Cold Brew Coffee (Recipe & Tips!)
Learn how to make cold brew coffee with this simple recipe! Your first batch will turn out great. Find everything you need to know about cold brew here.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2025
Cold brew makes the best iced coffee, no doubt about it. It might seem intimidating to make your own, but it’s actually quite simple once you learn how. Today, I’ll guide you through the process from start to finish.
Homemade cold brew coffee is:
- Smooth, slightly sweet and super refreshing
- Easy to make with basic kitchen equipment
- More affordable than buying at a coffee shop
- Ready-made for busy mornings
You can make cold brew on the weekend, then pour your coffee from the fridge every morning. No boiling water. No fussing with a coffee maker.
As someone who is 100 percent not a morning person, homemade cold brew coffee is a total game-changer.
Let’s make our own cold brew!
Fun Facts about Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew takes longer to make than drip coffee.
Since the water is cold, it needs to steep for about 12 to 18 hours to soak up the coffee’s color, flavor and caffeine. The cold extraction process brings out fewer of coffee’s bitter compounds, which produces a sweeter and smoother result.
Cold brew can be strong.
This depends on several factors, including the beans used, steeping time, and dilution. The dilution is the factor that’s easiest to control. Don’t drink cold brew concentrate straight—it’s highly caffeinated.
Cold brew is less acidic.
If regular drip coffee or espresso upsets your stomach, cold brew may not. The only way to know is to try it, and you’ll have more control over the end result if you make it yourself.
Coarsely-ground coffee makes the best cold brew.
No coffee grinder at home? No problem. Just grind your coffee at the grocery store using their big coffee grinder machine, with the dial set on the coarse/French press option. I’ve provided approximate amounts of ground coffee to use if you don’t have a scale for a more accurate weight measurement.
Cold Brew Variations
Use any coffee variety you enjoy to make cold brew.
Any variety will work, and you’ll find that it tastes less bitter when steeped in cold water instead of hot. It would be a fun experiment to compare a glass of cold brew coffee with hot coffee of the same variety.
You can heat up cold brew and drink it hot.
Indeed, it’s true, and it’s very good. The flavor stays about the same.
Make it decaf.
Maybe you’re watching your caffeine intake or craving an afternoon coffee treat without the buzz. You can brew cold brew with decaffeinated coffee—I’ve tried it with this brand, which uses the Swiss water extraction process to remove over 99 percent of the caffeine.
Turn your cold brew into a makeshift iced latte.
Instead of diluting your cold brew with water, pour in an equal amount of your milk of choice. It tastes like an extra-smooth iced latte. I love it with whole milk, creamy almond milk or even pistachio milk. Another option is to add a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream instead.
Basic Cold Brew Coffee Ratio
This ratio is flexible. A kitchen scale will be helpful if you have one, but it’s not necessary. You’re making cold brew concentrate, and you can dilute the concentrate to taste once it’s finished.
- Per 1 cup of water, you’ll need 1 ounce (by weight) coarsely ground coffee. That’s about 1/4 cup whole coffee beans, which yields roughly 1/2 cup ground coffee. If you’re accustomed to the metric system, 1 ounce is equivalent to 28 grams.
- You’ll end up with a little less concentrate than the amount of water you used, since some of it will be absorbed by the coffee grounds. However, you’ll dilute it with an equal amount of water, so you’ll double your final yield. Clear as mud? I mean, coffee? Good.
Examples
- Let’s make cold brew coffee in a standard 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar (affiliate link). In the jar, combine 3 ounces coarsely-ground coffee (about 3/4 cup whole coffee beans turned into 1 1/2 cups coarsely-ground coffee) with 3 cups of water.
- After steeping and straining the mixture, you’ll have about 2 1/2 cups of cold brew concentrate, which is enough for 5 cups of cold brew. You’ve just made enough coffee to last you from Monday through Friday!
- If you have a 2-quart jar, simply double the amounts offered above.
- If you have an extra-large French press like I do, you can use 5 ounces of coffee (about 1 1/4 cups whole coffee beans turned into about 2 1/2 cups coarsely-ground coffee) and 5 cups water. You’ll end up with about 4 1/4 cups concentrate, or enough for 8 1/2 cups of cold brew.
