Easy Homemade Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

Cold brew coffee has gained popularity in recent times by capturing the attention of coffee enthusiasts. Just like any other thing that gets popular, even cold brew recipes are getting and that is what is going to be delivered here. Making cold brew coffee is a fruitful process.  Its rich and smooth flavour is hard to resist, along with other benefits like low acidity and natural sweet taste. It acts as a refreshing alternative to traditional hot brew coffee. In this guide, we’ll explore all you need to know about preparing cold brew and making it taste the best. Learning how to make cold brew coffee is not any rocket science, it’ll be a simple yet detailed process. To make cold brew coffee you need to remember to have quality coffee beans and a few necessary equipment. 

Table of Content

How to make Cold Brew at Home?

What is the method of Cold Brew Coffee?

How long to steep the Cold Brew in the fridge?

What is the ratio for Bold Brew Coffee?

How to make Cold Brew at Home?

Making Cold Brew is a simple job to do if you want to make it at home. A selected number of ingredients and equipment will help you create a perfect cold brew coffee blend. You’ll need your favourite coffee beans, grinder and a filter-mesh. Apart from this you will also need to give 12 hours for the cold brew coffee to be prepared. Just follow the given steps precisely for the perfect cold brew coffee recipe at home.

Use high-quality, coarsely ground, light to medium roast coffee beans for your at-home cold brew to achieve the perfect flavour profile.

Coarsely grind the beans without over-extraction. This results in a smoother and less acidic brew. 

Use a ratio of 1:4 - one part coffee ground, and four-part water. However, you can be open to adjusting the ratio and figuring out the strength and concentration that works for you. Follow along to read about it further.

Patience is the key to making the best cold brew. Steeping cold brew takes time of up to 12-24 hours depending on the strength of the coffee that is desired. 

To remove the coffee grounds, you’ll have to filter the cold brew after steeping it. Use a filter-mesh or cheesecloth to filter out the coffee grounds. This process leads toward the smooth brew that one desires.

What is the method of Cold Brew Coffee?

The Cold Brewing method creates a delightful experience for your taste buds. It turns ordinary coffee beans into a smooth and rich cold brew. The cold brew coffee recipe requires coarsely ground coffee beans to sit and chill in cold water; soaking up all the flavour for 12-24 hours. This cold brew method reduces acidity without breaking the sweetness. 

Cold Brewing is like a long day at the spa where it takes some time to chill out and refresh to be your best version. This way the coffee comes out with a new cool attitude. 

It is recommended to refrigerate the cold brew which will enhance the brewing process. No worries if a fridge isn’t available you can still brew a perfect cold brew.  A room temperature of 20-22°C is recommended for the cold brewing method which results in a slow extraction process. How to make cold brew better at this stage? Store the cold brew in a dark place preventing light exposure and bacterial growth that might affect the quality of the cold brew.

It is important to note that both these methods will result in a different flavour profile. So, experimentation is the key, go ahead and try which one works better as per your preference. 

How long to steep the cold brew in the fridge?

As mentioned, 12- 24 hours is the recommended time frame for cold brew methods. But all the different steeping time gives different outputs. Refrigerating cold brew is recommended but how to decide how long to steep cold brew? The steeping time affects the flavour profile and the acidity of the cold brew

Let’s breakdown the steeping time of cold brew-

This is the minimum required time frame for cold brewing. This results in a mild and subtle flavour which is less concentrated. Recommended for beginners.

This time frame for brewing offers a balanced taste. It is preferred by many cold brew coffee enthusiasts.

This results in a super strong and concentrated flavour profile. For the people who enjoy their coffee, bold can steep their cold brew for a good 24 hours. 

Experiment and then decide which steeping time of cold brew works for you. 

What is the ratio for Cold Brew Coffee?

A basic 1:4 coffee-to-water ratio is recommended. There can be slight changes made to this cold brew ratio to accommodate one’s taste. The coffee-to-water ratio will affect the strength and boldness of a cold brew. 

The breakdown of Cold Brew ratio –

Use 1 cup of coffee ground with 4 cups of water. This cold brew ratio results in a good balance of strength and is ideally used by many.

If a stronger coffee kick is preferred go for a 1:3 ratio using 1 cup of coffee and 3 cups of water. This cold brew ratio creates a bold flavour profile suitable for a pre-workout drink. 

For a milder taste of cold brew use a 1:5 or 1:6 ratio. The taste of the cold brew will possibly stay the same but the concentration of coffee will be less and it will be felt while drinking the cold brew.

To make the most concentrated cold brew use a 1:2 ratio. The coffee kick will be ultimate and it can be diluted with water or milk while serving to create a final product. 

The coffee-to-water ratio matters a lot in cold brew. Start with the basic ratio and then move up and down with the ratio depending on how the basic ratio worked for you. If the 1:4 ratio is too mild for you, work up to a 1:3 ratio or if the basic ratio is a little too strong, try out 1:5 or 1:6 ratio. There are a lot of ways you can try out before finding what works the best.

FAQ

It is suggested to use good quality coffee beans to make cold brew coffee.

No, cold brew is a coffee brewing style made using coarsely ground coffee and cold brew. The mixture is then brewed in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

Yes, all you need to make cold brew is coffee beans, a grinder, a large container to brew the coffee, a refrigerator and a filter mesh or mesh cloth. No extra machine is needed to make cold brew coffee at home.

1. Coarsely grind the coffee beans in a grinder
2. Put 1 cup of coffee into 4 cups of water
3. Refrigerate the coffee for 12-24  hours to brew it
4. Use a filter-mesh or a mesh cloth to filter out the coffee 
5. The cold brew can be served for up to 7 days while keeping it in the fridge

It is not mandatory but a recommended brewing step for the coffee and water mixture to be steeped in the fridge for 12-24 hours. 

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