Cold brew coffee is slow-extraction immersion brewing, taking between 12-24 hours using cold or room temperature water. It’s low in acid (66% lower than hot brewed coffee), sweet, and refreshing. It is incredibly simple to make and you don’t need a dedicated brewer. In fact, we use just use a mason jar and one of our pour over drippers to filter the grounds.

For ready-to-drink cold brew use around a 1:16 ratio. 30g coffee and 500ml water is a good starting point for one cup.

As coarse as your grinder goes. Though, this is a pretty forgiving component. If you miss the 12 hour window (which happens all of the time here), try a medium grind for a quicker steep.

Combine the coffee and water in a mason jar or other vessel (I once used a mixing bowl out of desperation) and let it steep at room temperature for 12 hours or refrigerated for 24.

After the waiting is over, filter the grounds by whatever means possible. I prefer to pour it through my Chemex or V60. Because of the paper filter, the oils will be filtered out leaving cleaner coffee. If you prefer to keep the oils, filter using a French press.

Too weak? Increase the amount of coffee.

Too bitter? Grind coarser and steep longer.

For an even sweeter taste, make a concentrate. A popular maker is Toddy, which in this case is convenient because of the large quantity—1 pound of coffee and 9 cups of water. Dilution is 1 part concentrate, 2 parts water.

Also, try adding spices or herbs to jazz up the cold brew. Vanilla, lavender, orange peel, allspice all work pretty well. Experiment!