Summer is all about iced coffee and cold brew is my favourite way to drink it! Here is how to make cold brew coffee at home - perfect for hot days!
Have you jumped on the cold brew coffee bandwagon yet?
It has been unseasonably hot here so far this summer and for me the thought of a hot cup of coffee doesn't quite hold the same appeal as it did when it was cold. But the baby doesn't sleep through the night anymore so coffee is clearly still an essential part of surviving the day, which is why I needed to know how to make cold brew coffee. And so do you!
It's the perfect drink for this time of year - straight out of the fridge, poured over ice, caffeinated goodness. The awesome thing about cold brew coffee is that you can make it in advance and leave it in the fridge for a few days. No trying to cool down freshly brewed coffee quickly to make an iced coffee, no mucking around with blenders and ice-cream (not that I'm ever opposed to an ice-cream iced coffee!) but this is icy cold coffee in pure simplicity.
The key is the lengthy brewing time. It sits in the plunger/French press for 12 hours. This makes it super smooth to drink - I can even drink cold brew coffee black with no problems.
Apparently the coarser you grind the coffee beans the better but I've made it with all kinds of coffee and I can't say I've noticed a difference. But that could just be my constant state of sleep deprived "all coffee is good coffee." So either grind your own whole beans so that they are still pretty coarse, or use the packet of plunger or espresso grind you already have in the cupboard. Or try both!
Once you know how to make cold brew coffee, your morning fix will never be the same. My favourite way to enjoy it is over ice with coconut milk...delicious!
And stay tuned for the perfect Christmas cocktail using cold brew coffee on Saturday! If you want to be fancy and try these delicious spicy iced mochas using your homemade cold brew coffee, check out this recipe.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup coarsley ground coffee beans*
- 4 cups (1L) water
Instructions
- Add the coffee and 1 cup of water to a large (8 cup) capacity coffee plunger/French press. Stir so that the coffee grounds are all wet. Add the remaining water, stir again and leave sitting on the bench for 12 hours.
- Carefully plunge/press the coffee and pour into a glass or plastic bottle and store in the fridge.
- Serve over ice with your choice of milk.
- Store in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Notes
Carole Brighouse says
Hi Laura
I am planning to try this for my son, who loves Starbucks cold pressed mochas. How do I make the coffee part for one cup only to test if he likes it before making a bigger batch?
TIA
Carole
Laura says
I would just half the quantities for both coffee and water
Jo Lowrie says
Maybe a silly question but are you pouring in hot water to brew the coffee.? Or cold water?
Cheers Jo
Laura says
Not a silly question at all - either is fine but I usually just use cold water
Sammy says
Just tried this recipe. Love! Super easy and tastes amazing xx