How to make cold brew at home without a machine

On a hot summer day, nothing hits the spot quite like an ice cold, smooth cold brew coffee. Before you rush off and go buy an expensive cold brew maker, we wanted to share our method for making cold brew coffee at home using equipment you probably already have.

Things you’ll need

  • coffee beans

  • two regular coffee filters

  • string

  • brewing vessel

  • a refrigerator

Our ideal cold brew ratio is 1:8, or 1 gram of coffee for ever 8 grams of water. In our example we are brewing 35g of our Wash Park roast with 280g of water.

2) Put your ground coffee in a regular drip machine paper filter, and then pinch and twist the top of the filter so it looks almost like a dumpling.

4) Use your string to secure the wrapped pouch of coffee, leaving a long enough tail to hold. We usually use a criss cross pattern to secure it.

5) Then put your coffee into your brew vessel with filtered water, leave it in the fridge overnight, and enjoy the following day. 12 hours minimum brew time, but 24 hours will result in a stronger brew.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

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One simple (and our favorite) way to get your caffeine fix in the summer is with a cup of cold brew. You do all the actual work ahead of time so when you wake up, it's sitting there in your refrigerator, ready to go and waiting to welcome you to the day. Many people make cold brew by just leaving a pot of coffee out overnight to cool, but we're here to tell you there's a better, tastier method that doesn't involve a coffee maker at all! Plus, it lasts way longer than your day-old pot of Mr. Coffee ever could.

Almost as easy as letting a cafe make it for you and a thousand times cheaper, Consumer Reports offers a handy step-by-step guide to making cold brew with only a few items you likely already own: two large containers (they recommend mason jars or pitchers), coarsely ground coffee, cold water, and a funnel with a coffee filter placed inside. The only real downside to this process is that it really needs to be done a day ahead of time, so you have to plan for when you're going to run out.

Making cold brew coffee at home can take 12 to 24 hours

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

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Similar to brewing iced tea, you just need to combine 1/4 pound coarsely ground coffee (around 1 1/2 cups) with three cups of cold water. Stir and let it steep at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The longer it sits, the stronger it becomes. Patrick Main, the beverage innovator at Peet's Coffee, told Consumer Reports that you want to steep the coffee at room temperature because warmer air gives you a "broader spectrum of flavors." Main says if you need to, you can let the coffee steep in the refrigerator, "but the coffee will extract more slowly, so I would recommend letting it steep for around 18 hours." The Kitchn agrees with Main; in their cold brew guide which uses the refrigerator for this step, they suggest you steep cold brew for between 18 to 24 hours to achieve the best results.

After your coffee is done steeping, place the filter and funnel over your empty storage vessel. (You can do this without the funnel, but the whole process is much easier with one.) Slowly pour the cold brew into the filter to strain out the grounds, and you're done! Chill for up to two weeks. When you're ready to drink it, just be sure to dilute the concentrate with some milk or ice if you like a very strong brew, or a ratio of one part cold water to one part cold brew for a milder cup.

Learn how to make cold brew coffee at home – no fancy equipment required!  It’s so easy, you’ll never have to worry about bitter or watered-down iced coffee again.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

Starbucks may be good but homemade cold brew is there for you any time you need it. Learn all about cold brewing and how to make a mean batch of cold brew right at home so you never have to worry about drinking a tasteless, diluted, boring cup of coffee again!

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is the less bitter and less acidic version of iced coffee that has gained popularity in the past few years. What’s the secret ingredient to the smooth, rich taste of cold brew coffee? Time.

The process is pretty simple – cold water (this is where the name cold brew comes from!) is poured over coarsely ground coffee and left to steep for 12-24 hours. The longer those grounds steep, the stronger your cold brew will taste (longer than 24 hours, however, is not recommended).

Heat is never added.

And while cold brew coffee does contain more caffeine than your average iced coffee, it does contain less caffeine overall when compared to a cup of hot coffee.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

What You Need to Make Cold-Brewed Coffee

Aside from a little extra time, there’s no magical secret ingredient in cold brew coffee. All you need are some coarsely ground coffee beans and cold water. 

Here are three easy methods for making cold brew at home.

In all three methods, you can safely allow your coffee to “brew” at room temperature or in the refrigerator – it’s completely up to you.

For best results, allow the coffee grounds to steep for at least 12 hours, but no more than 24.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

1. Loose grounds

  1. Coarsely grind the coffee beans
  2. Add the grounds and water to a jar or sealable container and stir the grounds to incorporate.
  3. Allow the coffee to brew at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
  4. Strain the coffee grounds through a cheesecloth (or any fine mesh fabric that will strain) and pour the coffee mixture into a separate container for storage.
  5. Serve over ice or with milk.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

2. Using a nut-milk or cheese-cloth bag

  1. Grind the coffee beans to a coarse grind. 
  2. Add the coffee grounds to a nut milk bag and place in a sealable jar or container.
  3. Add the water and seal the jar. Allow the coffee to “brew” for 12-24 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  4. Remove the cloth bag and wring it out over the jar. 
  5. Pour the cold brew over a glass filled with ice and enjoy!

