Sharing with ya how to make cold brew coffee, so you can stop spending your cold, hard cash on cold brew from that coffee shop down the street!
“That’ll be $4.75”.
“Cold brew again? $4.75”.
“Hey! Your usual?….$4.75”.
Has anyone else had a similar series of conversations with their favorite coffee shop barista, or is that just me? I’m pretty sure a large chunk of my paychecks have just gone straight to cold brew coffee purchases week after week. I mean, there was one week that I went EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. to get one. And at $4.75 an order, that’s a whopping $23.75 in one week. Just on coffee. I can’t even bring myself to calculate up a tally for more than that…
Psssst. Wondering what the difference between cold brew coffee and iced coffee is? Cold brew is ground coffee that is steeped in water before being strained, while iced coffee is typically brewed hot and poured over ice. It’s that simple! Cold brew boasts a sweeter, less acidic, and slightly chocolate-y flavor compared to iced coffee.
So, why did I finally bite the bullet and make it myself? A few reasons:
- MONEY. I mean, obviously. If I can consistently save $15-20 a week, I’m willing to at least give it a chance.
- EASE. Once I did some research (aka, skimming 3 blog posts) on how to make it at home, I practically had to pick my jaw up from the floor. I mean, it’s SIMPLE, guys. You more than likely already have the tools and supplies needed.
- WOW FACTOR. Because, how cool is it when you can tell someone you made your own cold brew? Pretty cool, in my opinion. So yes, I think I’m cool.
While you can certainly buy contraptions and gadgets made specifically for making cold brew (such as this super sweet kit my cousin gifted me!), or even use a French press, you more than likely already have some tools and supplies that will work.
What you need to DIY:
- 2 large pitchers, mason jars, or even bowls
- Fine mesh strainer
- Coffee! About 2 cups
- Water
Yep, that’s it!! To prove that you don’t need much to make your own cold brew, the following method, “recipe” if you will, will use the above tools. Keep in mind if you buy a specific cold brew making kit, that makes it even easier!
Onto the method: I think the biggest variant between methods and recipes I’ve come across is the coffee to water ratio. I use a 1:4 ratio, meaning 1 cup of coffee beans to every 4 cups of water. So, since the recipe calls for 8 cups of water, I use 2 cups of coffee beans. You can tweak this to find your sweet spot; if you want a final product that’s a bit stronger, decrease the ratio to 1:3, and if you want it lighter, up the ratio to 1:6.
Arguably the best part about this recipe? The fact that it takes a whopping 5 minutes of total hands-on time! Throw the beans and water together in the evening, and let it steep while you sleep overnight!
So, without further adieu, let’s figure out how to make cold brew coffee at home!
- 2 cups coffee beans, coarsely ground
- 8 cups filtered water
- Coarsely grind coffee beans in a coffee grinder. You don't want it finely ground, or else you'll end up with a cloudy, gritty final product.
- Add both the coffee grounds and the water into a large pitcher, bowl, or mason jar. Stir to combine.
- Cover and store at room temperature. Allow to steep for 12-15 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into another pitcher, bowl or mason jar. Strain once more if product still contains some residue from the beans. Discard the beans.
- Enjoy poured over ice, along with some almond milk if desired.
- Don't have a coffee grinder? Many grocery stores have one on their coffee aisle. Alternatively, you can use a food processor, though I've heard it may dull the blades.
In need of a cute tumbler to enjoy this out of? This one is my favorite!
