How To Make Great Cold Brew Coffee

Storing Cold Brew Concentrate

Make sure you strain the coffee grounds from the concentrate after allowing to steep for 12-24 hours. If you keep the grounds in your coffee, the end result will be stronger and more bitter.

After straining, store the cold brew concentrate in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like to use a large mason jar or glass carafe for this!

The Benefits Of Cold Brew Coffee

A cup of cold brew coffee isnt just your standard cup of coffee. In fact, there are a long list of benefits to choosing it over the latter, such as a richer, stronger taste, lower acidity, and more.

• Slightly less caffeine: For someone that wants to stick with coffee but is trying to cut back on caffeine, cold brew is a great choice because it has slightly less caffeine than drip coffee.
• Smoother taste: Cold brew has a smoother taste because it isnt heated. You may not even need to add cream or sugar .
• Easy to make: Cold brewing is an electricity-free method that doesnt require a machine and can be done by naturally steeping coffee grounds.

How To Brew The Cold Brew

Cold brewing is about as easy as it gets, however, there are a few key details to optimize your cold brew coffee. Once you have your perfectly-ground beans into the filter, youll want to add just enough water to soak the beans and then wait a minute. This is referred to as the bloom. Magical, flavorful things happen during this minute of time as miniature unicorns nuzzle each granule of coffee, coaxing out rainbow-flavored deliciousness. Once the minute has elapsed and the unicorns are finished, slowly pour your filtered water over the beans until your container of choice is full.

Then just close up your filter so the grinds dont spill out, and then seal your container. You can either let the coffee brew on your countertop, or in the fridge. I have done it either way with good results, but I typically see brewing in the fridge as most recommended. Heres a quick overview of the process from our friends at CoffeeSock:

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Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Copycat Starbucks Drink

The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a Starbucks fall drink that I love. I am actually a fan of all pumpkin coffee drinks that you can find virtually anywhere, starting from the end of August and the beginning of September. This beverage, in particular, is very flavorful, yummy, and at the same time easy to make, so I decided to share its recipe.

So heres my take on the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew recipe.

Youre going to need the following ingredients:

• Pumpkin Spice

1 teaspoon. Its actually made by mixing 2 parts ground cinnamon, 1 part ground ginger, 1 part allspice, 1 part ground cloves, and 1 part ground nutmeg.

• Pumpkin puree 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons
• Heavy Whipping Cream 1 fl. oz. .
• Vanilla Syrup 1 to 2 tablespoons. Again, I use Monins Vanilla syrup which you can find on Amazon here.
• Cold brew concentrate 2 fl. oz. or 3 fl. oz. .
• Water 2 fl. oz. . By the way, I use filtered water to dilute my cold brew concentrate. My tap water is not too hard and the Brita filter pitcher removes all the chlorine odors from the water. This does improve a drinks taste. This may not be as noticeable when you have a coffee beverage such as the Pumpkin Cream Cold brew. Nevertheless, I usually have my coffee black, so the type of water I use for brewing does have an impact on my cups flavor. If you want to find out more about whats the best water for coffee, check out this beginner-friendly guide.
• Ice Cubes

And heres how to make Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew:

The Absolute Best Way To Cold

We’re in the dog days of summer, when all you want to do is sit by the A/C with a pint of ice cream. But don’t sweat! We’ve got the best no-cook recipes to beat the heat in our newest series, Turn Off the Stove .

A little over a year ago, I was in Asheville, North Carolina on a business trip. I brought my boyfriend so we could eat our way around the city, which led to sourdough doughnuts and fried chicken and the best coffee I ever had in my life.

And we werent even looking for it. We went to Old World Levain Bakery for their naturally leavened breads and extra-buttery pastriesand only ordered the cold brew to wash down our cream cheese Danish.

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Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

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Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate is easy to make. Learn how to make cold brew coffee concentrate with this detailed guide. Get the recipe, the perfect grind size and the correct water ratio, so you can make cold brew coffee concentrate at home.

Combine With Cold Water

Once the beans are ground, its time to combine them with water . There are several ways to go about this, depending on what you have available to you at home. The most important part is finding a vessel that is large enough to hold the beans and water at the ratio you choose .

I like using a quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar to brew my cold brew. It does hold a little less water than Id like for the perfect ratio, but its super convenient. You can also use a large quart glass measuring cup, bowl, or pitcher. Another option you might have is to use a French Press. Then, when its time to strain, you simply have to press down on the filter.

Pour the water over the grinds in whichever vessel you choose, ensuring the grounds are all wet . You can also use a spoon to gently press the grounds down once youve added the water to ensure they are thoroughly wet .

