Brewing guide
Cold Brew
Coarse grounds steeped in cold water for half a day — smooth, sweet, ultra-low-acidity concentrate with almost no effort.
The setup
Cold brew swaps heat for time. Without hot water to drive things along, extraction crawls — so you steep for 12–24 hours. The payoff is chemistry: many of the bitter and acidic compounds that hot water pulls out quickly are far less soluble in cold water. What's left is a smooth, sweet, mellow concentrate that's gentle on sensitive stomachs and keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Don't confuse it with iced coffee, which is brewed hot and chilled. Cold brew is never heated at all.
You'll need:
- A large jar or dedicated cold-brew vessel
- Coarse grinder (coarser than French press)
- A fine mesh, nut-milk bag, or paper filter for straining
- Scale + fridge
Recipe — 100g coffee, 800g water (1:8 concentrate)
| Step | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Combine | 0:00 | Add grounds, pour cold water, stir to wet fully |
| Steep | 12–18h | Cover; room temp is fine, fridge is gentler |
| Strain | — | Coarse strain first, then through paper for clarity |
| Serve | — | Dilute concentrate 1:1 with water or milk over ice |
The 1:8 brew above is a concentrate — cut it roughly in half when serving. Steep longer (toward 18–24h) for a bolder result, shorter for a lighter one.
Time the active steps
The 12-hour steep doesn't need a live timer — use this for the few minutes of mixing and straining.
Cold brew — setup timer
Press Space to start/pause.
- 0sAdd grounds + water+800ml
- 1mStir to saturate+0ml
- 3mCover & refrigerate+0ml
Common mistakes
- Grinding too fine. Fines slip through the filter and over-extract — gritty, muddy, and harder to strain.
- Under-steeping. Below ~10 hours the cup tastes weak and sour. Be patient.
- Forgetting to dilute. Straight 1:8 concentrate is intense; cut it before drinking.