Cold brew takes ten minutes of work and one night of waiting. Coarse coffee steeps in cold water for about 14 hours and comes out smooth, sweet and soft on acidity. Set your batch size, and the planner tells you when it's ready.
Batch
1 L
Coffee
80 g
Water
1000 g
Ratio
1:12.5
Grind
Coarselike coarse sea salt
Steep
14 hin the fridge
Cold brew planner
Set it up now, and it is ready in 14 hours.
5 minGrind coarse
1 minAdd cold water
12–18 hSteep in the fridge
10–20 minFilter
ServeServe over ice
What you need
A jar, jug or bottle that holds a little more than your batch
Grinder on a coarse setting, or ask your roaster to grind it coarse
Scale, and a paper filter or a fine sieve lined with paper
80 g of coffee per liter of cold water
Step by step
5 min
Grind coarse
Grind 80 g of coffee coarse, like coarse sea salt. Finer grounds make it cloudy and bitter.
1 min
Add cold water
Put the coffee in a jar or jug, pour in 1000 g of cold water and stir until there are no dry clumps left.
12–18 h
Steep in the fridge
Cover it and leave it in the fridge for 14 hours; anywhere between 12 and 18 works.
10–20 min
Filter
Pour everything through a fine sieve first to catch the grounds, then through a paper filter: in a V60, a Chemex or a sieve lined with paper. Pour in batches; a liter takes 10 to 20 minutes.
Serve
Serve over ice
Over ice, straight or with milk. Keep it without milk in a closed bottle in the fridge, and it lasts up to a week.
Two variations
Concentrate
Use 160 g of coffee per liter of water (about 1:6) and steep it the same way. It takes less room in the fridge. Dilute it 1:1 with water or milk before drinking, a little less over plenty of ice.
Flash brew, ready in three minutes
Brew hot, straight onto ice: put 120 g of ice in the carafe and make a V60 with 20 g of coffee and 180 g of hot water, ground a touch finer than usual. It tastes brighter and fruitier than cold brew.
Taste and adjust
It tastes
Likely cause
Next time
Weak, watery
Too short, or too little coffee
Steep 16 to 18 hours, or use 90 g per liter
Bitter, harsh
Too fine, or too long
Grind coarser, 12 to 14 hours
Cloudy, gritty
Fine particles got through
Filter through paper, not just a sieve
Flat, stale
Old beans, or kept too long
Fresh beans, drink it within a week
Which coffee works best
Chocolatey and nutty coffees shine as cold brew: Brazil, Colombia, medium roasts. Fruity light roasts can taste a little flat when brewed cold; make those as a flash brew instead.
FAQ
What is the best cold brew ratio?
1:10 to 1:15 for cold brew you drink straight; this recipe uses 80 g per liter (1:12.5). For a concentrate, 1:5 to 1:8, diluted before drinking.
How long should cold brew steep?
12 to 18 hours in the fridge; 14 is a good start. Longer gets stronger and more bitter, not better.
How long does cold brew keep?
Up to a week in a closed bottle in the fridge, as long as it stays cold and has no milk in it. The flavor fades gradually, so taste it before you serve it to guests.
Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
It depends on the ratio. Brewed at 1:12.5 it is about as strong as a filter coffee, or a little stronger; a concentrate is much stronger until you dilute it.