I’ve been buying cold brew at the store for a long time. There are some seriously delicious cold brew coffees available and when I did my taste test post, I found one that I especially loved. But, recently, we’ve upgraded our coffee grinder and our coffee beans, which has resulted in the tastiest coffee we’ve ever made at home. This got me thinking: what would cold brew coffee taste like using these?
Well, I had to find out. So, when I was sent a super freshly roasted bag of coffee beans, I set it aside and started to read up on how to make the best cold brew coffee at home. And, since the real estate in our refrigerator is at a premium, thanks to a full house of hungry little people, I also knew I needed a slender cold brew carafe that woudn’t take up too much space.
So, let’s check out which cold brew carafe I picked up:
Easy Cold Brew Coffee Maker:
Voila! Let me tell you a story about this Blue Bottle Coffee & Hario Cold Brew Coffee Maker collab. I saw this on Amazon and almost bought it – multiple times, but just left it in my cart. Then, we went on a trip to San Francisco, where they are lucky enough to have little Blue Bottle Coffee shops that are so divine and have the best coffee, and what do you know – there it was: the cold brew coffee carafe I’ve been eyeing, sitting on the shelf, just waiting for me to buy it. Sure, I paid a little more for it because of the adorable blue bottle logo, but you can score the exact same one for less on Amazon.
It took less than two seconds to snatch it up and take it to the register and then as soon as I got home, I washed it and got to work. I kept things simple, with filtered water and coarse ground beans. Keep reading to get all the details. To shop my Hario cold brew bottle, check it out here.
Easy Cold Brew Recipe:
Every grinder will be a little different, so I looked up which setting to use for cold brew using our new Breville Pro Grinder (highly recommend, we are obsessed, full review of it here). Since I knew I needed coarse ground, this put me at about a 55 on the dial. I started with 3 cups of coffee, since that’s how much I poured into the carafe. But, this turned out to be about half of what I needed for the coffee filter. I did another around of 3 and then it filled the coffee filter perfectly.
You can absolutely make cold brew without a grinder, too. There are coffee beans that are coarse grind perfectly for cold brew. This one has excellent flavor and is ready to use, no grinder needed!
The top clicks on in a very satisfying way, so you know it’s secure, and the filter material is so well made, absolutely NO coffee grounds leaked through at all. Not a single one! I love it so much!
Then, you just carefully put the filter into the water carafe (again, I used 3 cups of filtered water), make sure the lid is nicely sealed and then turn it upside down a couple of times before placing it in the fridge. Ideally, you leave it in there for at least 12 hours, I left mine overnight, so it was even longer.
After that, all you have to do it gently lift out the filter, use your grounds for compost or whatever you do, and then pop the lid back on your carafe. It’s that easy.
Easy Cold Brew Coffee with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cold Foam:
I needed to try my super fresh cold brew ASAP. I decided to top it with one of my favorite cold foam recipes of all time. So easy. I used this KYYA sauce, because I’m trying to use it up before it goes bad, but honestly, you can get the same flavor with my brown sugar cinnamon syrup recipe, which my readers love! I bet you already have all the ingredients at your house!
I showed you how I made this in my Instagram video. Take a peek here and then scroll down for the step by step instructions:
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- Pour a cup of ice in a 16 oz glass
- Add your cold brew, about a cup or so
- Add 4 tbsp heavy cream, 2 tbsp milk of choice, 1-2 tbsp syrup of choice and froth until soft set
- Pour over your coffee
- Stir a little to mix and enjoy!
I don’t have to tell you that this was divine, but it was. Absolutely perfect. A very strong, tasty cold brew with very little acidity. I’m working on getting my acid down (aren’t we all? acid reflux anyone?) and this was a great way to do that. I think I could have used a little less coffee grounds, but I’m happy with how it turned out.
Perfect Cold Brew: Coffee To Water Ratio
I’m all about keeping things easy. You don’t really need precise measurements for cold brew, especially if you’re using something like what I have, or you want to make a larger batch with this giant mason jar with a coffee sleeve inserted, because you can just fill the filter and add water.
But, if you’re using a large carafe with your own coffee filter or you like to get something exactly right, here are some guides to help you out. Then, you just need to try it out, taste it, and decide if you want it stronger or weaker. The joy of making it at home is getting it just right for you and nobody else has to like it!
- Use a coffee to water ratio 6 tbsp. of coffee per 8 ounces of water.
- So a 32 oz., or 1 quart carafe, would need 1 1/3 cups of coarse ground coffee, or 110 grams
- A large 96oz. carafe, or 3/4 gallon pitcher, would use an entire bag of 11/12 oz coffee beans!
You can adjust this more or less depending on the strength you like your coffee. If you don’t like it as strong, you may want to do a 1:2 ratio, such as 1 tbsp. per 2 oz. of water, so 4 tbsp. of coffee to every 8 ounces of water.
I know the math can be dizzying, particularly when trying to figure out or convert grams to tablespoons, etc. That’s why I love the cold brew makers with the filters included. Takes out the guess work.
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I hope this helps you feel confident enough to try making your own cold brew. The only thing I don’t like about this bottle is that it only makes about 2 days worth for me, but I also alternate between other types of coffee, such as using my Nespresso to make espresso shots and even using concentrated coffee like Jot.
If you try this recipe, tag me on social media @whatthefrothblog
Get roasted,
A
