Cold brew recipe for five 8 oz glasses: about 99 g of coarse ground coffee in 789 g of cold water (a 1:8 concentrate). Steep 12 to 18 hours, strain twice, then dilute 1:1 with water or milk, about 4 fl oz of concentrate and 4 fl oz of water or milk per glass.
What you need
This makes a concentrate for five 8 oz glasses. The calculator above scales it to any number of drinks and lets you set the strength.
- 99 g coarse ground coffee, roughly 1 heaped cup of grounds. The grind should look like coarse sea salt, the same as for a French press.
- 789 g cold water, about 27 fl oz. Filtered water if your tap water tastes of chlorine.
- Water or milk to dilute, about 4 fl oz per glass.
- Ice to serve.
Equipment: a jar or pitcher that holds at least 1 quart (32 oz), a fine mesh strainer, a paper coffee filter, and a second jar with a lid for the finished concentrate. A 1 quart jar is just big enough, so a slightly larger one makes stirring easier.
Why coarse? Cold water extracts slowly, so the coffee sits for many hours. Fine grounds over extract in that time and turn the batch muddy and bitter. Coarse grounds give a clean, smooth result and strain far more easily. If you are still choosing a coffee, our guide to the best coffee for cold brew covers roast level and whole bean versus ground.
The jar method, step by step
- Add the coffee. Put 99 g of coarse ground coffee into a clean jar of at least 1 quart.
- Add the water. Pour in 789 g of cold water slowly, so the grounds wet evenly.
- Stir. Stir gently until every ground is wet and no dry clumps float on top.
- Steep. Cover the jar and steep for 12 to 18 hours, on the counter or in the fridge. The fridge extracts more slowly, so aim for the longer end there.
- Strain once. Pour the coffee through a fine mesh strainer into a second jar. Do not press or squeeze the grounds.
- Strain again. Pour the concentrate through a paper coffee filter to catch the fine sediment. It drips slowly, so give it a few minutes.
- Serve. Fill a glass with ice, add 4 fl oz of concentrate and 4 fl oz of cold water or milk, and stir.
Why make a concentrate? A 1:8 brew is strong on purpose. It keeps better in the fridge than a ready to drink batch, takes up less space, and lets each person dilute their glass the way they like it, with water, milk, or a splash of both.
Counter or fridge? Both work. Room temperature extracts a little faster, so 12 to 14 hours is usually plenty, and the flavor comes out fuller. The fridge is slower and gentler, so let it run closer to 18 hours. Either way, move the finished concentrate to the fridge as soon as it is strained. If your kitchen runs warm in summer, steeping in the fridge from the start is the simpler choice.
The French press method
A French press already has a filter built in, which makes the first strain easy.
- Combine. Add the coffee and cold water to the press and stir until every ground is wet. The five glass batch fills a 34 oz press close to the top. For a smaller press, make the three glass batch in the table below.
- Steep with the plunger up. Set the lid on with the plunger raised, and steep 12 to 18 hours.
- Press slowly. Push the plunger down gently. Pressing hard forces fine particles through the mesh.
- Strain through paper. Pour the concentrate through a paper filter into a jar, and do not leave it sitting on the grounds.
Cold brew batch sizes
These amounts all use the same 1:8 concentrate, diluted 1:1 into 8 oz glasses. Wet grounds hold back about twice their weight in water, which is why you get less concentrate out than the water you put in.
| Glasses (8 oz) | Coarse coffee | Cold water | Concentrate, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 59 g | 473 g | 355 g (12 fl oz) |
| 5 | 99 g | 789 g | 591 g (20 fl oz) |
| 10 | 197 g | 1,577 g | 1,183 g (40 fl oz) |
| 15 | 296 g | 2,366 g | 1,775 g (60 fl oz) |
At this strength, a 1 lb bag of coffee makes about 23 glasses. For a stronger drink, dilute with a splash instead of an equal amount, or move the calculator strength toward 1:6.
Storing cold brew
- Keep the concentrate sealed in the fridge. As general guidance, it keeps about a week. The flavor slowly fades after the first few days.
- Dilute as you pour. Undiluted concentrate keeps better than a batch already mixed with water or milk.
- Use a jar with a tight lid. Coffee picks up fridge smells easily.
- Make coffee ice cubes. Freeze a little concentrate in an ice tray, so your glass never turns watery as it melts.
Fixing a disappointing batch
Change one thing at a time, and taste the next batch before changing anything else.
| What it tastes like | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Weak or watery | Too much dilution, or too short a steep | Dilute with less water, or steep closer to 18 hours |
| Sour or thin | Grind too coarse, or a short, cold steep | Grind a little finer, or steep longer in the fridge |
| Bitter or harsh | Grind too fine, or steeped well past 18 hours | Grind coarser and strain on time |
| Muddy, with sludge at the bottom | Fine particles got through | Always do the second strain through paper, and never squeeze the grounds |
| Flat or stale | Old coffee, or concentrate stored open | Use fresher coffee and keep the jar sealed |
Wondering whether cold brew is even the drink you want? Our comparison of cold brew vs iced coffee explains how the two differ in taste and time.
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