How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home (and Make It Better)

The short answer: grind the coffee coarse, and mix 1 part coffee with 8 parts cold, filtered water. Steep in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours, strain without squeezing, and keep it sealed in the fridge. Drink it within about a week.

Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for many hours instead of brewed with hot water. Because it never gets hot, it tastes smooth and mellow. It is not the same as iced coffee, which is hot coffee that has been chilled. It is also one of the easiest brews to make in a big batch.

What you need

  • A jar or jug with a lid
  • Fresh coffee, ground coarse: about the size of raw sugar or coarse sea salt
  • Cold, filtered water
  • A fine mesh strainer, plus a paper filter or cheesecloth
  • A scale

Our starting recipes

  • Ready to drink (1 to 8): 100 grams of coffee to 800 grams of water. Pour over ice and drink.
  • Concentrate (1 to 5): 150 grams of coffee to 750 grams of water. Dilute 1 to 1 with cold water or milk before serving.

Either way, steep for 12 to 18 hours in the fridge.

How to make cold brew coffee, step by step

  1. Grind coarse. A fine grind makes bitter, muddy cold brew that is hard to filter.
  2. Combine. Put the coffee in the jar, pour in the cold water and stir so every ground is wet.
  3. Steep. Cover it and put it in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.
  4. Strain. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer, then through a paper filter or cheesecloth. Do not squeeze the grounds, because that pushes bitter flavours through.
  5. Store. Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge.
  6. Serve. Pour over ice. If you made concentrate, dilute it first.

You can steep at room temperature in around 8 to 12 hours, but it tends to taste harsher. The fridge is smoother.

How to make it better: fix your brew

  • Bitter, harsh or woody: grind coarser or steep for a shorter time.
  • Weak, thin or sour: steep a little longer or use more coffee.
  • Muddy or gritty: filter it a second time.

Change one thing at a time. The Roo would. The Galah leaves it out on the bench and calls it aged.

Which coffee to use

Freshly roasted beans, ground just before brewing, make the biggest difference. Medium roasts with plenty of sweetness tend to suit cold brew. The Hooligan is our medium roast, with milk chocolate, caramel and toasted hazelnut, and its low acidity makes for a smooth, sweet cold brew.

Cold brew FAQ

What is the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?

Cold brew is steeped in cold water for hours and never heated. Iced coffee is brewed hot and then cooled.

How long does cold brew last?

Kept sealed in the fridge, it tastes best within about a week. Once you dilute it, drink it sooner.

What grind is best for cold brew?

Coarse. A finer grind extracts too much too quickly and leaves a bitter, cloudy brew.

Can I make cold brew on the bench?

Yes, in around 8 to 12 hours. The fridge takes longer, but the result is smoother.

Why is my cold brew bitter or weak?

Bitter usually means the grind was too fine or the steep too long. Weak usually means too little coffee, or too short a steep.

Roasted in Dubbo, NSW and sent Australia-wide. Meet The Hooligan or buy The Hooligan medium roast coffee beans, or see the full coffee range.

More brew guides

Back to blog