thousands of attempts, I've found that a 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio is my favorite! So I have to do a little bit of math to know what I need.

I brew my Cold Brew in a 32 oz pitcher. 32 oz is 907 g (thanks, Google!). Divide 907 by eight, and I know I need about 114 g of coffee.

You can use that formula to figure out what you need for a 1:8 ratio! Or you can experiment with different ratios and figure out what you think tastes best!

Step 3: The Grounds

Put your coffee grounds in the bottom of your container and pour just enough cold water over to cover the grounds. Then, stir! Make sure to stir your grounds and water so all the grounds are wet and you'll achieve even extraction. Uneven extraction can make your Cold Brew taste really bitter and you definitely don't want that!

Step 4: Water

Pour in the remaining water, and cover your container. It also can’t hurt to give the grounds another stir here. Even extraction is the key to a nice refreshing cup of Cold Brew!

Step 5: Steep

Allow the Cold Brew to steep for 24 hours. I like to store my Cold Brew in the fridge, but it’s also totally fine to leave your Cold Brew at room temperature to brew.

Step 6: Strain

Now you have to strain out all the grounds. It’s easiest to use a fine mesh strainer or some kind of a paper filter. But, if you don't have a fine mesh strainer or filter, you can do what I do and strain your coffee through a few paper towels.

Step 7: Drink

Pour over ice and enjoy!! With milk, with sugar, light and sweet, black, however you take it, you'll be super refreshed!

If you made a big batch, cover the rest and store in the fridge for no more than three days! If you made enough to enjoy in one sitting, it’s time to go back to "Step 1" and brew a batch for tomorrow!

Seven easy steps and you can now brew your own Cold Brew!