Cold brew coffee is one of coffee’s latest trends and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Why? Well, cold brew is rich in taste, smooth on the palette, extra caffeinated, easy to make, the amount you brew is simple to adjust, and it keeps well for about two weeks at a time.
So let’s dive right in and get you brewing in no time!
Wait, isn’t cold brew just iced coffee?
No, and good thing you asked. The fundamental difference between iced coffee and cold brew comes down to two factors: brewing time and extraction.
Iced coffee is very simply hot brewed coffee that has been left to chill at, or below room temperature. This could be with a drip pot, French press, pour over, etc., but iced coffee is brewed hot and left to chill, so the brew time is anywhere between 4 - 10 minutes and the amount of time you decide to let it cool down.
Cold brew on the other hand is much sweeter and richer in taste, takes about 24 hours to make, is brewed with cold water and does not involve traditional coffee makers. With cold brew, you are essentially doing a long extraction process, letting the grounds and water interact for more time to brew a more concentrated drink.
Got it. So how can I make cold brew at home?
We’re glad you asked. First things first, you’ll need a few simple items, all of which are easily found at home or at a local market.
- Coarsely ground coffee, our Mt. Everest Supreme roast makes an exceptional cold brew coffee that is rich and chocolatey.
- Mason jar or a sealable container, the size is up to you.
- Cheesecloth and some type of strainer.
Yep, that is all you need, so now let’s run through the steps.
- Add coffee grounds and cold filtered water to your jar. You want a high water to coffee ratio, so 1:1 will do (1 cup of water to 1 ounce of coarsely ground coffee).
- Stir well, making sure all the grounds are wet. The grounds will float to the top and this is normal, so don’t stress it.
- Seal up the jar, put it in the fridge, and let sit for 24 hours.
- Strain you concentrate by laying a cheesecloth in a mesh strainer, slowly pouring and transferring the cold brew from one container to another.
- You’re finished. Seal up your jar(s) of ground-free concentrate in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Now it's time to serve and savor. Because we just made highly concentrated coffee, you might want to dilute it with a bit of water. Add your favorite cream or fix-ins and enjoy the kick of great cold brew!