How To Make Your Own Cold Brew Coffee

There are lots of fancy cold brew contraptions out there, but honestly all you need is a mason jar, some cheesecloth, a rubber band, coffee, and water.




The trick is to let it brew overnight (10-16 hours) in your fridge (or on the counter). The longer brewing time reduces the acidity and makes for a mellower / smoother brew. When you make a cold brew, you're actually making a concentrate. When you're ready to drink it, you'll add a 1:1 water ratio & add your preferred amount of milk, creamer, sugar, whatever. That's the primary difference between cold brew and iced coffee. Iced coffee will be more acidic, and not concentrated—but if you're in a hurry, iced coffee only takes a few minutes to make.

Health Benefits?

As for the health benefits of cold brew over hot coffee—there haven't been enough nutritional studies done on cold brew as of yet. You'll probably get more antioxidants from the hot extraction process, but you'll have less acidity from the cold brew process. And, although I've read blog posts stating that cold brew has less caffeine, I've not seen any scientific evidence to support that. Most maintain that the caffeine content will remain similar between to the two.

Cost?

If you're buying a cold brew coffee at a coffee shop, chances are you're paying anywhere from $2.50 to $3.75 per brew. If you make it at home, it'll cost you around 50¢ per serving.

12 oz. ground coffee = approx. 4 cups or 57 tablespoons.
57 tablespoons divided by 11 = 5 (32 oz) batches of cold brew concentrate
1 (32 oz) batch of cold brew concentrate = 64 oz. of cold brew or about 5 (12 oz) cups

If you buy a $13 bag of coffee (divide by 5 batches), each batch of cold brew will cost you $2.60.

Divide each batch of cold brew by 5 servings, and each 12 oz serving of cold brew costs you about 52¢, saving you between $2-$3.20 per cup.

How To Make Your Own Cold Brew Coffee

• Medium roast coffee, coarsely ground
• 1/2 gallon mason jar
• 32 ounces filtered water
• Cheesecloth
• Rubberband

If you don't have a 1/2 gallon mason jar, you can use a 1:3 (lighter roast) or 1:4 (darker roast) ratio of coffee to water in whatever container you have on hand.

1. In your mason jar, add 11 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee (can be medium ground too).
2. Pour 32 oz. filtered water over grounds, making sure all grounds get wet. You may need to stir slightly with a wooden spoon.
3. Place cheesecloth over the mouth of the mason jar and secure with a rubber band.
4. Put in refrigerator for 10-16 hours. (You can also leave it on your counter at room temperature if there's no room in your fridge. It just won't be cold when you're ready to drink it.)
5. After it's brewed, pour the coffee concentrate through the cheesecloth into a pitcher or other container to strain off the coffee grounds.
6. Your brew is now finished.
7. To drink: pour into a glass, filling it half-way with the cold brew concentrate. Fill the remainder of the glass with filtered water. Dress your coffee the way you like, with milk, coconut milk, sweetener, etc.
8. Cold brew concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.