How to Make Cold Brew at Home

Cold brew is the most forgiving coffee method that exists. You cannot burn it because there is no heat. You cannot over-pour because there is no pouring. You combine coffee and water, wait, and strain. The result is a smooth, sweet concentrate that keeps in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

What You Need

Coarse-ground coffee. Water, cold or room temperature. A jar, a pitcher, or any vessel with a lid. A strainer: a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, a paper coffee filter, or the plunger of a French press. Nothing precious. Nothing you do not already own.

The Ratio and Process

1 cup of coarse-ground coffee to 4 cups of cold water produces a concentrate you dilute before drinking. Combine, stir until all grounds are wet, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Wait 12 to 24 hours. 16 hours is the sweet spot. Strain through your filter of choice. The liquid is your cold brew concentrate.

Serve diluted 1:1 with cold water or milk over ice. Concentrate keeps sealed in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Make a batch on Sunday and drink it all week. A daily iced coffee habit at a cafe costs $4 to $6 per day. A batch of homemade cold brew costs under $5 in beans and makes 8 to 12 servings. When you do visit a shop, spend that money on something a barista does better: a flat white, a pour over, an affogato.

Keep reading: Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee, Cold Brew vs. Nitro Cold Brew, How to Make an Iced Latte at Home.