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

3. Using a French Press

  1. Grind the coffee beans on a coarse setting.
  2. Add the grounds and water to a French press, and stir to combine. Do not plunge.
  3. Cover the French press with a cloth or lid and allow it to brew for 12-24 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. When you’re ready to enjoy, slowly plunge your French press. Pour the desired amount of cold brew over a glass filled with ice. 

Note: if your French press isn’t large enough to accommodate the ground coffee beans plus 4 cups of water, reduce by half or make a stronger cold brew concentrate, adding additional water after the cold brew has been brewed.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

Cold Brew Coffee Ratio

Cold-brew coffee requires more coffee beans – at least twice as much – when compared to traditional drip coffee.

If this is your first time making homemade cold brew, a great starting point is a 1:4 ratio of coffee grounds to water. Or,  about 1 cup of whole coffee grounds (approximately 4 ounces of coarsely ground coffee) with 4 cups of water. 

If you want to make an extra-strong cold brew concentrate, simply reduce the total amount of water, changing the ratio to 1:1 or 1:2 of coarsely ground coffee to water. Remember, however, that concentrated cold brew is much higher in caffeine. Remember to serve as a 1:1 ratio cold brew concentrate with water or milk.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

Try These Other Delicious Drinks,

Peach Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Boba Tea Recipe (How to Make Thai Bubble Tea)

Thai Iced Tea Recipe; How to Make Thai Tea

Homemade Apple Cider Recipe (Stovetop + Slow Cooker)

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

Have you tried making your own Cold Brew?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.

How to make cold brew at home without a machine

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee (3 Ways)

Learn how to make cold brew coffee at home - no fancy equipment required!  It's so easy, you'll never have to worry about bitter or watered-down iced coffee again.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 12 hrs

Total Time 12 hrs 5 mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 3 cups (approximately)

Calories 1 kcal

  • 1 cup coffee beans - whole beans
  • 4 cups cold filtered water

Using a nut-milk or cheese-cloth bag

  • Grind the coffee beans to a coarse grind. 

  • Add the coffee grounds to the cloth-bag and place in a mason jar (or any sealable container). Add the cold water and seal the jar. Let sit overnight, or up to 24 hours.

  • Remove the cloth strainer and wring it out over the jar. 

  • Pour cold brew over a glass filled with ice and enjoy!

Using a French Press

  • Grind the coffee beans to a coarse grind. 

  • Add the grounds and cold water to a French press. Do not plunge the French press. Allow the cold brew to sit in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours.

  • When you’re ready to enjoy, slowly plunge your French press and pour the desired amount of cold brew over a glass filled with ice. 

Loose Grounds

  • Grind the coffee beans on a coarse setting.

  • Add the grounds and cold water to a mason jar (or any sealable container). Stir the grounds to incorporate with the water and seal the container. Transfer to the refrigerator to sit overnight, or up to 24 hours.

  • Place a cheesecloth (or any fine mesh fabric that will strain) on top of the bowl of a sifter, and pour the coffee mixture through into a separate container for storage, or into a glass with ice to serve immediately. The cloth and sifter will catch the grinds.

Cold-brew lasts about two weeks without a change in flavor and will sour once expired. It can be kept on the counter or in the fridge. 

In all scenarios, you can steep your cold brew on the counter or in the refrigerator without affecting the process or flavor. 

To brew a cold brew concentrate, have equal parts water to beans, or a bean to water ratio of 1:1 and follow the instructions the same as instructed. When ready to serve, do not drink the concentrate straight. Dilute your glass by filling halfway with water, and halfway with the cold brew concentrate. 

  • Cheesecloth
  • Nutmilk Bags
  • French Press
  • Paper coffee filter
  • Coffee grinder

In general, light roast coffee beans have the most caffeine but typically taste the highest acidity. Dark roast coffees have the least amount of caffeine per cup but taste the least acidic. Naturally, medium roast falls somewhere in between the two.

Calories: 1kcal | Sodium: 16mg | Calcium: 10mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Cold Brew, Cold Brew Coffee, How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

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Can I use regular ground coffee for cold brew?

The short answer: This one's easy—use your favorite medium or dark roast. You can use your favorite coffee bean for cold brew. It's the size of the grind that matters more. (You'll need coarse ground coffee.

How do you make cold brew at home?

Follow these easy steps to brew a batch..
Mix the Coffee. Put 3/4 cup ground coffee in a large French press and add 3 cups cold, filtered water. ... .
Steep the Coffee. Cover and let coffee brew for 12 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally..
Strain the Coffee..

Is cold brew just coffee and water?

First thing's first. What is Cold Brew Coffee? Cold Brew Coffee is a concentrate of coffee made by saturating coarsely ground coffee beans in filtered water for 12 to 24 hours, which is then strained away leaving you with glorious and delicious Cold Brew Coffee concentrate.

How do you make cold brew without an espresso machine?

Instructions.
Grind the coffee beans to a medium to coarse grind..
Add the ground coffee and water to a jar, a French press, or a cold brew coffee machine. ... .
Stir together the ground coffee and water and cover the jar or French press. ... .
Place in the fridge for 12-24 hours..