Stop spending so much money on fancy coffee shop brews or on store bought concentrate and learn to make Homemade Cold Brew all on your own!
You only need 2 ingredients (one of which is water) to make your favorite coffee shop quality cold brew at home. It requires a little forward planning, but with my simple tips and tricks, you'll have cold brew waiting for you in the fridge in no time!
We first made our own cold brew a few years ago, shortly after Starbucks released their version and our coffee budget quickly increased! With a little research, we figured out what cold brew is, and even better, how to make it ourselves!
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold Brew Coffee actually refers to the process of making the coffee, not the temperature at which it's served. In fact, cold brew isn't even really 'brewed' at all!
We use the term "cold brew", but it's actually more like 'cold steeped', since the beans are never actually heated. To make cold brew, you soak coffee grounds in room temperature water for 12 hours or more. The longer the beans soak, the more flavor extracts from the beans, and thus a stronger cup of coffee!
Because the process of making cold brew never applies heat to the beans, cold brew coffee ends up being less acidic and more highly caffeinated than hot-brewed varieties.
Cold brew coffee can be served hot or cold, once it's 'brewed', but we typically know it as a cold coffee option.
How is Cold Brew different than Iced Coffee?
Your typical cup of iced coffee is brewed hot and then poured over ice... which melts almost immediately, weakening the flavor of the coffee. So if you like a stronger cup of iced coffee, cold brew is for you!
And the best thing about homemade cold brew is that you control the flavor, strength and temperature. (And the amount of ice you put in you cup... looking at you, Starbs!)
When we first started researching how to make our own cold brew, the question quickly became: how do we effectively strain out the grounds after they've soaked thoroughly?
Enter: The French Press.
As a self-admitted kitchen minimalist, I love my Bodum French Press because it allows us to make cold brew easily and cleanly. But it's also there for us as a hot coffee maker on mornings when we want something a little fancier. Or if the power's out!
If you don't own a french press, you can also just use a basic glass container like a mason jar. Simply soak the beans in a clean jar, then strain it through a cheesecloth or clean kitchen napkin before serving.
Tips for making delicious Homemade Cold Brew
- Start with your favorite type of coffee. Since the results are very pure (i.e. nothing is boiled away to hide poor flavor in cheap beans), the best thing you can do for cold brew you enjoy is to start with coffee beans that you love.
- Grind your beans fresh. We typically grind beans for a couple days at a time and store the grinds in the fridge to use within a few days. Ground beans that sit longer than that can lose some of their potency and flavor.
- Aim for a coarser grind on your coffee beans. This helps keep the grinds out of the final cold brew!
- Go for a ratio of 1 cup of water to a little less than 1/4 cup of coffee grounds. In a standard French Press, we use a total of 4 cups of water and 3/4 cup of coffee grounds. Once you brew your first batch, you can determine if this strength is sufficient for you!
- Plan for your morning coffee one day ahead! Whew, talk about forward thinking, but this works out super well. In the morning, grind the coffee and stir it together with water in your french press. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit out on the counter all day. Before you go to bed, pop it into the fridge, then strain it the next morning.
- Allow the coffee to steep at room temperature for as long as possible. The cold of the fridge makes it harder to extract flavor from the beans. If you'd like to leave it on the counter overnight, this is also an option.
Making Cold Brew takes a little forward planning, but it makes for a more calm, relaxing morning routine.
Pair your fresh Homemade Cold Brew with one of these tasty breakfasts:
Classic Blueberry Muffins
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Herbed Breakfast Potato Hash
Monte Cristo Breakfast Sliders
Savory French Toast
Savory Oatmeal with a Fried Egg and Bacon
Homemade Cold Brew
Equipment
- French Press
- Coffee Grinder
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- 3/4 cup coarsely ground coffee
Instructions
- In the morning: Pour in the cool, filtered water. Then add in the ground coffee. Stir well with a long spoon, being careful not to stir over the side. Make sure that all grounds are well saturated. Then cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter all day.
- Before you head to bed, place the French Press fridge. (If you forget this step, not to worry. The ice will take care of cooling it down in the morning!)
- The next morning, remove the plastic wrap, then slowly press the plunger down on the french press to strain out the grounds. If using a mason jar, pour over a strainer with a cheesecloth or thin napkin, then squeeze the cloth to release as much coffee as possible.
- Serve over ice and top with milk and sweetener of choice, if desired.
Leave a Reply