Watch How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Recommended Steeping Time
The steeping time is flexible as well. I’ve read suggestions for “overnight or 12 hours,” and “at least 18 or up to 24 hours,” so do what works with your schedule. Starbucks steeps their cold brew for 20 hours.
If you accidentally steep yours longer (even 24+ hours), it’s ok. Your concentrate may taste a little more bitter than it would have, but it’s probably fine. It may also be extra-strong, so you might want to dilute it with some extra water.
How to Strain Your Cold Brew
Once you’re done steeping the coffee, you’ll need to strain the coffee grounds out of the water. A fine-mesh sieve or French press filter isn’t sufficient (you’ll end up with murky, sludgy concentrate). Most methods will suggest using cheesecloth, but I hate cheesecloth! It’s difficult to work with and seems wasteful.
I played around with other options and found two that work great. See my photos for examples of each. Choose one:
- Thin paper coffee filters: Use the “basket” paper filters that splay out in a round seashell shape, as shown here. Make sure your filter is made of very thin paper, not a thicker material that will take forever to filter through. These are the filters I used.
- A linen or cotton napkin, or a rag made from a t-shirt: Any thin, clean, lint-free, cotton or linen cloth will do. It should be large enough to cover your sieve when draped across it. Don’t use something precious, because it could develop a coffee stain or smell. Wash it and reuse it!
To strain, simply place the coffee filter into a small, fine-mesh sieve or drape your cloth over it. Then, place the sieve over a pitcher or liquid measuring cup and pour the concentrate through it.
Have I convinced you to try making cold brew coffee at home? Please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments.
If you want to try something different, try making cold brew iced tea. Like cold brew coffee, it’s smoother and less bitter.
If you’re looking for more recipes to ease your morning routine, here are 23 make-ahead breakfasts.
Cold Brew Coffee
Let’s make cold brew coffee! It’s easy to make, and it’s so nice to have coffee ready to go. This recipe is written for a 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar; you can scale it up or down using 1 ounce* (28 grams) coffee per 1 cup water. The quantities provided will produce about 2 ½ cups concentrate, which is enough for 5 cups of cold brew.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces (85 grams) coarsely-ground coffee (that’s about ¾ cup whole coffee beans turned into about 1 ½ cups* coarsely-ground coffee)
- 3 cups water (filtered water if you have it)
Instructions
- In a 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar, combine the coffee and room-temperature water. Stir to combine. I like to let my mixture rest for about 5 minutes and stir it again; the coffee grounds seem to gain more water exposure this way.
- Put a lid on your container and refrigerate it for 12 to 18 hours.
- When you’re ready to strain your cold brew, place a thin paper coffee filter or a small, thin cotton napkin, cloth or handkerchief over a small fine-mesh sieve. Pour the concentrate through the prepared sieve into a liquid measuring cup or pitcher. Let it rest for a few minutes to let the last of the cold brew trickle down.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice and fill it halfway with water. Then fill the rest of the glass with cold brew concentrate, and stir to combine. Cold brew concentrate will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, although I find that it has the best flavor within the first week.
Notes
*Measurement note: These are ounces by weight, not by volume. This is always the case with non-liquid measurements. “1 ½ cups coarsely-ground coffee” is the least exact measurement I can offer (the volume of the ground coffee depends on the exact coarseness of your grind)—but it will work. Just adjust the concentrate-to-water ratio to suit your liking as your pour your glass of cold brew and you’re all good.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
You left out the fact that if a person has a drip coffee maker that uses #4 or #6 filters, the top likely opens up and can be used as a sieve with the paper filter in place and the carafe down below.
1 measure of whole beans will make less than 1 measure of coarsely chopped coffee, because the smaller the piece the less air between pieces.
The measures in the recipe for whole and ground coffee are inaccurate.
I’m going to try this!
What do you put in it for cream / sweetener to make it like the picture?
