How to Make Cold Brew at Home (Signature Method)

Cold brew is coffee at its most patient. Instead of hot water, it uses time: coarse coffee steeps in cold water for many hours, producing a smooth, naturally sweet concentrate that tastes softer and less acidic than hot coffee poured over ice. It's also one of the easiest things to make at home.

What you'll need

• 100 g (about 1 cup) of coarsely ground coffee
• 800 g (about 27 fl oz, or 3⅓ cups) of cold, filtered water
• A large jar or pitcher with a lid
• A strainer plus a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth

The ratio

This recipe makes a 1:8 concentrate. Dilute it about 1:1 with water or milk before drinking. Prefer to drink it straight? Use a 1:12 ratio (100 g of coffee to 1,200 g of water) and skip the dilution. See our coffee-to-water ratio guide.

Step by step

1. Grind coarse. Use an extra-coarse grind, slightly coarser than you would for a French press. Fine grounds make cold brew muddy and bitter, and hard to filter.
2. Combine. Add the coffee to the jar, pour in the cold water and stir gently until all the grounds are wet.
3. Steep. Cover and refrigerate for 14–18 hours. Shorter steeps taste lighter; longer steeps taste stronger and more intense.
4. Strain. Pour through a strainer first, then through a paper filter or cheesecloth for a clean finish. Take your time; don't squeeze the grounds.
5. Serve. Dilute the concentrate about 1:1 with cold water or milk and pour over ice.

Storing cold brew

Keep cold brew concentrate covered in the refrigerator and use it within about a week. Its flavor is at its best in the first few days.

Barista tips

• Use filtered water. Cold brew is mostly water, so off-flavors in your tap water will show.
• Taste before diluting. Adjust the water or milk to your preferred strength.
• Let it rest a minute in the glass before drinking; the flavor opens up as it settles.

Which coffee to use

Cold brew mutes acidity and emphasizes body and sweetness, so chocolatey, nutty medium and darker roasts are classic choices. Brazil SO (medium roast: roasted peanut, honey, milk chocolate) makes a smooth, sweet cold brew, and Flathead Valley (dark roast: baker's chocolate, caramelized sugar) makes a bolder, deeper one.

Want something brighter? Try our orange peel cold brew. For more on choosing beans, see how to choose coffee you'll actually like.