Cold Brew Coffee
In short: Smooth, mellow cold brew coffee concentrate steeped overnight, then diluted over ice. Keeps a week in the fridge. It takes about 10 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Resting
- 16 h
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 5 kcal
Cold brew is coffee made with time instead of heat. Coarse grounds sit in cold water for most of a day, and the result is smooth, sweet and much less sharp than hot coffee poured over ice. You make a strong concentrate once, keep it in the fridge and dilute it in each glass. A week of coffee takes ten minutes of actual work, and the rest is waiting.
Instructions
- Combine the ground coffee and cold water in a large jar or jug (at least 1.5 liters). Stir until all the grounds are wet.
- Cover and steep for 12 hours on the counter or 16 to 18 hours in the fridge. Do not go beyond 18 hours or the coffee will taste woody.
- Line a fine sieve with a paper coffee filter, clean cloth or nut milk bag and set it over a large bowl or jug.
- Pour the coffee through slowly and let it drip without pressing, which takes 10 to 15 minutes. Pressing makes the concentrate cloudy and bitter.
- Pour the strained concentrate into a clean jar, cover and keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice, add 125 ml (1/2 cup) of concentrate and top with 125 ml (1/2 cup) of cold water. Taste and adjust the strength.
Tips
- Grind the beans coarsely, like coarse sea salt. Fine grounds make the brew muddy and bitter, and they clog the filter.
- Freeze some concentrate in an ice cube tray and use the cubes in your glass, so the drink does not get watery as the ice melts.
Questions and answers
How long does cold brew last in the fridge?
Up to 7 days in a sealed jar. The flavor is best in the first 3 or 4 days and slowly turns flat after that.
What is the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Cold brew is steeped in cold water for many hours. Iced coffee is regular hot coffee cooled over ice. Cold brew tastes smoother and sweeter.
Does cold brew have more caffeine?
The concentrate is strong, but once diluted a glass has roughly the same caffeine as regular coffee. Dilute it more or less to control the strength.
How long does it take to make Cold Brew Coffee?
About 10 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Cold Brew Coffee?
About 5 kcal per serving, with 0 g of protein, 1 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 5 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Sodium | 10 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
