Cold Brew Coffee Recipe: 12-Hour Steeped Method (No Bitterness)

Cold brew coffee is the smooth, low-acid, naturally sweeter cousin of hot-brewed coffee – made by steeping coarse grounds in cold water for 12-16 hours instead of brewing with heat. This cold brew coffee recipe below uses the master 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio that produces a clean concentrate you dilute to taste.

Cold brew coffee is not just iced coffee. Iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee poured over ice. Cold brew coffee never sees heat at all – which is why it tastes 60 percent less acidic, less bitter, and naturally sweeter than the hot-brewed equivalent.

Why this cold brew coffee method gives the smoothest result

Hot water extracts both the good flavours and the bitter compounds from coffee grounds. Cold water extracts only the flavour – the bitter compounds need heat to release. That is why cold brew coffee is naturally smoother and sweeter. The 12-hour steep gives you all the flavour with none of the harshness.

Cold Brew Coffee

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

Smooth, low-acid cold brew coffee made by steeping coarse-ground beans in cold water for 12-16 hours. Master recipe with proper 1:8 ratio.

• Total Time: 12 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 100 g coarse-ground coffee beans (medium-dark roast works best)
• 800 ml cold filtered water
• A large glass jar or pitcher with lid
• A fine-mesh strainer + cheesecloth (or a dedicated cold brew filter)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Combine. Add the coarse-ground coffee to the jar. Pour cold filtered water over. Stir gently to ensure all grounds are wet.
2. Steep. Cover and refrigerate (or leave at room temperature) for 12-16 hours. Longer = stronger and more bitter. 12 hours is the sweet spot.
3. Strain. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean jar. Strain twice for crystal-clear cold brew.
4. Serve. The result is cold brew concentrate. Dilute 1:1 with cold water or milk over ice. Or drink straight over ice for the strong version.
5. Store. Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in a sealed jar.

Notes

The key to good cold brew is coarse grind – finely ground beans make muddy, over-extracted cold brew. Use a burr grinder set to coarse, or buy coarse-ground beans labelled for French press.

• Author: ManVsDrinks
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Steeping: 12 hours
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Coffee
• Method: Steeping
• Cuisine: International

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 glass (diluted)
• Calories: 5

Pro tips for great cold brew coffee

• Coarse grind only. Finely ground beans make muddy cold brew.
• Filtered water. Tap water taste comes through cold brew more than hot brew.
• Steep 12-16 hours. Less and it is weak. More and bitterness creeps in.
• Strain twice. Once through fine mesh, once through cheesecloth or coffee filter.
• Dilute to taste. 1:1 with water for regular strength. 1:2 with milk for cold brew latte.
• Store in glass. Plastic absorbs coffee flavour over the 2-week storage.

Cold brew coffee variations

• Cold Brew Latte: mix the concentrate 1:1 with cold milk over ice.
• Vanilla Maple Cold Brew: add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp maple syrup per serving.
• Cinnamon Orange Cold Brew: add cinnamon stick and orange peel to the steep.
• Coconut Cold Brew Tonic: mix concentrate with coconut water and tonic water.
• Cold Brew Float: pour over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Common cold brew coffee mistakes

• Fine grind. Makes muddy, over-extracted cold brew. Use coarse only.
• Tap water. Off-flavours come through. Always filtered.
• Over-steeping. Past 16 hours, bitterness develops.
• Single strain. Always strain twice for clean cold brew.
• Drinking concentrate undiluted. It is meant to be diluted – straight concentrate is overwhelming.

More cold brew recipes

Try our cold brew variations: Vanilla Maple Cold Brew, Blueberry Cold Brew Latte, Coconut Cold Brew Tonic, or Cinnamon Orange Cold Brew.

Why cold brew coffee is worth the 12-hour wait

This cold brew coffee recipe takes 12 hours of waiting but only 5 minutes of active work. The smooth, low-acid result is worth it – cold brew coffee has 60 percent less acidity than hot-brewed coffee. The science behind cold brew coffee is straightforward: cold water extracts flavour selectively, leaving the bitter compounds behind. Make this cold brew coffee once and you have two weeks of cafe-quality iced coffee in your fridge.