How to Make Cold Brew Coffee – Love and Lemons

Learn how to make cold brew coffee at home! This recipe is energizing, delicious, and SO easy to make – a perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.

Have I ever mentioned that I love cold brew coffee? Like, I really love cold brew coffee. Sure, Jack and I own a regular coffee maker, but we use it so rarely that you can find it tucked away in a cupboard underneath the kitchen counter. I love cold brew’s richer, smoother, and less acidic flavor. Plus, on a hot summer day, drinking a steaming cup of coffee is simply out of the question.

For years, I bought cold brew concentrate at the store…until I learned that it’s super easy to make at home! You don’t need any special ingredients – just coffee and water. And don’t worry about getting a new fancy gadget for your kitchen. To make this cold brew coffee recipe, you just need a Mason jar, a fine mesh strainer, and a piece of cheese cloth or a paper filter. How simple is that?

What Is Cold Brew Coffee?

It’s easy to confuse cold brew with iced coffee. Even though both are served cold, they’re actually made in entirely different ways. Iced coffee is brewed using hot water – it’s simply regular drip coffee that’s been allowed to cool and poured over ice. Not surprisingly, cold brew is brewed using cold or room temperature water. It takes longer to make (I like it best when it steeps for 12 to 24 hours), but the flavor is less bitter.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

If you’re put off by cold brew coffee’s long steeping time, don’t be. It’s easy to make a big batch at once, so you can keep it on hand in your fridge at all times. Here’s how I do it:

First, coarsely grind your coffee. I don’t recommend using pre-ground coffee beans for this recipe. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, grind the beans at the store yourself, or get freshly ground beans from a local coffee shop or roaster.

Place the coffee grounds in a large Mason jar and pour filtered water on top. I like to use a 1:2 coffee to water ratio, or 1 1/2 cups of grounds for every 3 cups of water. This yields a fairly strong coffee concentrate, so I’ll dilute it with milk or more water before I drink it. More on that below. 🙂

Stir to combine the water and the coffee grounds, and let the jar sit, covered, at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the coffee steeps, the stronger it will be.

Next, strain the coffee. No one likes a cup of coffee with gritty grounds at the bottom, so it’s important to strain the cold brew well. I do this by placing a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and lining it with a layer of cheesecloth. You could also line the strainer with paper filters. (Or, instead of using a Mason jar and a strainer to make your cold brew, you could brew and strain it in a French press.)

Pour the coffee through the strainer and store it, covered, in the fridge.

When you’re ready to enjoy your coffee, pour it over ice and dilute it with more water or milk to taste. I love mine with almond or oat milk. Enjoy!

Cold Brew Coffee Recipe Tips

• Fresh is best. Whether you’re making hot coffee or cold brew, freshly ground beans will always yield the best flavor. Why? Grinding coffee beans releases their oils. These oils are what add complexity and depth to a cup of coffee. After you grind coffee beans, these oils begin to dry out. As a result, you want to use coffee beans right after you grind them, when their oils have just been released and their flavor is fresh.
• Grind the coffee beans coarsely. That way, they’ll be easier to strain out of the coffee.
• Adjust the ratios to taste. One of the reasons I love making cold brew at home is that it’s easy to adjust each cup of coffee to taste. If I’ve made a particularly strong batch of cold brew, I dilute each glass with more milk or water. If it’s less strong, I just add a splash. Don’t hesitate to add more coffee, water, or milk to create a flavor and intensity you love.

More Favorite Beverage Recipes

If you loved learning how to make cold brew coffee, try one of these recipes next: