Post By : 2024-05-19T07:06"

Cold Brew Concentrate (The Best Iced Coffee!)"

Cold brew coffee is deep, rich, cool, and creamy. Even a little … chocolaty? There’s just nothing else like it. And the best part is that it’s SUPER easy to make. Let’s make cold brew!
           

All About Cold Brew Coffee

“Cold brew” really means room temperature, by the way. Basically, you’re not brewing hot coffee.

Why cold brew? First of all, it tastes SO much better than plain iced coffee, which is hot coffee that has been cooled down and then served over ice.

The flavor of cold brew is:

Deeper than plain iced coffee
Richer
Much less acidic

Basically, the cold brew method doesn’t pull out as many of the compounds in the coffee beans – just the rich, bold taste of the beans (source)

Cold brewing coffee results in a delicious, potent elixir which, if you’re not careful, could give you a seriously surprising caffeine jolt. Start slowly! I’m serious – the extreme jitters are no fun, and trust me – I’ve been there.

This concentrate is meant to be mixed with an equal amount of water and poured over a glass packed with ice.

        Cold Brew Concentrate Ratio

The cold brew ratio for concentrate is so simple.

It’s simply 1 part ground coffee beans to 4 cups water. Done! The cold brew ratio for straight-up cold brew (not concentrate) is 1 part ground coffee beans to 8 cups water.

    How to Make Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Step 1: Grind Your Beans at a Larger Grind

Take one cup of beans and grind them. Go for a medium-to-large grind – not too fine. Preferably, you can grind your beans at home for the freshest, most flavorful result – but if you need to have them ground at the store or coffee shop, you’ll still be in good shape.

Step 2: Just Add Water and Stir

Place the grounds in a 40-ounce or larger jar or pitcher with airtight lid (a 2-quart mason jar is perfect), and add 4 cups cool water. Preferably filtered, but if you don’t have it, no biggie.

And then stir! The grounds and water need to be good and stirred together to get the everything flowing.

Step 3: Let it Steep at Room Temperature

Put the lid on the jar or pitcher and sit it somewhere on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight. And let it sit overnight (at least 6 hours), or up to 12 hours.

Step 4: Strain

I’ve strained my iced coffee a gazillion ways, and I suppose every single one qualifies as a hack.

Here are a few ideas for how to strain cold brew coffee:

Pour it into a French press and gently push down the plunger. Pour out the iced coffee concentrate.
Place a coffee filter into a funnel and set the funnel over a bottle. Pour the concentrate into the funnel to strain out the grounds.

Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth or, in a pinch, paper towels. Set it in a bowl and pour the concentrate over the sieve.

Or, my current favorite method: use a nut milk bag (affiliate link). I’ve been using the same fine-mesh bag I use for making almond milk, and it’s the easiest method I’ve found, by a mile. 

Step 5: Drink!

The best part! Pour 1/2 cup iced coffee concentrate and 1/2 cup water over a glass of ice or coffee ice cubes. Add cream and a little sweetener, if desired. Stir, plop in a straw, and enjoy the good (caffeinated) life.

I also really enjoy this cold-brew coffee straight-up, without water – it tastes incredible and has quite the jolt of caffeine, so I do have to take it easy.

Your cold-brew should keep in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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