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Cold Brew Product Resources

Here are a few of my favorite products mentioned in the post for making cold brew. Again, you can easily use what you have on hand to make cold brew following the simple steps, many of these are just nice-to-haves. These are affiliate links.

• 1TBSPvanilla bean pasteor whole vanilla bean, scraped
• Milk or creameras desired

It’s Smoother Than Regular Coffee

While I love a cappuccino or an iced latte, cold brew is one of my go-tos because it is so much smoother than hotbrewed coffee or espresso. Traditionally, coffee is made quickly with boiling water to create a delicious, hotbrew. If you want a cold beverage, the coffee or espresso is simply poured over ice. While this is definitely a tasty option, you can sometimes end up with an overly-acidic, too-strong iced coffee.

To make cold brew, you mix ground coffee and water and let it steep for 12-24 hours. All coffee beans contain oils where fatty acids are stored, and these oils are best extracted using hot temperatures. The cold, slow brewing process prevents many of the oils stored in coffee beans from being fully extracted, meaning that the acids contained within them aren’t present in the final product. This leads to a more mellow brew that allows the flavors of the beans to truly shine.

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The Best Cold Brew Coffee Recipe To Make At Home

This is a ridiculously simple homemade cold brew recipe that only has a few steps.

Ingredients

Directions

Tips

• Use fresh, filtered water under 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Any coffee filter will work, but we recommend using a Chemex coffee filter for the best results.

• If you made enough for more than just one cup, filter it over the container you will be storing it in. It stays fresh for days, but it should be tossed after about a week.

• If you dont feel like making your own cold brew, we got you: Try Death Wish Coffee Cold Brew, canned and ready to go when you are.

Tips For Making Cold Brew Coffee

• Grind your beans at a medium coarse consistency. You dont want finely ground coffee beans, which is what youd use for drip coffee. I recommend this coffee grinder, if youre looking to grab one.
• Youll brew at a ratio of 4:1. Four cups of water to one cup of coffee beans. If you want more cold brew, just double this. And if youre using a mason jar , youll need to use slightly less to get it to fit 3 cups of water to 3/4 cups coffee beans. Just keep the ratio consistent.
• You can steep the coffee in pretty much any container . I use a mason jar, but you could also use a french press or KitchenAid even has a nifty cold brew maker.
• Use filtered water for the cleanest cup of cold brew.
• Steep for at least 12 hours. After that, you can play around with the flavor. If youd like it stronger, brew it longer up to 24 hours. But I find that 12-15 hours usually keeps most coffee lovers happy.
• While the cold brew can steep on your countertop at room temperature, once youve strained it, keep the concentrate in the refrigerator.
• Dont forget to dilute the concentrate. As mentioned above, serve it with ice, water or some type of milk or creamer.

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Can I Strain The Cold Brew Using Paper Filters Instead

Definitely! I’ve found that the coffee filters veerrrryyyy sloooowwwwly through paper filters though, so have some patience. Stir the grounds occasionally since they compact over time, which slows down the straining process even more.

The upside to your patience is that you get very smooth coffee with zero grounds when you strain using a filter.

Ways To Filter Cold Brew

You want a smooth and coffee ground-free cold brew coffee. That means you want to make sure you filter the cold brew coffee through something that is strong enough to catch the coffee grounds but that wont soak up all your delicious cold brew coffee.

Here are a few different ways you can filter your cold brew coffee after you have let it steep.

• Basket Coffee Filters
• A very thin tea towel
• French Press (includes a fine sieve
• A very fine sieve

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Can I Add Milk Cream Or Sugar To Cold Brew Nitro Coffee

You can add whatever you want to nitro homebrew coffee milk, cream, sugar, syrup. Even alcohol if youre feeling frisky. Although, its always best to taste your brew on its own first.

The cold brewing and addition of nitrogen make a sweeter and creamier drink than regular cold brew coffee. So you may find you dont need the cream and sugar anymore, or less of it at least.

Just have fun with your nitro brew, the best thing about making it at home is how much cheaper it is to experiment.

Best Slow Drip System: Bruer Cold Drip System

What We Love: Attractive design, produces great results

What We Don’t Love: Tricky to learn

Like the OXO, the Bruer Cold Drip Coffee System uses gravity to prevent gritty cold-brew coffee. The top chamber of this coffee maker holds ice water, which slowly drips onto the coffee grounds held below. A center knob lets you adjust the drip rate to a recommended one drop of water per second. A steel mesh filter prevents sediment from leaching into the finished cold brew.