Hey Lowell! Hope you love your cold brew. I just add a splash of half and half for the photos. The pretty swirled effect didn’t last long. :)
Whenever I do iced coffee at home (homemade or store bought), I make a basic simple syrup. Most sugars and fake sweetners will not dissolve in the cold coffee. And it’s so easy! Pretty much equal parts sugar and water, heated up until sugar dissolves, then put it in the fridge!
We are loving cold brewer coffee thanks to you, your website and tips! We drink it hot and iced. Mmmmm!
AND it is something that I make with my 24 year old son. An added bonus.
Cold brewed tea is next for us!
You rock!
Can you link the small
Strainer you used? This looks great! Thanks!!
Hey Beth! Good idea, thank you! The strainer came in a set of three of various sizes—here it is (that’s an affiliate link). Hope you love the coffee!
Thanks so much!!!!
Great recipe! I made it with decaf coffee and strained through cheesecloth. A note on cheesecloth: I use it to strain my homemade yogurt also.and just launder it with my towels to clean. It is definitely reusable. Thanks for the recipe.
How much coffee concentrate Does this recipe make exactly?
Hi Ruby! The quantities provided will produce about 2 ½ cups concentrate, which is enough for 5 cups of cold brew.
Looking forward to making my cold brew coffee!
I used your method using Starbucks coffee bought at Costco and surprise!! It tasted almost the same as the CB at Starbucks. My wife could not tell any difference.
I drink two cups in the morning, one at home and one driving to work. I will not buy it at Starbucks any more since I can make it for a fraction of the price.
What beans do you use??
This cold brew recipe is so easy and so delicious! An absolute necessity during this summer heat wave! Thanks!!
I need more alkalinity in my diet but can not give up coffee. Getting ready to try this! I’m going to use a re-usable coffee filter to strain the concentrate as I don’t have the fine mesh sieve. Thanks for sharing this
Stop asking Kate stupid questions. She layed the recipe out in great detail already. If you don’t understand it then it is probably not for you. Yes when you grind coffee it will be more volume. No don’t add fruit to it. Who are you. Goodness gracious
Today I made the best pumpkin spice cold brew! I made pumpkin spice using Kate’s recipe on this site, then followed her cold brew recipe here, adding about a teaspoon to the ground coffee before adding the water. Let it sit overnight, filtered as directed, and it’s DELICIOUS!
I had previously tried to stir pumpkin spice directly into the finished cold brew, and it ended up weirdly lumpy and floating on top (not appetizing). Adding it to the carafe and letting it steep overnight is the answer.
P.S. Kate – I have made every single recipe in your cookbook. Literally. Every. Single. One. It’s my favorite cookbook of all time. Any plans for another? :)
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Jennifer. I’m happy you found a work around. I don’t have any plans for other cookbook, sorry!
Is test better in a sunny and hot day i tried it myself thanks for your recipe
My favorite cold brew tip is to use a nut milk bag! You need to use a wider mouth container or you won’t be able to pull the bag out once it’s filled with grounds (I love Cambro’s 2 or 4qt round containers). Add your water, line the container with your nut milk bag, drop in your grounds and stir. After steeping, lift the nut milk bag out and voila! No need to strain and you can make a larger batch :)
Hi Kate,
What are your favorite brands, roasts, country of origin to make into cold brew?
Hi Amy! I like to buy local when I can and vary roast depending on what I’m feeling :)
Followed your recipe exactly and brew for 14 -18 hours in a french press. I have been using this recipe for months and don’t know if I can go back to hot coffee. So smooth and delicious. I use Starbucks beans and some oatmilk. I add a touch of almond milk caramel creamer. Hubby has been using pumpkin spice creamer. Hubby bought us steel insulated cups from amazon that keeps the ice from melting. Working from home makes it very doable. Feels like a treat every morning! Thank you!
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for your review.
Can i substitute the water with milk or use any amount of milk or not?
Hi Melissa, You can omit the milk if you just want straight cold brew coffee. I like the creaminess it provides.
Would you recommend using a mason jar over a French press?
Thanks!
Fantastic! Thanks, Me and my boyfriend really enjoyed the cold brew.
I’m so glad! Thanks, Vanessa!
