How To Make Cold Brew Coffee At Home

Summertime is often when we reach for the iced versions of drinks we usually opt for hot any other time of the year. Cold Brew Coffee is like the fancier cousin that lives in the city.

Cold Brew Coffee is one of the stars of this bunch who seems to be having it’s moment right now. Whether it’s with or without Nitro, it’s definitely the “it” drink of the moment.

While I love LOVE LOVE cold brew coffee, I hate having to go out of my house to find a good place to place AND having to pay the price for good versions (although I must say Starbucks and Whole Foods’s in-store coffee bar have pretty great versions for starting under $4 a cup). So, how do you make cold brew coffee at home? Better yet, how do you make great coffee at home?

I’ve been playing around with an at home version and I think I’ve nailed it or come pretty darn close.

I recently shared my at home version of my strong cold brew coffee on my YouTube video which you can catch below, and/or read ahead to get the full deets and links. I also shared the tools I use to make home brew coffee in this post.

If there were two major pieces to getting good Cold Brew at home, I would say it’s:

1. Getting GOOD coffee!

Once you commit to this project and process, you will end up putting out a little bit of money up front. My method and tools are petty affordable so just about anyone can get in the game for less than $30 to start and you probably will never have to re-purchase these items again. No disposable filters. No cloth bags to wash. Nothing.

With that said, don’t skimp on the quality of the coffee that you purchase. Don’t be scared when you see the $12 per pound bag of coffee at the fancy grocery store. Get half a pound or so and that can last you for a week or two. That works out to $6-ish for coffee for the entire week. Less than a dollar a day.

Target has some pretty great fair trade, organic coffee in stores and online. I really like this one and this one. Trader Joe’s also has a rotating variety of fair trade and unique coffee options.

2. Grind And Use As Soon As Possible

In my experience and research, the best coffee is one that’s freshly grounded. That’s why you will always see baristas grinding coffee beans for drinks as they are ordered.

Once the coffee is ground, it starts to lose freshness and flavor. So, try to use the ground coffee as soon as you can. This is why I try to purchase smaller quantities of ground coffee from stores with an in-store grinder. Some stores sell coffee in bulk by the pound.

Grind the coffee and use it right away or grind it yourself right before making it. I NEVER buy coffee that’s been pre-ground and sits on the shelf for who knows how long. To me, that’s how to make the best coffee at home.

As far as the settings to use when grinding, I set the machine to course so there’s less chance of the grand coffee falling through the filter holes.

Even if you have to purchase a full pound of coffee from your local Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or even Starbucks, grinding it in store that day and using it over the next couple of weeks will produce a better tasting result compared to buying coffee that’s been ground before it even got shipped to the store.

TOOLS:

The basic concept of making Cold Brew Coffee is allowing the coffee to brew over a course of at least 12 hours in cold or room temperature water as opposed to brewing it using hot water.

In general, cold brew is less acidic and more mellow while still being flavorful and strong.

While there are many gadgets out there being sold specifically for cold brewing at home, all that’s needed is a container to hold the coffee and another container to hold the coffee grinds in that liquid.

I use a 64 oz Mason jar and a little tool called The Tube. Combined these cost less than $26 at the time this was published. Click the links to check them out for yourself.

HOW TO MAKE COLD BREW COFFEE AT HOME:

As mentioned the steps to make this version of coffee are simply steeping coffee grinds in water for at least 12 hours.

I’ve found using around 12-16 tablespoons of ground coffee will produce a strong cold brew coffee. When purchasing a half pound of coffee beans and grinding them for this recipe, you should have enough to make 2 or 3 rounds of 64 oz batches.

To review:

1. Place The Tube into the top of the 64 oz mason jar.
2. Fill The Tube with 12-16 tablespoons of ground coffee. 12 tablespoons for a semi-strong brew and 16 for a very strong brew. REMEMBER: If the brew is too strong at the end, you can always add water or milk to tone it down.
3. Pour water over the coffee grinds slowly to fill the container. It’s best to do this slowly as the water will flow through the grinds and may take time settling. You don’t want to fill it too quickly and over fill the jar.
4. Cover the jar with the lid and leave it on your counter or in your refrigerator for 12-14 hours.
5. Once the time is up, remove The Tube and enjoy your coffee. You may want to stir it before drinking to make sure it’s to your liking.

It’s really so simple that you may never buy Cold Brew outside again. Or if you do you will get mad for paying the high cost, like I do.

If you are wondering if you should filter your water, it’s completely up to you. I have hard water in my house, so we do use a Berkey Water Filter.

Let me know if this recipe helps you save some money by leaving a comment below.

FTC DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small finder’s fee on the sale. This does not increase your price in any way shape or form. Using these links help support the continuation of this website. All opinions are my own. Thank you in advance.