For concentrate cold brew, use a 1:5 to 1:8 ratio; for ready-to-drink, use 1:12 to 1:15. You can brew a concentrate and dilute it with water or milk to taste. For example, 100g of coffee with 500ml of water produces a rich concentrate.
Steep for 12-18 hours at room temperature or 18-24 hours in the refrigerator. Twelve hours yields a light, sweet profile while 24 hours produces a bold, intense flavor. Going beyond 24 hours results in bitter, over-extracted coffee. Start with 16 hours for your first batch.
Filtered cold brew stays fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Concentrate can last up to 2 weeks. Unfiltered cold brew goes stale within 2-3 days, so always strain it. Store in a glass bottle, as plastic can transfer odors.
Cold Brew is a coffee method where coarsely ground beans steep in cold or room-temperature water for 12-24 hours. Because no hot water is used, acidity drops by up to 67%, resulting in a sweet, smooth, and creamy profile. It is different from iced coffee, which is simply hot-brewed coffee served cold.
Cold Brew is the fastest-growing category in specialty coffee. Its low-acidity profile makes it ideal for those with sensitive stomachs, while natural sweetness means no sugar is needed.
Preparation is technically the easiest method — no special equipment is required; a mason jar works fine. But it demands patience: a minimum of 12 hours, ideally 18-24 hours of steeping. During this time, water slowly dissolves flavor compounds from the coffee, but the bitter compounds activated by heat (chlorogenic acids) remain locked in.
The resulting cold brew concentrate is quite strong and is typically diluted 1:1 with water or milk. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks — meaning you can prepare a large batch on Sunday and enjoy ready-to-drink coffee all week. In summer, serve over ice; in winter, add hot water for a 'hot bloom cold brew' experience.
Fine grounds over-extract during 18+ hours, creating a bitter, cloudy concentrate. Coarse grind (French Press setting or coarser) is ideal.
Use 100g coffee to 500ml water for a strong concentrate, 1:8 for medium strength, 1:12 for ready-to-drink. Making concentrate and diluting later is more practical.
Filtered cold brew concentrate keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The ultimate batch-prep method for daily coffee.
“For our cold brew concentrate, we select Brazilian and Colombian beans with strong chocolate and nutty notes. These profiles remain remarkably rich and sweet even when served cold.”— Fuga Coffee Brewing Team
Grind 100g of coffee extra coarse — even coarser than French Press, roughly cracked peppercorn size. Fine grinds over-extract during the long steep and produce a cloudy, bitter result.
Place the ground coffee in a glass jar and add 500ml of cold filtered water (1:5 ratio). Stir with a spoon to ensure all grounds are saturated.
Seal the jar and place in the refrigerator. Wait 18-24 hours. Room temperature steeping (12-16 hours) works too, but refrigerator steeping yields a cleaner, smoother profile.
Filter through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Dilute the concentrate 1:1 with cold water, milk, or ice. Concentrate keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Try Japanese iced coffee as an alternative: brew with half the usual water volume using a V60, dripping directly onto ice. This hybrid method combines the aromatics of hot brewing with the refreshment of cold.