Coffee taste better when it is Nitro Brewed, check the below article to know how to make nitro brew at home https://sooka.info/cold-brew-coffee-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hello,
I have a couple questions. After it steeps and is filtered do you add the water all at once or when your pouring a cup? Also how long can it remain in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe. Cathy
Hi Cathy! See step 4 for both of your questions. Enjoy!
I went searching for a recipe for cold brew in my French press, since I already had one and saw no reason it wouldn’t work for cold brew. This recipe is perfect. I ground my beans super coarse, and had no need to pour them through a filter or sieve, and I accidentally brewed it 3 days. It was SO GOOD. Everything I’d want in an iced coffee. Thank you for the perfect ratios, great recipe.
I just made the cold brew simple with water and the ground coffee with the amount u given , end result taste just like Starbucks cold brew, after 20hour in the fridge, was surprised! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Happy you enjoyed it.
But I couldn’t sleep that day despite only drinking only 150ml, too concentrated already! Unexpectedly it affects but expected.
Good recipe. But the coffee I made had a lingering bitter and sour aftertaste. I can taste the bold flavor though. Is there something wrong with my grind or the bean I am using? I use a stone hand grinder with a coarse grind and Dark Matter coffee beans (a local coffee package bean). Any tips?
Can’t wait to make some
Happy to see someone used fine ground coffee, i have a lot in my cabinet i need to use and coffee brewed hot and then chilled overnight just doesn’t cut it! lol, So I will now try cold brew with my ample amount of fine grounds!
Followed the recipe exactly as instructed, and I got the most delicious cold brew ever. Weigh the coffee as directed. Her measurements are absolutely correct. Not sure where you all are going wrong with your measurements. Cold brew is my absolute favorite but can be an expensive indulgence at a coffee shop. Now I make it at home, and I’m soooo HAPPY!
Thank you! I’m glad it worked great for you, Ann.
I’m fairly new to coffee in general, but I discovered Stok cold brew, LOVE IT, but want to make my own. My first attempt following this recipe yielded really bitter results. Was that because of the roast? The brand? The soak time? It was so much effort that I literally ended up pouring down the drain. :(
Hi, the type of bean can play into it or if you steeped it too long. I have some notes lined out in the post!
Hi Kate! I tried to make this and had a LOT of trouble straining it. I have thin coffee filters, and I even strained it in a metal strainer first to get the bulk out, then used the coffee filter, and it just will not filter. It drips SO slowly! It’s almost not worth doing. How long does it usually take you to strain it? Thanks!
It may be the type of filters you are using. I would suggest trying another one and see what happens. Sorry you are having issues!
Hello Kate! Hope all is well, and thank you for this recipe! Is it okay to use a nut milk bag to strain the cold brew?
Hi Lilianan, I don’t know if that will get you the same result as I haven’t tried it myself. But, I believe someone else has and it worked for them. Let me know how it works fo you!
Hi Kate
Im a big fan of cold brew! Thank you for posting about this! Any particular coffee beans you can recommend? We had amazing cold brew in Kyoto and would love to try to copy this.
Hi Agnes! See the post for my insight into the beans I recommend using.
Do you recommend a certain type of coffee bean?
See the post for my recommendations!
Hi Kate!
Thanks so much for the recipe – it’s delicious! I’ve tried it a couple times now and
each time I’ve come out with just under 2 cups of concentrate. I’ve been weighing the coffee and using 3 cups of water – do you think it’s because my grounds are too big?
Hi Nicky, you will come out with slightly less concentrate as the grounds retain some. If you are happy with the overall flavor, you can leave it. Or try playing with the grounds some. But, you still want it to be coarse.
Awesome recipe! I weighed every ingredient out as suggested and it came out perfectly! My fiancé that doesn’t like iced coffee even liked it! After a failed attempt using a different method and recipe I’ll only be using this one for the future!
Hi Kate. I know a lot of people have asked about the measurements. I have read some but not all of the comments so maybe you answer it eventually. But can you reread them in your recipe to confirm.
You say, “that’s about ¾ cup whole coffee beans turned into about 1 ½ cups* coarsely-ground coffee”
The whole beans should take up more space than ground, correct? So how would 3/4c of whole beans make 1 1/2 cups (twice as much) grounds? I think the numbers are switched, perhaps.
