Cold Brew Recipe

Combine coffee and water

Place 1 cup coarsely ground coffee in a clean 1–2 quart jar or pitcher. Add 4 cups cold filtered water, pouring evenly over grounds to fully saturate. Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to ensure all grounds are wet.

Steep

Cover the jar or pitcher with a lid or plastic wrap. Steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 16 to 20 hours. A longer steep (18–20 hours) yields a stronger, more concentrated brew; shorter (16 hours) is slightly lighter.

Strain

After steeping, strain the mixture: first pour through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter into a clean container. If using cheesecloth, strain slowly and repeat if cloudy. For the cleanest concentrate, filter a second time through a paper filter or a nut-milk bag.

Store

Transfer the filtered cold brew concentrate to an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate. It keeps well for up to 10–14 days; optimal freshness is within 7 days.

Fill a tall glass with 1 cup ice cubes.

Pour 3/4 cup cold brew concentrate over the ice.

Add 3/4 cup cold water or milk to dilute to taste (adjust ratio concentrate:water from 1:1 to 1:2 depending on preferred strength). Stir gently.

Add 1 tablespoon simple syrup or other sweetener if desired and stir to combine.

For vanilla cold brew: add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to the glass when adding water/milk and stir.

For a creamy top: gently pour 2 tablespoons heavy cream or oat creamer over the back of a spoon so it floats on top of the cold brew. Serve without stirring for a layered look, or stir to combine.