Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is a smooth coffee concentrate made with only two ingredients. It’s a simple and delicious pick-me-up for any time of day!

Contrary to the name, cold brew coffee (also called cold brew) isn’t simply coffee served cold! It’s actually a coffee concentrate made by steeping coarse ground coffee in cool or cold water. The brewing process takes place over an extended period of time, usually in the fridge, but sometimes at room temperature.

You must use coarse grind coffee to make cold brew. Fine ground coffee extracts flavour and oils too quickly, which can result in a bitter cup of coffee. We recommend using fresh ground coffee beans if possible as pre-ground coffee can lose flavour sitting on the shelf in the grocery store. Coffee grinders can be purchased inexpensively if you don’t own one already!

Try drinking the coffee concentrate over ice topped with a splash of homemade vanilla syrup and your favourite milk. You can also warm it up with a touch of hot water or steamed milk. However you drink it, cold brew makes a delicious cup of coffee to get you through the day!

💖Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ You only need 2 ingredients!
✔️ It’s cheaper than the coffee shop and tastes just as good.
✔️ You can serve it warm or cold.

📋Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Coffee Beans: use any coffee beans you like. They don’t have to be the most expensive, just ones you enjoy drinking.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Coffee: you can use pre-ground coffee if you want. Note, fresh ground beans have more flavour. Just make sure you buy coarse grind!
• Decaf Coffee: substitute decaf beans or coarse ground decaf if you want.

👩‍🍳Method

STEP 1: place the coffee beans in a coffee grinder. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 batches depending on the capacity of your grinder.

STEP 2: grind the beans until they are broken up into tiny bits, about the size of kosher salt. Some of the beans may remain whole. You can regrind if you want or leave them if its not too many.

STEP 3: transfer the ground beans to a large jar or bowl. Pour the water over the coffee.

STEP 4: Stir to moisten all the grounds. It’s ok if they rise to the top of the water, just make sure they’re stirred thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

STEP 5: after the coffee has finished steeping, line a fine mesh strainer with a coffee filter. Slowly pour the coffee through the filter and strainer into a second container or jar. Do not squeeze or press the coffee grounds.

STEP 6: when all of the concentrate has strained through, discard the coffee grounds. If you are transferring the coffee to another container for storage do so now. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

☕️How To Serve Cold Brew Coffee

• Chilled—drink coffee concentrate cold from the fridge or over ice. You can drink it by itself or dilute it with cold water or milk.
• Warm—add hot water or steamed milk to cold brew for a warm coffee.

💡Top Tips

1. You can double or triple this recipe if you have a large enough container to brew in.
2. If you’re short on time, skip the coffee filter and strain 2 or 3 times through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Try making cold brew with flavoured coffee beans like Irish cream or hazelnut!

📝Recipe Notes

• Not everyone has space for a large bowl in the fridge. If this is you, brew your coffee at room temperature using cold water
• You can use pre-ground coffee, however, it may have less intense flavour than fresh ground beans. Be sure to buy coarse grind.
• When straining the concentrate it will flow quickly at first then slow down to a trickle, then individual drips. It will take about 20 minutes for all of the coffee to drain through.
• The yield can vary between 2 ½ to 3 cups (625 to 750ml) of concentrate depending on the grind of your coffee beans and how well they drain through the filter and strainer.

❓Recipe FAQ

🍰Tasty Treats To Serve With Cold Brew Coffee