Hi Mary, I can’t respond to all comments, unfortunately. I do try my best to answer questions. I can assure you these measurements are correct. I have a note with more explanation.
I keep coming back here for the measurements. I have used whole bean and now just trying coarse ground, but using a scale, this is very excellent cold brew. I do not dilute either except with cream and it is fantastic. Thank you!
I follow this recipe every time I make cold brew. It’s perfect, thank you!
You’re welcome, Cameron! I appreciate your review.
I have a big problem with this recipe.
Here’s the thing: I thought that by learning how to make cold brew at home I would save money by not going to the coffee shop as much. WRONG. This recipe is SO good that now I drink massive amounts of cold brew— so much so that I have to brew caf and decaf so that I don’t get the shakes like a druggie. And I buy a lot more fresh ground coffee.
In short, this recipe rocks. Yes, one and a half cups of ground coffee does work. In an effort to cut cost, I have been using one cup of coarsely ground coffee and steeping it for 18 hours.
Well, I’m delighted you love it that much! Thank you for your review, Hannah.
I would really like to try this, but it seems prohibitively expensive. 12 oz of Bulletproof coffee is $14.99, and 3/4 cups seems like about 1/4 of what you get in a bag. Just wondering: is this the case? And do folks who make cold brew just do so knowing that it’s 10x more expensive than regular coffee? Maybe I’ll try it some time, but I’m wondering if I’m missing something, or if it is truly just a special, expensive treat for once in a great while.
Hi Sandra, It can really depend on the type of beans you buy, where you buy your coffee, beans or cold brew. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it!
My boyfriend started making cold brew and then bought me the stuff to make my own for my birthday. I love it! Doesn’t bother my stomach nearly as much as hot brewed coffee. I use less coffee and usually only steeps for 7-8 hours because I forget to make it until the evening but I also don’t dilute it with more water. I put in either heavy whipping cream or whipping cream and a splash of my regular liquid flavored coffee creamer. So creamy! Yum!
I used Cafe Bustelo, which isn’t ideal for the recipe since it’s quite a fine grind, but it’s what I had. I used a scale to measure the coffee, put everything in a 1/2 quart glass milk bottle, and left it overnight. I put it through a regular strainer first, then through my Ninja coffee maker metal strainer. I hadn’t made cold brew before and am happy with the results. I typically put some sugar in my regular brewed coffee, but with this, I just added the water and some cream and it was good. I’ll bet it would be decadent with a little sweetened condensed milk…
Thanks for the recipe. The way the ingredient list appears in this post, it looks like 1and 1/2 cup grounds. I think you should amend the typing to read 3/4 cup whole beans which will equal a half cup of grounds.
Just in case someone is in a hurry and misunderstands! ( not me, of course: wink)
Hi,
when you add the water to the coffee, is it hot or cold water?
Thank you :)
Hi, I have more in the post on this, but it is cold. I hope you enjoy it!
My goodness, another great recipe. I never cared for ice coffee but love this. I’m going to have to make it decaf next time though! I cant thank you enough for the wonderful recipes you have.
Steve
You’re welcome, Steve!
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now, I LOVE this jet fuel. Anyone else like to drink it in its concentrated form ? Thank you Cookie and thank you Kate for this banger.
Best homemade cold brew recipe around!!!
Thank you, Dawn! I appreciate your review.
I have a single serving (12 oz.) cold brew glass “cup”, with strainer, for overnight brewing. How much ground coffee should I use?
Hi Cindy, Try these measurements and let me know what you think!
Hi! Thanks for this easy recipe. I have a question. If I make it in my large French press, once the soaking time is over, do I press my plunger down to strain out the course coffee first before I pour it thru the coffee filter set up, or just pour the whole mixture into the coffee filter set up?
Hi, the body of the post has more details – see How to Strain Your Cold Brew. I hope this helps! No need to press it down before straining.
I believe the issue everyone is having with the measurements is…. This recipe is based off of weight and not really cups. The breakdown is here for the cups to help for those who don’t have a scale.
Please do correct me if I’m wrong.