Cold Brew at Home: The Overnight Method

Spotted: a jar of coffee doing all the work on a kitchen counter at midnight while its owner sleeps. Now that is delegation.

Short answer: Stir 100g of coarsely ground coffee into 800g of cold water, cover it, and leave it for about 12 hours. Strain it, then mix the concentrate with equal parts water or milk and pour over ice. No special gear, no lecture on ratios.

What you need

• Coffee: 100g, coarsely ground, like sea salt. No dust.
• Water: 800g, cold. Filtered if you have it.
• A vessel: a large jar, a pitcher or a French press.
• A strainer: a fine sieve plus a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
• To serve: ice, and milk or whatever else you like.

That is one part coffee to eight parts water, by weight.

The method

• The night before: combine coffee and cold water in the jar. Stir until every bit of the grounds is wet. Cover it.
• The wait: leave it at room temperature for about 12 hours, or in the fridge for 12 to 16. Overnight, while you sleep.
• The morning: strain through the sieve, then again through a coffee filter or cheesecloth if you want a cleaner cup. Discard the grounds, or give them to the garden.
• The payoff: fill a glass with ice. Pour in equal parts concentrate and water or milk. Taste, then adjust.

Which coffee to use

Anything you enjoy hot will work cold. For a chocolate and caramel glass that plays nicely with milk, use The Mad House Roast. For something that tastes like a holiday, Piña Colada Colombia makes an unbelievable cold brew, especially with a splash of coconut milk. Or pick from the Calm collection if smooth and familiar is the brief.

Fixing a batch that missed

Cold water extracts slowly, which is why this takes hours instead of minutes. If the result tastes thin or sour, steep longer next time or grind a little finer. If it tastes harsh or bitter, shorten the steep or grind coarser. If it is simply too strong, add more water. That one is free. The reasoning is the same as for hot coffee, and our guide to fixing sour or bitter coffee covers it.

Quick answers

How long should cold brew steep?

About 12 hours at room temperature, or 12 to 16 hours in the fridge. Going a few hours longer gives a stronger concentrate.

What grind is best for cold brew?

Coarse, like sea salt. Fine grounds make it muddy and hard to strain.

Do I have to dilute it?

This recipe makes a concentrate, so equal parts water or milk is the starting point. Drink it how you like it. That is the point.

Can I add milk, sugar or syrup?

Yes. A cinnamon stick or a strip of orange peel in the jar is also welcome. We make the coffee, we do not police the glass.

Read next: Mad House Roast Cold Brew Recipe (100g to 800g) · Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Instant Coffee Recipe · Why Is My Coffee Sour or Bitter? Extraction, Explained

You know you love it.
xoxo, The Angry Roaster