Brewed coffee
Cold brew
Smooth, often chocolatey and low in bitterness, though you lose a lot of the aroma.
- Cold brew, diluted ≈ 200 ml
- About 200 ml plus ice
Coarse coffee left in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, then strained. Most people make it as a concentrate and cut it with water or milk when they pour.
| Ratio | 1:5, coffee to water (concentrate) |
|---|---|
| Recipe | 100 g coffee + 500 g cold water |
| Milk | None, or cold milk to dilute |
| Serve in | Glass with ice, 300–350 ml |
| Time | 12–24 h steep |
| How strong it tastes | Low to medium |
How to make it
- Stir 100 g of coarse coffee into 500 g of cold or room-temperature water in a jar.
- Cover it and leave it in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
- Strain through a sieve, then through a paper filter for a cleaner cup.
- Mix 1 part concentrate with 1 to 2 parts water or milk and pour over ice. Adjust to taste.
Tip: Try 16 hours first, then go longer or shorter next batch depending on how it tastes.
Common mistake: A fine grind turns it muddy and a pain to strain. Use the same coarse grind you’d use for a French press.
Variations
- Nitro: infused with nitrogen for a creamy head
- With milk: dilute the concentrate with milk
- Cold foam: frothed cold milk on top
At a café
Most cafés serve it over ice, sometimes with milk or a cold foam topping.
Cold brew vs. Japanese-style iced coffee: Japanese-style iced coffee is brewed hot onto ice in minutes, so it’s brighter and more aromatic. See the Japanese-style iced coffee
You’ll need: Jar or pitcher, grinder, scale and sieve and paper filter.