This system is delicate, since it’s made of glass, and its capacity is limited to 20 ounces. A common complaint is the learning curve required to master the Bruer. However, if you want a silky-smooth cold-brew with no grit, this is your best bet. The Bruer weighs a little under 2 pounds and 10.5 inches in height, making it a countertop model.

“There’s a bit of a learning curve to using this brewer, but once I mastered the process, I was rewarded with the smoothest homemade cold brew. Once brewing is complete and the tower is removed, I love that the silicone lid can be pressed into the pitcher for a tight seal when storing in the fridge. Plus, the pitcher itself is beautiful enough for other uses: I’ve used mine to mix big-batch cocktails and lemonade.” Taysha Murtaugh, Commerce Editorial Director

Dimensions : 5 x 5 x 10.5 inches | Capacity: 20 ounces | Weight: 1.7 pounds

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Why Cold Brew Coffee Versus Brewing It Normally

Cold brew isnt a sexy fad. There are many cold brew coffee benefits, but here are some of the highlights:

• Theres less acidity in cold brew. Some estimate that theres around 60% less acid in cold brew versus a regular cup of joe.

• It has a smooth flavor. As a result of the acid and other chemical differences, you get less of that sharp, almost vinegar-like taste and end up with something very creamy and calming.

• It stays good for longer. Leftover hot coffee goes bad after a few days, but cold brew stays good for up to a week.

• Its strong. Plenty of caffeine is in each cup.

• Its versatile. You can use it for all kinds of recipes, especially sweet ones.

• Its refreshing without being watery. No drowning in ice cubes for you, beloved coffee!

Toddy Cold Brew System

When it comes to cold brew, Toddy is a golden standard. Their system was actually developed way back in 1964. It comes with a plastic brewing container and brewing handle, a glass decanter and decanter lid, two felt filters and a rubber stopper.

Its the largest and most bulky brewer from this list it can fit up to 340g of coffee and 1.65 litres of water. We were able to buy it for about 48 euros .

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Does Cold Brew Have More Caffeine Than Hot Coffee

Usually yes, but thats a numbers game rather than a brewing one. Theres nothing inherent to cold brew that makes it a more caffeinated drink than the amount of coffee used to brew it.

Most hot coffee is brewed using 14-18 grams of water per gram of coffee. Cold brew is made using a tighter ratioWolczynski recommends starting with 12 ounces of coffee to 64 ounces of water, which is a much higher ratio of coffee to water.

Brewing coffee is all about using water to extract flavor out of ground coffee, and theres no magical process that extracts more caffeine when brewing with cold water. On that note, please feel free to make your cold brew with decaf coffee!

How To Tell If Your Coffee Is A Coarse Grind

I think of it like the same as coarse ground pepper.

How to tell visually:

• Probably something like this McCormick Grill Mates chicken seasoning, minus the long herbs.

If your grind size is too fine, you risk clogging up the filter in a cold brew coffee maker. It means that the coffee will get stuck, because there isn’t enough room between the coffee grounds for the water to run through.

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Ways To Spruce Up Your Cold

Vanilla Almond Cold Brew

• ½ cup of cold brew concentrate
• Three drops of vanilla extract or, if you prefer, just enough vanilla syrup to coat the bottom of the glass
• Almond milk to taste, or until about 2/3 of your glass is filled
• A pinch of cinnamon

• ½ cup of cold brew concentrate
• 1 orange wedge
• Warm cinnamon sticks

Best And Easiest Recipe For Making Cold Brew

Okay so now that you know what to use, let me share with you my simple and easy recipe for making the best cold brew coffee you will ever taste.

I love the simplicity of making my own cold brew and I love the fact that I can have it every single day without stepping foot out of my house.

We are going to make our cold brew coffee in a regular 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar.

Take a large piece of cheesecloth and place your grounds in the cheesecloth. You are going to use 3 ounces coarsely-ground coffee (thats about 3/4 cup whole coffee beans turned into 1 1/2 cups coarsely-ground coffee.

Tie up with some kitchen string and place in the bottom of your mason jar. Add 3 cups of water to the coffee grounds. Place the lid on and let it steep.

You are going to leave the cold brew on the counter for about 24 hours to steep.

Once it gets done steeping, use a mesh strainer to strain the mixture just in case any grounds escaped. Youll have about 2 1/2 cups of cold brew concentrate, which is enough for 5 cups of cold brew.

Now, you have made enough to have a cup of cold brew every day this week!

To serve, fill a glass with ice and fill it halfway with water. Then fill the rest of the glass with cold brew concentrate, and stir to combine. Cold brew concentrate will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, although I find that it has the best flavour within the first week.

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