Cold Brew Recipe

Combine coffee and water

Place 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee in a clean large jar or pitcher. Pour 4 cups of cold, filtered water evenly over the grounds so all grounds are saturated. Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to ensure dry pockets are wet.

Steep

Cover the jar with a lid or plastic wrap and let steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 16 to 20 hours. Longer steeping (up to 24 hours) yields a stronger, more concentrated flavor; shorter steeping (12–14 hours) yields milder concentrate.

Filter

After steeping, place a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth over a clean bowl or pitcher. Pour the coffee-water mixture through the filter slowly to separate grounds from liquid. If needed, filter a second time to remove fine sediment.

Store concentrate

Transfer the filtered cold brew concentrate to a clean jar or bottle, seal, and refrigerate. Concentrate will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 7–10 days; flavor is best within 4–5 days.

Dilute and sweeten

For a 16 oz serving, fill a tall glass with about 1 cup (8 oz) of ice. Pour 8 oz of cold brew concentrate over the ice, then add 8 oz of cold water or milk (dairy or plant) to reach 16 oz total. Taste and add up to 1 tablespoon simple syrup or other sweetener if desired; stir to combine.

Adjust to taste

If the drink is too strong, add additional water or milk in 1–2 oz increments. If too weak, use a higher ratio of concentrate to water (for example 3:1 concentrate to water for a stronger cup) or use a slightly stronger concentrate next batch (increase grounds to water ratio).

Serve

Serve immediately over ice. Leftover diluted servings are best consumed the same day. Keep remaining concentrate refrigerated for future servings.