How Do You Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home?

Cold brew is coarse-ground coffee steeped in cold water for 12 to 16 hours, then strained. You don't need a machine: a jar, 75g of coarsely ground coffee, 600ml of water and a night in the fridge will give you smooth cold brew to pour straight over ice.

It's the lowest-effort brew method there is. All the work happens while you sleep, and the payoff on a hot Australian morning is hard to beat.

What Ratio Should You Use for Cold Brew?

Use about 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight for cold brew you drink straight — 75g of coffee to 600ml of water fills a standard jar nicely and pours beautifully over ice. That's the ratio most specialty roasters land on.

Want a concentrate instead? Steep at about 1:5 (say 120g to 600ml) and dilute it roughly 1:1 with water, milk or ice-melt when you serve. Ratios are a starting point, not a law, so adjust to your taste after the first batch.

How to Make Cold Brew, Step by Step

1. Grind coarse. Aim for the texture of raw sugar. Fine grounds over-extract during a long steep and are miserable to strain out.
2. Combine coffee and cold water in a jar or jug, give it a gentle stir so every ground is wet, and cover it.
3. Steep in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Overnight (around 12 hours) is the sweet spot for most people; longer pulls a stronger, heavier cup.
4. Strain the grounds out. A plunger works brilliantly (steep in it, then press), or pour through a fine sieve, paper filter or a cloth coffee sock into a clean bottle.

That's it. Serve it over ice, top it with water or milk, or gently warm it if you want the smoothness of cold brew in a hot cup.

How Long Should Cold Brew Steep?

Twelve to sixteen hours in the fridge gives a smooth, balanced brew, and 24 hours is the sensible maximum. Past that, extraction keeps creeping and the brew picks up woody, over-steeped flavours rather than more of the good stuff.

If your first batch tastes weak, steep longer or add coffee before you change anything else. Cold water extracts slowly, which is exactly why the method is so forgiving.

Why Is Cold Brew So Smooth?

Cold water never touches the harsh, bitter compounds that hot water pulls out of coffee in seconds, so the resulting cup is sweeter and noticeably less acidic. That's why cold brew is the usual recommendation for people who find hot coffee hard on the stomach.

Watch the caffeine, though. Cold brew, especially a concentrate, typically packs more caffeine per glass than a regular hot cup, so treat the first one with respect.

Which Coffee Is Best for Cold Brew?

Medium to darker roasts shine in cold brew, bringing out chocolate and caramel notes; our Wayfarer, a Colombian single origin, is the one we reach for when brewing it black. Planning to add milk? Hodophile, our five-region milk blend, is built for exactly that. And if you want it darker and bolder, Nemophilist (Kenya) holds its own over ice.

Grab whole beans and grind them coarse just before steeping, or pick the Cold Brew grind when you order if you don't own a grinder. Everything in our range is specialty grade, air roasted in NSW and roasted to order, and fresh roasting matters just as much cold as it does hot.

How Long Does Cold Brew Keep?

Strained cold brew keeps up to two weeks in a sealed container in the fridge, as long as you haven't added milk. That makes one Sunday-night batch a working week (and a bit) of ready-to-pour coffee.

It travels well too. A bottle of concentrate in the esky means real coffee on a hike, a road trip or a beach morning with no brewing gear at all.

Quick answers

What's the ratio for cold brew coffee?
About 1:8 coffee to water to drink it straight (75g coffee to 600ml water). For a concentrate you dilute 1:1 with water or milk, go stronger at about 1:5 (120g to 600ml).

How long do you leave cold brew in the fridge?
Between 12 and 24 hours. Overnight suits most tastes; go longer for a stronger, heavier brew. Beyond 24 hours it starts tasting woody rather than stronger in a good way.

Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
As a concentrate, yes, it usually carries more caffeine per serve than a standard hot cup, which is why you dilute it. It also tastes smoother and less acidic thanks to the cold, slow extraction.

Can you heat up cold brew?
Yes. Warm the diluted brew gently on the stove or add hot water to the concentrate, like a smoother long black. Don't boil it, or you'll undo the low-bitterness magic you waited 12 hours for.