Cold Brew Kona Coffee Recipe

Combine coffee and water

Place 1 cup coarsely ground Kona coffee in a clean large jar or pitcher. Pour 4 cups cold, filtered water over the grounds, making sure all grounds are saturated. Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to ensure even extraction.

Steep

Cover the jar tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 16–20 hours. For a slightly brighter cup, steep closer to 16 hours; for a fuller, stronger concentrate, steep up to 20 hours.

Filter

After steeping, place a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or a coffee filter over a clean container. Pour the steeped coffee through the filter slowly to separate the grounds. If using a sieve alone, you may want to filter a second time through a paper coffee filter to remove fine sediment. Gently squeeze the bag or cheesecloth to extract remaining liquid, but avoid forcing fine grounds through.

Store concentrate

Transfer the filtered cold brew concentrate to a sealed container and refrigerate. Concentrate will keep well for up to 7–10 days; flavor is best within the first 4–5 days.

Measure 1 part cold brew concentrate to 1 part cold water or milk (adjust 1:1 to taste). For a single 8 oz serving, combine 1 cup concentrate with 1 cup cold water or milk into a glass or shaker.

Add 1 cup of ice to a serving glass. Pour the diluted cold brew over the ice. Taste and add simple syrup or sweetener if desired (start with 1 tablespoon and adjust).

For a richer finish, float 2 tablespoons heavy cream or frothed milk on top and lightly stir to create a marbled effect.

Serve immediately. Keep remaining concentrate refrigerated and use within 7–10 days.

Ratio adjustments: The 1:4 coffee-to-water mass ratio used here yields a strong concentrate. If you prefer a weaker concentrate, use 3–3.5 cups water per 1 cup coffee. For single-serve quick brew, a 1:8 diluted serving is common.