You don’t have to be a total coffee fanatic to make a bold, refreshing cold brew coffee concentrate at home. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be obsessed with it, but the simplicity of the process and the rewarding results make it worth a try, even for the casual iced coffee drinker. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you jump into summer with an extraordinary amount of energy.
The Easiest Cold Coffee Ever: 2 Ways
Cold brew is coffee that is brewed without heat. Normally when you brew coffee, whether it’s drip, pour-over, or espresso, the coffee grounds come into contact with near-boiling water, and this results in a much faster extraction. You can then pour hot brewed coffee over ice, and this would simply be iced coffee. Instead, cold brew is a slow, hands-off extraction process that essentially involves two steps: mix the coffee grounds with water, and wait.
Hands-off brewing. One of the reasons cold brew is worth making is what I just said: you can just walk away. The brewing happens overnight, so after you mix the coffee and water, you don’t have to think about it until tomorrow.
It lasts a while. Typically when you first start making cold brew, it’s a concentrate. While it may seem like a small amount, it’s incredibly potent. So a mere 12 ounces of concentrate can give you three mornings of caffeine. If you’re an occasional drinker, you’re in even better luck. The general consensus among roasters is that cold brew will last for seven to 10 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
