Sick of watery iced coffee? I was too. How to make the perfect cold brew, below.
Although there’s no replacement for a hot coffee first thing in the morning, summer afternoons are meant for cold brew. What debuted as a ‘coffee-shop only’ drink is now easier than ever to brew at home.
Homemade cold brew takes minutes to prepare, tastes amazing, and is ready in my fridge all summer long.
Here’s how to make it!
1. Choose your favorite coffee beans
Darker roasts usually give you that smooth, slightly sweet flavor that cold brew is known for. If you’re grinding your own beans, grind them coarsely (think a little chunky, not a smooth powder). Otherwise, use ground beans! Then use this easy ratio: 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. I usually do 4 tablespoons for 12 ounces, which is 2 servings of cold brew.
2.Fill up a wide-mouth glass jar with water
(or any container you want to use!) Put your coffee grounds in this cold brew bag and tie it tight. Add water to the jar, add the bag into the water, close your jar, and leave it on the counter for about 12 hours.
Pro-tip: don’t overfill your jar—the grounds take up space, and you don’t want to end up with a muddy overflow.
3.After 12 hours, your cold brew is ready
(if you want it to be even richer, you can wait closer to 18-24 hours). Remove coffee grounds,
move the cold brew to the fridge, and enjoy!
4.Pour it over ice. Add milk, or don’t.
It tastes great black or with your favorite pareve milk. I like having it ready for Shabbos afternoon—no prep, no mess, just cold, strong coffee that actually tastes good. If you like to sweeten your coffee, make sure to have some simple syrup on hand, because sugar won’t dissolve well in cold coffee. And if you like it flavored, go with a pump or two of a Torani syrup or some flavored creamer.
Whether you’re trying to be more budget-friendly or just want something that’s ready when you are, cold brew at home just makes sense.
And once you’ve made it, you’ll wonder why you ever bought it in the first place.
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