Best coffee for cold brew, brewed at home with Harlo Coffee Roasters

COLD BREW

If you are searching for cold brew coffee, how to make cold brew coffee, or a simple cold brew coffee recipe you can use at home, this guide is for you. We show you how to make cold brew coffee at home step by step so you can brew smooth, low acid coffee that tastes great over ice.

You will learn the best cold brew coffee ratio, how to choose coffee for cold brew, the right cold brew grind size, how long to steep cold brew concentrate, and how to dilute it to your taste. This cold brew brew guide works whether you use a jar, pitcher, or dedicated cold brew coffee maker, as long as you use coarse ground coffee for cold brew and give it enough time in the fridge.

Use this page when you want an easy cold brew coffee at home recipe, when you want the best coffee for cold brew, or when you want to turn a bag of specialty coffee from Harlo Coffee Roasters into rich, chocolatey cold brew iced coffee.

Choose your coffee for cold brew, best coffee for cold brew coffee

Step 1: Choose the right coffee for cold brew

Cold brew works best with smooth, rich coffee that still tastes good when served cold over ice.

  • Use fresh whole bean coffee for cold brew, not instant coffee and not very old pre ground coffee.

  • Medium to medium dark roast is a great starting point if you want classic, rich cold brew coffee with chocolatey and nutty notes.

  • If you want smooth, chocolatey cold brew iced coffee, a balanced house blend like Harlo Blend is often the best coffee for cold brew.

  • If you enjoy brighter, fruitier flavors, you can use lighter roast single origins and still follow this same cold brew coffee brew guide.

  • Freshly roasted coffee will always taste better in cold brew coffee, because this slow method highlights both good and bad flavors.

Measure your coffee and water, easy cold brew coffee ratio

Step 2: Dial in your cold brew coffee ratio

A clear cold brew ratio makes it easy to repeat your recipe and adjust strength.

  • Start with a 1 to 8 cold brew concentrate ratio.

  • For example, use 100 g of coffee with 800 g of water in your jar or pitcher.

  • This makes a strong cold brew concentrate that you will later dilute with water, ice, or milk in the glass.

  • If you prefer ready to drink cold brew in the container, you can use a lighter ratio such as 1 to 12 instead.

  • Use a digital scale so you can repeat your favorite cold brew recipe exactly once you dial it in.

Grind your coffee for cold brew, coarse grind for clean cold brew

Step 3: Set your grind size to coarse

Cold brew steeps for many hours, so grind size needs to be coarse and even.

  • Set your burr grinder to a coarse grind, similar to or slightly coarser than French Press.

  • Coarse cold brew grind should look like breadcrumbs or coarse sea salt, not powder and not fine sand.

  • If your cold brew tastes harsh, muddy, or gritty, your grind is probably too fine and you should adjust coarser.

  • If your cold brew tastes very weak, hollow, or thin, and the pieces look like big rocks, your grind may be too coarse and you can adjust a bit finer.

  • Coarse, even grounds help your cold brew taste smooth and make it easier to filter out the coffee later.

Combine coffee and water, how to start your cold brew

Step 4: Add coffee and water and stir

  • Add your 100 g of coarse ground coffee to the bottom of your jar or pitcher.

  • Pour 800 g of cold or room temperature water over the grounds, making sure all the coffee gets wet.

  • Use a spoon or spatula to stir slowly until all the grounds are mixed in and there are no dry clumps floating on top.

  • If you still see dry grounds, stir again until everything is fully submerged.

  • Once the coffee and water are fully combined, you are ready to steep.

Steep your cold brew, slow extraction in the fridge

Step 5: Let it steep for 12 to 18 hours

Cold brew needs time so the coffee can extract slowly and gently into the water.

  • Cover your jar or pitcher with a lid or plastic wrap.

  • Place it in the fridge and let it steep for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.

  • Shorter steep times around 12 hours make a lighter, softer cold brew concentrate.

  • Longer steep times closer to 18 hours make a stronger, more intense cold brew concentrate.

  • You do not need to shake it constantly, just let it sit and steep slowly in the cold.

Strain your cold brew, how to filter out the grounds

Step 6: Strain and separate the coffee from the grounds

After steeping, you filter out the grounds to get a smooth cold brew concentrate.

  • Set up a clean container or pitcher and place a fine mesh strainer, cold brew filter, or cheesecloth over it.

  • Pour the cold brew mixture slowly through the filter so the liquid flows into the new container and the grounds stay behind.

  • If you want an extra clean cold brew, you can strain it a second time through a finer filter or paper coffee filter.

  • Let it drain without pressing hard on the grounds so you do not push extra sediment into the cold brew.

  • Discard the used coffee grounds when you are finished straining.

Serve and adjust your cold brew, how to make cold brew taste just right

Step 7: Dilute, taste, and fine tune your cold brew recipe

Cold brew concentrate is usually too strong to drink straight, so you will dilute it in the glass.

  • Start by filling a glass halfway with cold brew concentrate.

  • Add cold water, ice, or milk to fill the rest of the glass, then stir and taste.

  • A common starting point is 1 part cold brew concentrate to 1 part water or milk, then adjust up or down based on your taste.

  • If the cold brew tastes too strong, bitter, or heavy, use more water, ice, or milk in the glass or steep a little less time next batch.

  • If the cold brew tastes too weak or flat, use more concentrate in the glass, or increase the coffee dose slightly for your next cold brew batch.

  • Keep your cold brew concentrate in the fridge and try to use it within about a week for the best flavor.