What is cold brew - and how is it different from iced coffee?
Cold brew is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold or room-temperature water for 12 - 24 hours, then filtering out the grounds. No heat is involved at any point.
Iced coffee, by contrast, is hot-brewed coffee poured over ice. The two taste completely different. Because cold brew never uses heat, it extracts differently - less acidity, less bitterness, and a naturally sweeter, heavier body. It’s also more concentrated (especially as a cold brew concentrate), so it’s stronger by volume.
What you need
You don’t need anything fancy. Here’s the full list:
- ✓Coarsely ground coffee (or whole beans and a grinder)
- ✓Cold or room-temperature filtered water
- ✓A large jar, jug, or dedicated cold brew maker
- ✓A fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or paper coffee filter
- ✓A scale or measuring cups
- ✓Patience (12 - 24 hours)
The ratio: concentrate vs ready-to-drink
The biggest decision is whether you want a concentrate (dilute before drinking) or a ready-to-drink cold brew. Both are made the same way - only the ratio changes.
Cold Brew Concentrate
Makes a strong concentrate that you dilute 1:1 with water or milk before drinking. Ideal if you want flexibility - you can adjust strength to taste each time. Stores well and takes up less space in the fridge.
Serving: Dilute 1:1 with water, milk, or oat milk before serving.
Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew
What you make is what you drink - no dilution needed. Great for batch brewing a pitcher to keep in the fridge for the week. Slightly less intense.
Serving: Drink straight over ice.
How to make it - step by step
- 1
Grind your coffee coarsely
Use an extra-coarse grind - like rough breadcrumbs or coarse sea salt. Finer grinds make filtering difficult and can produce a cloudy, over-extracted result. If you don't have a grinder, ask your roaster to grind it coarse for cold brew.
- 2
Combine coffee and cold water
Add your grounds to a large jar or container. Pour filtered cold or room-temperature water over the grounds and give it a gentle stir to make sure everything is wet. Don't be precious - just make sure no dry grounds are floating on top.
- 3
Steep for 12 - 24 hours
Cover and place in the fridge (or leave at room temperature). Fridge brewing takes longer (18 - 24 hours) but produces a cleaner, smoother result. Room temperature brewing is faster (12 - 14 hours) but requires careful timing - over-steeping at room temperature can produce bitterness.
- 4
Filter the grounds
Pour the cold brew through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, or through a paper coffee filter. It's slow - be patient. Don't press or squeeze the grounds, as this extracts bitterness.
- 5
Store and serve
Transfer your finished cold brew to a clean sealed jar or pitcher. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve over ice - with or without dilution depending on your method.
What beans work best for cold brew?
Cold brew is forgiving on bean choice, but some coffees work better than others. Because you’re brewing cold, you don’t extract the same brightness that hot water pulls - so light, delicate coffees can taste flat and underwhelming.
These shine in cold brew. The lower acidity and richer body that comes from darker roasting is perfectly suited to the cold extraction method. Look for chocolate, caramel, and nutty notes.
Naturally low acidity, chocolatey and sweet. Classic cold brew territory.
Earthy and full-bodied - works well as a bold cold brew base.
Delicate fruit and floral notes don't extract as clearly in cold water. Can taste thin and lacking sweetness. Better brewed hot as pour-over.
Troubleshooting your cold brew
Tastes watery or weak
Increase your coffee-to-water ratio, or steep for longer (up to 24 hours).
Tastes bitter
Grind coarser, reduce steep time, or switch to a lighter/medium roast. Over-steeping is the most common culprit.
Cloudy or gritty texture
Filter through a paper coffee filter instead of just a mesh strainer. Double-filtering helps.
No flavour, flat tasting
Use fresher beans. Old beans produce dull cold brew. Also try a medium or dark roast rather than light.
Find beans built for cold brew.
Browse medium and dark roast coffees from specialty roasters - perfect for a smooth, rich cold brew.