How to make the perfect cold brew at home
ChatA cold brew is easily one of the best ways to get a refreshing, caffeinated kick in the hotter summer months. You’ve probably had a cold brew before, perhaps at a cafe or as a grab and go drink, but it’s surprisingly easy to make your own at home and once you give it a whirl there’s really no going back!
But what exactly is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew is quite simply, coffee that has been brewed with cold or room temperature water rather than hot water. There is usually a long steeping process (between 12 and 20 hours) which allows the coffee to brew and form a flavourful concentrate which you can dilute to your liking with ice, more water or milk.
The great thing about cold brew is that it requires a lot less precision than other methods of brewing coffee. All you need is your coarsely ground coffee, water, a brewing container and something to help strain the coffee grounds out at the end - easy right? Once you make a large container of cold brew it can last up to two weeks in the fridge, which means you can enjoy your delicious coffee at next to no effort afterwards.
What coffee should I use for cold brew?
Feel free to use a coffee you know and love already, as most tend to work fantastically in cold brew form. Cold brew can tend to have a heavier, chocolatey profile but we love getting a lightly roasted juicy coffee involved, as the fruity edge really shines due to the long steeping process, making it all the more refreshing.
We recommend our Juicebox if you want to get lovely fruity undertones in your cold brew.
STEP 1.
First off let’s begin with the ratio, a good starting point is roughly 60g of ground coffee per litre of added water or 1g of coffee to 15-18ml of water (1:15-18). Take your coarsely ground coffee and pour it into a large sealable container, bottle or jar, before adding cold or room temp water and stirring well. Ensure that all of the coffee grounds are properly submerged and mixed in. Cover or close the lid of your container and leave it to steep for between 12 and 20 hours at room temperature or in the fridge if you have space.
STEP 2.
You now have your cold brew concentrate and it’s almost ready to go! Take your container and strain the concentrate into another container using filter paper or cheese cloth to remove any coffee grounds or excess sediment. Seal within an airtight container and leave to sit in a fridge until thoroughly chilled through.
STEP 3.
Time to serve up your cold brew! Pour your concentrate into serving glasses and add any combination of ice, water or milk to your preference and enjoy.
