Cold brew at home without fancy gear

Cold brew is the easiest 'fancy' coffee method there is. No hot water, no timing, no technique. You combine coffee and cold water, wait, and strain. The result is smooth, low-acid and dangerously drinkable.

The trick is getting the ratio and steep time right. Too much coffee and it tastes like a coffee concentrate you need to dilute. Too little and it tastes like brown water. Here is what we use.

What you need

A large jar or pitcher (2 litres works well), a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and coffee. Coarse ground is ideal because it is easier to strain and steeps more evenly. We use a medium-coarse grind for our bottled version.

You do not need a special cold brew maker. A jar with a lid works perfectly. We have made hundreds of litres in catering jobs using nothing fancier than food-grade buckets and muslin.

The ratio: 1:8 concentrate, 1:12 ready to drink

For a concentrate you can dilute, use 1:8 by weight. That is 125g of coffee to 1 litre of water. For ready-to-drink strength, use 1:12 (about 83g per litre). We use the concentrate ratio at the café because it keeps better and lets us control strength per serve.

Add cold, filtered water to the coffee. Stir gently to make sure all the grounds are wet. Put the lid on and leave it on the bench or in the fridge.

Cold brew is forgiving. If it tastes too strong, dilute it. If it is too weak, add more coffee next time. The only real mistake is not making enough.

Tom Beckett, catering lead

The 18-hour rule

Steep for 18 to 20 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. Room temperature steeps faster and extracts more; fridge is slower and produces a cleaner, less acidic result. Both work, it is a preference thing.

After steeping, strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper filter. Do not squeeze the grounds or you will extract bitterness. Let it drip through naturally.

What coffee to use

Medium to dark roasts work best for cold brew because the long steep extracts more bitterness from light roasts. Our house blend is perfect for it. Single origins can work too if you like a brighter, fruitier cold brew.

Coarse ground is important. If you use espresso-fine grind, the coffee will be muddy and bitter. If you buy beans from us, ask for a coarse grind on the bag and we will do it for you.

Troubleshooting

Too bitter? Your grind was too fine or you steeped too long. Try coarser and 16 hours next time. Too weak? You used too little coffee or steeped too short. Bump the ratio up.

If it tastes sour, the coffee might be too light for cold brew. Try a darker roast or add a bit more steeping time. Cold brew is forgiving but it does have preferences.