This has been my summer of cold brew coffee. There seems to always be a jar brewing on our counter, paired with an almost empty jar, waiting to be finished off, in the fridge. It’s been like a little miracle for me. I never have been able to make a decent cup of iced coffee for the hot months, so I’ve always been stuck spending a couple bucks for someone else to make it, and usually not liking it all that much anyways. 

I had actually never heard of the term Cold Brew until Starbucks introduced it this summer. I usually hate their coffee, but was able to stomach their cold brew, so I knew I had to look into this whole idea and figure out how to recreate it for myself. 

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The truth is, it’s insanely simple, and if you love iced coffee, you should definitely be making your own cold brew. From my experience with it so far, I’ve found that it’s really all about focusing on the little things that might change it. I like to make my cold brew a really strong concentrate and then just dilute it with a little water when I’m adding my milk and sugar too. Since it’s a concentrate, one jar can easily last an entire week for me. 

Making your own cold brew is actually incredibly easy. It takes time, but almost all of it is passive. 

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home

What you’ll need:

• 1 Cup of Coffee Grounds
• 3 Cups of Water
• Large Jar with Lid

In a sealable jar, combine one cup of coffee grounds and three cups of cold water, gently stir and allow to sit at room temperature for eight hours, or in the fridge overnight. Strain mixture twice using a coffee filter, or cheesecloth. Refrigerate, and you’re done! 

Cold Brew from Josie Davis on Vimeo.

Tips for Making Your Own Cold Brew

– Invest in good coffee. That’s really the most important thing you can do. Go to an awesome local coffee roaster, and get some of the good stuff. I don’t have a grinder myself, so I just have them grind it to percolator for me. I’ve been getting mine from Pour Richards in Devon, PA since it’s on my way to work, and it’s oh-so good. 

– Try to use a container that it will completely fill. I’ve read online that the less air in with your brewing coffee, the better. I use a large mason jar (I believe it’s a quart size) and it’s perfect for me. 

– For straining, I like to use my large mixer bowl to strain it into just because it’s convenient, and it has a spout, which makes it easy to pour back into a jar when I’m done, but you can really use any bowl or strainer set up that you already have on hand.

– You should note that the first filtering will take some time. Usually a good 10-15 minutes. Try not to rush it, just do your thing while it’s doing its thing. The second filtering will go a lot faster. 

– Depending on how strong my concentrate is, I usually cut it half and half with water when I drink it, but that’s all about personal preference, so experiment with how strong you like it.

– Not cold brew specific, but just a tip, If you’re like me, and like your coffee just a little sweet, try brown sugar instead of white! It dissolves easier into cold drinks, and tastes even better than white does.