Iced Coffee Recipe

Combine coffee and water

In a large jar or pitcher, add 1 cup coarsely ground coffee. Pour 4 cups cold filtered water over the grounds, making sure all grounds are saturated. Stir briefly to ensure even wetting.

Steep

Cover the jar and let steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours. Longer steeping yields stronger concentrate; 12 hours for medium strength, up to 18 for stronger.

Strain

After steeping, strain the coffee through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a nut-milk bag into a clean container. If using a sieve + cheesecloth, strain twice to remove fine particles. You should end up with about 3 to 4 cups of concentrated cold brew.

Store

Refrigerate the cold brew concentrate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. If desired, dilute slightly before storing so it's ready to pour.

Prepare glass

Fill a tall glass with 1 cup ice cubes.

Dilute concentrate

Pour 1 cup cold brew concentrate into the glass. Add 1 cup cold water or milk to dilute to drinking strength (adjust ratio to taste; 1:1 is a good starting point).

Sweeten and flavor

Stir in 2 tablespoons simple syrup (or equivalent sweetener). Add 2 tablespoons milk or non-dairy creamer if you want a creamier drink, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract if using. Taste and adjust sweetness or milk.

Serve

Give the drink a final stir so everything is combined. Serve immediately with a straw. Leftover concentrate can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.