Cold Brew Coffee
Updated May 26, 2025
Follow these easy step-by-step instructions to make cold brew coffee at home. You just need coffee, water and to let it sit overnight in the fridge.
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My Homemade Cold Brew Coffee is So Good
I started making cold brew at home when I realized how much I was spending on it every week, and now I prefer homemade cold brew to the stuff I used to buy. If you’ve never made it, here’s how it works: you just stir together coarsely ground coffee and cold water, stick it in the fridge overnight, and strain it in the morning. That’s it. I keep a big jar in the fridge and water it down with milk or more water, depending on how strong I want it. Simple, and way cheaper than the drive-thru.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cold Brew Coffee Ingredients
- Coffee: For the brewing process to work, the beans need to be coarsely ground. They should look chunky, as pictured above, sort of like the consistency of kosher salt. Many cold brew aficionados prefer darker roasts, but it is a personal choice. Experiment.
- Water: In general, good water makes good coffee, cold brew included. So if your tap water has heavy chlorine or chemical tastes, filter it through a Brita or other type of filter to avoid passing on unwanted flavors.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Cold Brew Coffee Recipe & Tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse ground coffee beans
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Place the ground coffee and water in a large pitcher or jug and stir well to combine. Cover the container and allow the coffee to steep overnight in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
- Line a small strainer with a cheesecloth and place over another large pitcher or bowl. Pour the coffee slowly through the strainer and discard the remaining bits left in the strainer.
- When you’re ready to serve, dilute the cold brew with as much water or milk as you’d like. For every cup of cold brew, you can add up to 1 cup of water or milk.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Cold Brew recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Popular Additions
- Spice things up. Cinnamon sticks, split vanilla pods, cardamom pods, or star anise will give your cold brew a custom flavor. Add them in with the beans and let them steep the whole time.
- Pop of Citrus. I love adding a strip of fresh lemon or orange peel to add brightness to my cold brew.
- For Chocolate Lovers. If you love the flavor of mocha, add 1 tablespoons of cacao nibs in with the beans while they steep.
- Make it trendy. Many popular coffee spots are serving lavender or blueberry infused coffee so give it a try at home! Use ½ teaspoon of culinary grade lavender buds and steep them with the beans, or 1 tablespoon of dried blueberries.
Recipe Tips
- Give it time: Let the mixture sit for the recommended amount of time. Cold brew uses time, not heat, to extract the goodness from coffee.
- Make sure the coffee is moist. Sometimes some of the grinds will float at the top. Give the mixture a good stir to ensure everything is saturated before steeping.
- Do not rush the pour: Decant the steeped mixture s-l-o-w-l-y into the second container, and do not press down on the grinds in the sieve. That can release bitterness.
- Sub paper for cheesecloth: No cheesecloth? No problem! Try lining the strainer with a paper coffee filter or a layer or two of paper towels.
- Reuse the grounds: Acid-loving plants love coffee grounds. Try spreading the grounds on roses, hydrangeas, or rhododendrons.
FAQs
Store cold brew in a covered container in the refrigerator. Cap or cover tightly because coffee is prone to picking up other odors. Cold brew will last for 5 days. After that, it will still be safe to drink for another week, but the flavor will degrade.
Yes, it’s best to freeze it in ice cube trays or silicone molds so you can easily portion the coffee when you want to enjoy it. When ready to drink, defrost overnight in the fridge or heat in the microwave if you want to drink it hot.
Traditional iced coffee is coffee that started its life being brewed using a hot water method and was then cooled down by being poured over ice or refrigerated. Cold brew is made using room temperature or cold water and time to extract the coffee.
Yes. Cold brew can steep on the counter at room temperature. And, since temperature affects this method, room-temperature cold brew is done faster than coffee steeped in the fridge. It can be ready to drink in as little as eight hours but will not – obviously – be chilled.
Yes, cold brew coffee can be made in a French press. Steep for the recommended amount of time, and instead of straining, just press down the plunger and pour the brewed coffee into another container.
Cold brew does not necessarily have more caffeine than regular coffee, but because it starts from a coffee concentrate, it has that reputation. The caffeine content of any cold brew depends on so many factors: the beans used, how long it steeps, and how much water is used to dilute it.
Comments
Hi Yumna!
Another way of doing this is actually using a French press! It makes straining a ton easier
That is such a great option too!
I would like to make your baklava but am not familiar with orange blossom water. Do you buy (if so, where), or do you make it (if so, do you have a recipe to share) ? I am new to your recipe and love what I’m seeing.
Thank you.
You can buy orange blossom water online: https://amzn.to/3gsQHro. If you don’t have orange blossom water, you can leave it out or add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Hope that helps!