Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large glass jar or pitcher (1.5-quart capacity)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Cheesecloth or paper coffee filters
• •Glass storage bottle or jar with lid

Instructions

1. 1

   Select and grind your beans

   Start with whole beans you enjoy drinking hot. Cold brewing mutes bright acidity and amplifies chocolate, caramel, and nutty notes, so medium to dark roasts shine here. Grind coarsely, about the texture of raw sugar or coarse sea salt. Each particle should be visible and distinct. Too fine and your concentrate turns bitter and muddy. Too coarse and it tastes weak and sour.

   If buying pre-ground, look for packages labeled 'coarse grind' or 'French press.' Standard drip grind is too fine for cold extraction.
2. 2

   Combine coffee and water

   Place the ground coffee in a large jar, pitcher, or French press. Pour the cold filtered water over the grounds in a slow, steady stream, saturating them evenly. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or chopstick to ensure every particle makes contact with water. No dry pockets. The grounds will float at first, then gradually sink as they absorb liquid.

3. 3

   Cover and steep

   Cover your vessel loosely with a lid, plate, or kitchen towel. The coffee needs protection from refrigerator odors but doesn't require an airtight seal. Place in the refrigerator and forget about it for twelve to eighteen hours. Shorter times produce a lighter, brighter concentrate. Longer times, up to twenty-four hours, yield deeper, more intense flavor. Find your preference through experiment.

   Room temperature steeping works and extracts faster, but refrigerator steeping produces cleaner, sweeter results. Patience rewards you.
4. 4

   Strain the concentrate

   Line a fine-mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter and set it over a clean pitcher or large measuring cup. Pour the steeped mixture through slowly, letting gravity do the work. Resist the urge to press or squeeze the grounds. Forced extraction pushes bitter compounds and fine sediment into your concentrate. This step takes ten to fifteen minutes. Let it drip.

5. 5

   Store properly

   Transfer the strained concentrate to a clean jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Glass is preferable to plastic, which can absorb and transfer flavors. Stored in the refrigerator, your concentrate keeps beautifully for up to two weeks, though the flavor is brightest in the first ten days. Label it with the date. You'll make this often enough to need reminding.

6. 6

   Dilute and serve

   This is concentrate, not drinking strength coffee. Dilute one part concentrate with one to two parts cold water, milk, or your preferred alternative, adjusting to your taste. Over ice, start with equal parts and add more dilution if needed. For a creamy iced coffee, use half-and-half or oat milk. The concentrate is forgiving. Trust your palate.

   For hot coffee in a hurry, dilute concentrate with hot water. It won't taste exactly like fresh brewed, but it's better than most alternatives.

Chef Tips

• •The ratio of one part coffee to four parts water produces a concentrate meant for dilution. For ready-to-drink strength, use one part coffee to eight parts water and skip the dilution step.
• •Single-origin beans reveal their character in cold brew. Ethiopian coffees offer berry and floral notes. Colombian beans bring caramel sweetness. Experiment with origins the way you would with wine.
• •Save spent grounds for your garden. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to compost and deter slugs around vegetable beds. Nothing wasted.
• •For coffee cocktails and espresso martinis, this concentrate stands in admirably for espresso. It lacks the crema but delivers the intensity.

Advance Preparation

• •Cold brew concentrate keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks, making it ideal for weekly meal prep. Start a new batch every Sunday.
• •For entertaining, prepare concentrate two days ahead. Mix individual servings to order so guests can customize their dilution and additions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60ml)