Cold brew recipe for five 8 oz glasses: about 99 g of coarse ground coffee to 789 g of cold water (a 1:8 concentrate). Steep 12 to 18 hours, strain, then dilute 1:1 with water or milk.
Roast level: medium to dark wins
Cold water extracts flavor slowly and selectively. It pulls out the heavier, sweeter compounds and leaves behind much of what makes a light roast taste bright and fruity. That is great news for darker roasts, and a mixed bag for light ones.
| Roast | How it tends to taste as cold brew | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Can taste thin, tea-like or a little sour unless brewed strong and long | People who already love light roasts and want something unusual |
| Medium | Balanced and sweet, with caramel and nut flavors | Drinking black, or a lighter cup with a splash of milk |
| Medium dark | Rich, chocolatey, smooth, the classic cold brew profile | Most people, especially with milk |
| Dark | Heavy and roasty, can turn smoky or ashy if overdone | Big milk drinks and sweetened cold brew |
If you are not sure, start with a medium dark blend. It is the most forgiving choice, and it holds up to milk, ice and sweetener without disappearing. Our roast levels guide explains what changes as a coffee gets darker.
Grind: coarse, and consistent
Cold brew needs a coarse grind, close to what you would use for a French press. The grounds should look like coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs.
- Too fine and the brew turns muddy and bitter, and it clogs your filter so straining takes forever.
- Too coarse and it tastes weak even after 18 hours.
- Inconsistent, with a mix of dust and boulders, gives you both problems at once. A burr grinder gives a more even grind than a blade grinder.
Pre-ground coffee labeled for drip machines is usually too fine for cold brew. Coffee ground specifically for French press is the right size.
Whole bean or ground?
Both work. Cold brew is one of the most forgiving brews for pre-ground coffee, because the long steep and the dilution hide small differences in freshness.
- Whole bean gives you control over the grind and keeps longer, since coffee loses aroma faster once ground. Grind right before you make a batch.
- Ground for French press is the convenient choice. It is already the right size, and if you make cold brew every week, you will use it up quickly.
Whichever you choose, store it airtight, away from light and heat. Our storage guide covers the details.
Ratios and batch sizes
Most cold brew recipes fall into two camps: a strong concentrate you dilute, or a ready to drink brew you pour straight over ice.
| Style | Ratio | Quart jar (about 900 g water) | Half gallon pitcher (about 1,800 g water) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrate, dilute 1:1 | 1:8 | 112 g coffee | 225 g coffee |
| Strong concentrate, dilute 1:2 | 1:5 | 180 g coffee | 360 g coffee |
| Ready to drink | 1:15 | 60 g coffee | 120 g coffee |
The 1:8 concentrate is the best place to start. It keeps well, takes up little fridge space, and lets each person dilute to taste. Keep in mind that coarse grounds hold onto some water, roughly twice their weight, so you will strain out a little less liquid than you put in.
For a sense of scale: a half gallon batch at 1:8 uses about half a pound of coffee and makes about 11 eight ounce servings once diluted 1:1. If cold brew is your daily drink through the summer, that adds up quickly, which is worth knowing when you plan how much coffee you need each month.
Steeping, straining and storing
- Steep 12 to 18 hours. On the counter, 12 to 14 hours is usually enough. In the fridge, go closer to 18. Past about 20 hours, many coffees start tasting woody.
- Strain twice. First through a fine mesh strainer to catch the grounds, then through a paper coffee filter to remove the fine sediment that makes cold brew cloudy and gritty.
- Refrigerate in a sealed jar. Undiluted concentrate generally keeps its flavor for about a week. Dilute only what you are about to drink.
Fixing a disappointing batch
Most cold brew problems trace back to the coffee or the grind, not the steep. Change one thing per batch so you know what worked.
- Weak or watery: use more coffee, moving from 1:8 toward 1:6, or dilute less when you serve it. A longer steep helps a little, but more coffee helps more.
- Bitter or harsh: the grind is probably too fine, or the steep went too long. Grind coarser and pull it at 14 to 16 hours.
- Sour or thin: common with light roasts. Try a darker coffee, a longer steep, or a counter steep instead of the fridge, since slightly warmer water extracts more.
- Muddy or gritty: add the second strain through a paper filter, and let the jar sit undisturbed for a few minutes before you pour so sediment settles.
- Flat or stale: the coffee itself may be old, or the concentrate has been in the fridge too long. Make smaller batches more often.
If you are deciding whether cold brew is even the right drink for you, our cold brew vs iced coffee comparison lays out the trade offs side by side.
Does it need to be fancy coffee? No. Cold brew rewards a solid, balanced blend more than a rare single origin. Delicate, floral coffees often lose what makes them special in cold water, so save those for a hot pour-over.
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