Homemade cold brew coffee is incredibly simple to make with just coarsely ground coffee, filtered water, and minimal equipment! The hardest part is steeping it overnight for 14-18 hours. Enjoy your cold brew black, with a splash of cream, or an easy cold brew latte with your favorite milk.
I’ve never been a drip coffee person because it always seems too acidic and bitter. Enter my BFF cold brew coffee! Brewing the beans in cool water for a longer period of time leads to a smooth, rich, and less acidic flavor than traditional coffee. In my opinion, I’m able to actually taste the flavor profile of the beans without the acidity getting in the way. The great thing about brewing coffee this way, other than the taste, is that it’s incredibly simple and cost effective to make at home. All you need are coarsely ground coffee beans and filtered water, that’s it!
Why I love Making Cold Brew Coffee at Home
- It’s budget friendly! I’m able to get 12-24 servings out of a standard 12-ounce bag of coffee beans.
- I get to control the beans I use along with the total brewing time to make the ideal glass of cold brew.
- I’m able to easily make cold brew lattes which makes my coffee routine feel special AND keeps me from blowing a ton of money at local coffee shops.
My Ideal Cold Brew Coffee Ratio
After plenty of playing around, I landed on the following ratio: 1 ounce of coffee beans BY WEIGHT with 7 ounces of cool filtered water BY VOLUME. I know it seems wonky to measure with both weight and volume but this ratio never lets me down! In the event that you find yourself without a scale, 1 ounce of coffee beans is approximately 5 tablespoons. And if you’re like wait, how much is 7 ounces of water?! It’s 14 tablespoons. I highly recommend finding a glass measuring cup with ounces marked on it if you plan on regularly making cold brew coffee.
Six Easy Steps for Making Cold Brew Coffee with a French Press
Don’t have a French press? No problem! You can follow the same exact method but substitute a mason jar instead. When it’s time to strain the coffee, pour it through a sieve lined with a a coffee filter or cheese cloth in order to separate out the coffee grounds.
Making a Cold Brew Latte
Lattes will always be my coffee drink of choice! You can use your cold brew to make a latte in less than a minute. Once you strain out the coffee grounds, you’re left with a cold brew concentrate. It needs to be diluted in a 1:1 ratio with water or milk before being enjoyed. You can make a cold brew latte by simply combining equal parts cold brew and your favorite milk! If you’ve got 4 ounces (half a cup) of cold brew, you simply add the same amount of milk, easy-peasy! These days I love using oat milk in mine but if you’re feeling like something fancier, here are some favorites:
- Strawberry Vanilla Cold Brew Latte — this one features a homemade strawberry vanilla syrup and produces a fun, summery latte!
- Mojito Cold Brew Latte — fresh mint, agave syrup or simple syrup, and a good shake with some ice produce a sweet, minty cup of coffee.
- Cacao Hazelnut Cold Brew Latte — if you want something frosty and sweet without any added sugar, try this simple blended latte.
- Fall Spice Horchata — if you want something autumnal and cozy, pair this fall spice horchata with your cold brew.
Homemade Cold Brew + My Favorite Cold Brew Latte
- Total Time: 14-18 hours
- Yield: 1–2 drinks 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade cold brew coffee is incredibly simple to make with just coarsely ground coffee, filtered water, and minimal equipment! The hardest part is steeping it overnight for 14-18 hours. Enjoy your cold brew black, with a splash of cream, or an easy cold brew latte with your favorite milk.
Ingredients
for the cold brew:
- 1 ounce coffee beans (by weight)
- 7 ounces filtered water (by volume)
for the cold brew latte:
- milk of your choice, such as 2%, oat, or cashew
Instructions
Add the coffee beans to a grinder. Grind until either medium or coarsely ground. You don’t want a fine grind as it will make it harder to strain and make the brew more acidic.
Add the ground coffee to a French press (or a mason jar) then pour in the filtered water. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine everything and moisten the grounds. Cover the French press (or jar) with a lid and leave it on your counter at room temperature to brew for 14-18 hours. I typically brew mine for about 16 hours.
Once you’ve reached the end of your steep time, press down the plunger on the French press to strain out the grounds. If you’re using a jar, line a fine mesh sieve or strainer with a coffee filter or cheese cloth. Set the strainer over a bowl and gently pour the contents of the jar into the strainer. Allow the cold brew to slowly drip down through the lined strainer into your bowl.
At this point you have cold brew concentrate that should be diluted with water or milk at a 1:1 ratio before you drink it.
Store leftover cold brew in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
To make a cold brew “latte”, combine equal parts cold brew concentrate and your favorite milk along with a handful of ice. Enjoy!
Notes
- This yields approximately 5 to 6 ounces of cold brew concentrate which is enough for 1-2 servings once diluted with water or milk. Feel free to multiply this recipe and use a larger jar or French press as needed!
- This cold brew will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks but I find it has the best flavor during the first week.
- I do not recommend using pre-ground packaged coffee as it’s typically ground too fine. If you buy your beans from a local coffee shop, ask them to do a medium or coarse grind for you!
- I recommend using filtered water here but you can also use bottled spring water. The water can be cold, cool, or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Steeping Time: 14-18 hours
- Category: drink
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