Cold brew is the easiest premium coffee you can make — no technique, no temperature control, no timing pressure. Mix, wait, strain. Here’s the recipe we’ve refined over hundreds of batches.
Ingredients and gear
100 grams (about 1¼ cups) of coarsely ground coffee, 500 grams of cold filtered water, a large jar, and something to strain with — a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper filter or cheesecloth works perfectly.
Step 1: Combine
Add coffee to the jar, pour the water over, and stir until no dry pockets remain. Use an extra-coarse grind — like peppercorns — so the strain stays easy and the brew stays smooth.
Step 2: Steep
Cover and steep 12–18 hours. Room temperature is faster (12–14 hours); the fridge is slower but safer if you tend to forget (16–24 hours). Longer isn’t better — past 24 hours the brew picks up woody, flat flavors.
Step 3: Strain
Pour through your lined sieve. Don’t press or squeeze the grounds — let gravity work, and you’ll be rewarded with a clean, sediment-free concentrate.
Serving your concentrate
This makes a 1:5 concentrate. Dilute roughly 1:1 with water, milk, or ice to serve. It keeps up to two weeks refrigerated, though it’s best in the first week.
Caffeine note
Cold brew concentrate is strong — a diluted 12 oz glass typically carries 150–200 mg of caffeine, roughly double a regular cup of drip. Plan your afternoon accordingly.
