Homemade Cold Brew Coffee
on Apr 30, 2025
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Get my easy, completely foolproof way to make cold brew coffee at home and with a cold brew maker.
Homemade Cold Brew Coffee
The easiest and best way to make iced coffee at home is to cold brew it. Cold brew is smoother, less acidic, and less bitter than regular iced coffee because hot water is not needed to make it.
To make cold brew at home, all you need to do is combine ground coffee and cold water and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. My foolproof method uses a cold brew maker, which is a pitcher with a mesh filter inside.
Starbucks makes their cold brew by steeping coffee in cold water for 20 hours. Dunkin’ makes theirs by steeping 12 hours. I found 15 hours to be the sweet spot for making cold brew using my method.
Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee
Iced coffee and cold brew can seem similar since they are both iced drinks but the difference is in how they are made.
Iced coffee is coffee brewed hot and then served over ice. Iced coffee can be made quickly and by the cup. Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for a few hours. Cold brew is made in batches and cannot be made immediately.
Note from Jee
I’ve tried many, many times to make cold brew coffee at home and none of them ever turned out nearly as good as the ones I’ve had at coffee shops.
Until…I started using a cold brew coffee maker. The fine mesh filter makes sure all the tiny coffee bits don’t go into the drink, which means the coffee will come out clearer and with less mess. It’s now my secret to making cold brew perfect each and every time!
Ingredient Notes
- Coffee: Medium-coarse/French press grind is best. You can use pre-ground coffee if you don’t have a coffee grinder. Because cold brew is very forgiving, you don’t need to use expensive coffee.
- Water: Use filtered water for a better tasting cold brew.
My Cold Brew Maker Pick
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Take the mesh filter out of the cold brew maker and add ground coffee.
Use a medium-coarse grind, which is what you would use to make coffee in a French press. You can also buy ground coffee and use that to make cold brew.
Step 2: Place the mesh filter into the cold brew maker pitcher. Pour room temperature or cold water on top of the ground coffee.
Step 3: Cover pitcher and place in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Step 4: Remove the mesh filter and pour cold brew coffee into a cup with ice. Add simple syrup and milk or half & half to taste.
Expert Tips
- There’s no need to dilute the coffee with water. Adding the cold brew into ice dilutes it perfectly but if you feel the cold brew is too strong for you, feel free to add some cold water.
- If you’re using medium-coarse grind coffee, put it in the refrigerator for 15 hours. If you’re using pre-ground coffee, cold brew it for 8-12 hours.
- The one thing you should splurge on to improve your coffee experience at home is a burr grinder. (Don’t get the inferior blade grinder.) Grinding the coffee just before brewing it makes the coffee taste so much better.
Related
- Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- No-Fail Iced Coffee
- Iced Protein Coffee
- Iced Americano
- Cold Brewed Tea
If you tried this Cold Brew Coffee recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Foolproof Cold Brew Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee beans
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Grind coffee medium-coarse.Medium-coarse is the same setting used to brew coffee in a French press. On the Barataza Encore coffee grinder, set it to #24.You can also buy ground coffee and use that to make cold brew.
- Take the mesh filter out of the cold brew maker and add ground coffee.Take the mesh filter out so you don't accidentally put any of the ground coffee into the pitcher.1 cup coffee beans
- Place the mesh filter into the cold brew maker pitcher. Pour room temperature or cold water on top of the ground coffee.Add water in slowly.4 cups water
- Cover pitcher and put in refrigerator for 15 hours.If you're using pre-ground coffee, cold brew it for 8-12 hours.
- Remove mesh filter with the ground coffee and pour cold brew coffee into a cup with ice.Optional: Serve with milk or half & half and sweeten with simple syrup. There's no need to dilute the coffee.
Notes
- Use filtered water for a better tasting cold brew.
- There’s no need to dilute the coffee with water. Adding the cold brew into ice dilutes it perfectly but if you feel the cold brew is too strong for you, feel free to add some cold water.
- Medium-coarse/French press grind is best. You can use pre-ground coffee if you don’t have a coffee grinder. Because cold brew is very forgiving, you don’t need to use expensive coffee.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
