How to Make Cold Brew at Home

You need coarsely ground coffee, cold water, a jar, and 12 to 24 hours. The ratio is 1 part coffee to 4 to 8 parts water. That is the whole process.

A 1:4 ratio produces a strong concentrate meant to be diluted 1:1 with water or milk before drinking. A 1:8 ratio produces a ready-to-drink cold brew that does not need diluting.

The exact process: 1 cup of coffee, 4 to 8 cups of water, 12 to 24 hours

Grind your coffee coarse, roughly the texture of raw sugar. Finer grinds over-extract and produce a bitter, murky cold brew. Add the ground coffee to a large jar or pitcher. Pour cold water over the grounds. Stir once to wet all the coffee. Cover loosely with a lid or cloth. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Twelve hours produces a lighter, brighter cold brew. Twenty-four hours produces something richer and heavier. Most people find 16 to 18 hours is the sweet spot.

"Cold brew is the most forgiving coffee method at home. You are not fighting heat or pressure. Time does all the work."

Filtering: two passes is better than one

After steeping, pour the cold brew through a fine-mesh strainer first to remove the large grounds. Then pour it through a paper coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth to remove the fines. Skipping the second pass leaves a gritty texture. It takes about 10 minutes but makes a significant difference.

Storage and shelf life

Cold brew keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Flavor is best in the first five to seven days. After that, it starts tasting flat. Store it in a sealed container. Do not add ice until you are ready to drink it, as ice dilutes and degrades the flavor faster.

The best beans for cold brew at home are medium roasts from well-sourced farms. Single-origin beans from Counter Culture Coffee or Stumptown work well. Find what works for your palate, then find specialty shops in Denver and Seattle that carry similar beans.

Related: What is cold brew?, Cold brew vs iced coffee, Best iced coffee drinks.