How to Make Cold Brew at Home: The Ratio, the Grind, and About $2 a Glass
Cold brew is coarse ground coffee soaked in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, then strained. Use 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight for ready-to-drink, or 1 to 4 for concentrate. That is the whole recipe.
Everything else is the difference between cold brew that tastes like chocolate milk without the milk and cold brew that tastes like a wet paper bag. Here is all of it.
15W40 Dark Italian Roast. Chocolate and caramel, built for cold brew.
Cold brew pulls out chocolate and body and mutes brightness, so darker roasts shine. 15W40 is our darkest roast, smooth instead of burnt. Want more kick? Cavalry adds Robusta for extra caffeine and a bourbon note. Drinking cold brew every day? The 5 pound bulk bag is $89.99 and makes roughly 50 glasses.
Shop 15W405 lb bulk bagsSubscribe and your first order is 30% off automatically. No code. Every delivery after that is 15% off, and you can change or cancel anytime.
What is the best cold brew ratio?
Measure by weight if you can. Scoops lie, especially with coarse grounds.
| Strength | Coffee to water | For a quart jar | Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready to drink | 1:8 | 100 g coffee, 800 g water | Straight over ice |
| Strong | 1:6 | 120 g coffee, 720 g water | Over ice with milk |
| Concentrate | 1:4 | 160 g coffee, 640 g water | Cut 1:1 with water or milk |
No scale? About 1 cup of coarse ground coffee weighs roughly 80 to 90 grams. So a cup and a quarter of grounds plus 3 and a third cups of water gets you close to 1:8.
Roaster tip: concentrate takes less fridge space, but ready-to-drink wastes less coffee. Wet grounds hang onto about twice their weight in water, and the more grounds you use, the more cold brew stays trapped in them.
What grind do you use for cold brew?
Extra coarse, like cracked peppercorns. Too fine and the brew turns muddy, bitter, and nearly impossible to strain. If you buy ground coffee and brew a lot of cold brew, get whole bean and grind it coarse. Whole bean vs ground explains why.
How long should cold brew steep?
- On the counter: 12 to 18 hours.
- In the fridge: 18 to 24 hours. Colder water extracts slower.
- Past 24 hours: it starts pulling woody, bitter flavors. Do not go overnight twice.
How do you make cold brew step by step?
- Grind 100 grams of coffee extra coarse.
- Add it to a jar or pitcher with 800 grams of cold filtered water.
- Stir until every ground is wet. Dry clumps waste coffee.
- Cover and steep 12 to 18 hours on the counter, or 18 to 24 in the fridge.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer, then again through a paper coffee filter.
- Refrigerate and drink within about a week for best flavor.
Do not squeeze the grounds when straining. It pushes out bitter sludge.
What is the easiest way to make cold brew?
Pick the method that matches what is already in your kitchen.
- Mason jar: the zero-gear method. Mason jar cold brew recipe.
- French press: the built-in plunger does the first strain. French press cold brew recipe.
- Pitcher and nut milk bag: fill the bag with grounds, soak it in the pitcher, pull it out. Easiest cleanup there is.
Why does my cold brew taste bad?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Weak, watery | Too little coffee or too short | Go to 1:6 or steep longer |
| Sour | Under-extracted, grind too coarse, too cold | Steep longer or on the counter |
| Bitter, woody | Too long or too fine | Stop at 18 hours, grind coarser |
| Muddy, gritty | Fine particles got through | Second strain through a paper filter |
| Flat, papery | Stale coffee | Use fresher beans |
How much does homemade cold brew cost?
A 12 ounce bag makes about three quart jars at 1:8, which comes out to around eight or nine glasses. At $16.99 a bag, that is about $2 a glass, and less on subscription. The bulk bag drops it further. Coffee shop cold brew often runs $4 to $6.
Want it colder, creamier, or fancier? Try nitro cold brew at home or a salted caramel cold brew. Wondering how it stacks up to regular iced coffee? Cold brew vs iced coffee.
Never run out mid-summer
Cold brew drinkers burn through coffee fast. Put 15W40 or Cavalry on a 2 or 4 week schedule, whole bean or ground. First subscription order is 30% off automatically, 15% off every delivery after.
Subscribe to 15W40Best coffee for cold brewQuestions people ask
What is the ratio for cold brew coffee?
Use 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight for ready-to-drink cold brew, 1 to 6 for strong, or 1 to 4 for a concentrate you dilute with equal parts water or milk.
How long should cold brew steep?
Steep 12 to 18 hours at room temperature or 18 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Going past 24 hours tends to pull bitter, woody flavors.
What grind is best for cold brew?
An extra coarse grind, similar to cracked peppercorns. Finer grinds make cold brew bitter, muddy, and hard to strain.
What coffee is best for cold brew?
Medium-dark and dark roasts work best because cold brewing highlights chocolate and body. 15W40 Dark Italian Roast and Cavalry Dark Roast are both strong choices.
Can I make cold brew with regular ground coffee?
Yes, but standard drip grind is finer than ideal, so steep for less time, around 12 hours, and strain through a paper filter to remove the fine particles.
