I first tried cold brewed coffee while touring the Roastery Coffee Factory in Kansas City last summer. I was surprised by the strong robust flavor and it is easy to learn how to make cold brew coffee. 
If you crave a good iced coffee in the summer, but hate the way it sometimes ends up tasting watery or overly bitter, then there’s only one solution: cold brew coffee. This method guarantees a smooth and icy cup, every time.
Making cold brew coffee is no great secret, nor does it require the ninja-level skills of a trained barista in order to master. You don’t even need much special equipment beyond a large container for making the coffee and a strainer.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Start with coarsely ground beans: Beans that are ground to a sandy powder, like for drip coffee, can result in an over-infused coffee and make the strained coffee gritty and muddy. Your beans should look like coarse cornmeal, or even slightly rougher.
- Use filtered water, if possible: I am allergic to fluoride in our city water so I do this anyway. This is just good coffee advice in general, really. Your cup of coffee will have a cleaner, richer flavor if you use filtered water to make it.
- Steep for at least 12 hours: It’s fine to cut this time a little short, but don’t get too stingy. The coffee needs this full time to fully infuse the water. Straining too early can give you a weaker cup of coffee. Also be careful of over-steeping, which can start to extract some of those bitter flavors we’re hoping to avoid. I’d say not to steep for more than 15 hours or so.
This coffee-making method has a few things going for it. The slow infusion pulls all the great coffee flavor from the beans (and, yes, the caffeine – not to worry!), but leaves behind most of the compounds that can make coffee taste bitter and sour. Cold brewed coffee is incredibly smooth and almost sweet-tasting. Perfect for iced coffee.
You can also adjust the concentration of your cold brew coffee, making it stronger or less strong to suit your taste. Start with one cup of beans steeped in four cups of water. This will make a fairly concentrated coffee on its own, but it’s perfect for pouring over ice or mixing with milk – or both. If that ratio of beans to water isn’t quite to your taste, adjust it up or down until you hit the perfect balance for you.
This coffee-making method has a few things going for it. The slow infusion pulls all the great coffee flavor from the beans (and, yes, the caffeine – not to worry!), but leaves behind most of the compounds that can make coffee taste bitter and sour. Cold brewed coffee is incredibly smooth and almost sweet-tasting. Perfect for iced coffee.
You can also adjust the concentration of your cold brew coffee, making it stronger or less strong to suit your taste. Start with one cup of beans steeped in four cups of water. This will make a fairly concentrated coffee on its own, but it’s perfect for pouring over ice or mixing with milk – or both. If that ratio of beans to water isn’t quite to your taste, adjust it up or down until you hit the perfect balance for you.
Cold brewed coffee can be served iced or piping hot, your choice. You follow the same method for making the coffee either way, and then either serve it over ice or warm it up in the microwave for a hot cup. When warming it for hot coffee, I often add a splash of water to dilute the coffee before warming. But this, again, is a matter of personal taste.
Ready to give cold brew coffee a try? Below is everything you need to know to make your own batch at home.
