Description
Make smooth, low-acid cold brew coffee concentrate at home using a simple steeping method, perfect for refreshing drinks as the weather warms up.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup coarse ground coffee beans (medium or light roast recommended for spring)
- 4 cups cold filtered water
- Ice cubes for serving
- Optional: Milk, cream, or simple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Combine the coarse ground coffee and cold water in a large, clean jar or pitcher.
- Stir gently to ensure all grounds are saturated with water.
- Cover the container loosely and let it steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. Steeping for 14 hours often yields a balanced flavor.
- Prepare your filtering system. You can use a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, a paper coffee filter placed in a funnel, or a dedicated cold brew filter bag.
- Slowly pour the coffee mixture through your chosen filter setup into a clean container. Discard the spent grounds.
- You now have cold brew concentrate. Store this concentrate in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To serve, mix the concentrate with water or milk at a 1:1 ratio, or to your preferred strength. Add ice and any desired sweeteners.
Notes
- Use a coarse grind size; fine grounds will result in over-extraction and sediment.
- For a lighter, brighter spring flavor, try a washed light roast coffee.
- If you prefer a ready-to-drink coffee instead of concentrate, use a 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio and steep for 16 hours, then strain.
- To make a quick spring sweetener, heat equal parts sugar and water until dissolved, then cool completely.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Steeping
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz concentrate
- Calories: 5
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 1
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0