Choosing good coffee for cold brew
What is the right coffee for cold brew? Whatever coffee you generally like. You want to make sure that you buy high quality beans that showcase your favorite characteristics, whether nutty, fruity, or chocolatey. Or get a good blend!
If you like light and fruity roasts, African coffees (I love Ethiopian coffees) have traditionally provided great beans, although I have had some wonderfully fruity Nicaraguan and Honduran beans recently.
If you like chocolatey and nutty beans, you should consider medium or dark roasts with South American beans, or nice balanced blends. Many coffee houses are now roasting specifically to make balanced cold brews.
Grind coffee coarsely for cold brew
In general, the more time coffee spends exposed to water, the coarser the grinds need to be. This is no exception. You want to have a nice coarse grind, about the same size you would use for French Press.
If you need a nice versatile grinder that will do well for pourovers, French Press, and automatic coffee makers, here are a couple of recommendations:
- Hario Slim Mill – this is a great starter grinder, or grinder if you are on the move. Easy to pack into a lunch box or backpack and does a great job for a little investment.
- Baratza Encore – this grinder is a work horse. The Encore quickly and consistently grinds up coffee and easily adjusts for whatever grind you need (not the best for espresso though).
1:5 coffee to water ratio for cold brew
A good general rule of thumb is to use a 1:5 coffee to water ratio. So if you are going to make 300g of finished coffee, you want to use 60g of coffee. You can add more or less depending on your tastes. Experiment and find what you like!
A key to dialing in any brew is a good, accurate scale. I would recommend the Hario V60 Drip Scale. A great feature of this scale is that it has a built-in timer as well for easily timing your manual brews.
Steep your cold brew for 15 hours
For best results you want to let your coffee steep either in the fridge or on the counter for about 15 hours. After about 24 hours you start extracting less pleasant flavors. In either method, refrigerate immediately. Good for 7-10 days.
Cold brew coffee makers
An easy way to start is with a mason jar and cheesecloth. If you have a French Press, making cold brew in the press is easy, and you simply plunge the brew when ready. You can also buy specialized brewers.
If you are ready to upgrade from mason jars and French Presses, take a look at the Toddy Cold Brew Home System.
Diluting your cold brew 1:1
Once you have made your cold brew, you can cut with up to equal amounts of water to taste. Depending on the strength of your brew and personal preferences, you may use more or less water.
Cold brew coffee tips
- Coffee Ice – If you like to add ice to your coffee, but hate it when your brew is super watery, try freezing some cold brew or espresso in your ice tray and use that for your cold brew drinks.
- Flash Brew – Not a true cold brew, but if you don’t have 15 hours to wait for cold coffee, you can use your pour-over to flash brew. Replace 1/3 to 1/2 of your water with ice in the decanter/server and brew like normal. Quick cold brew!Works well with a Hario V60 manual brewer.
- Aeropress cold brew – The Aeropress is a very versatile tool and can even be used for a unique spin on cold brew. Here is the recipe:
- Add 1 rounded scoop of fine drip grind coffee (we are doing a very fast extraction rather than the typical 15 hr+ extraction)
- Add tap water up to the coffee in the Aeropress
- Stir briskly for 1 minute (this is key to overcoming the difference in extraction times)
- Press gently
- Add tap or ice water to make an 8 oz. (237 ml) mug of cold brew, or cold milk for a delicious cold brew latte
Enjoy! Hit me with your best tips and favorite cold brew recipes!