Do you love the mellow, smooth taste of cold brew? Why wouldn’t you? It’s one of the best ways to enjoy coffee chilled. But if you’re tired of buying it at coffee shops and grocery stores, it’s time to try making it at home.
Luckily, cold brew is easy to make with a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Keep reading to discover how to make delicious cold brews in a jar.
Brewing Tips
Making a cold brew is a simple process. You only need coarsely ground coffee, cold water, and a long steeping time. This is why you can make it in a mason jar in your kitchen.
Remember that the longer the coffee steeps, the stronger the flavor. If you over-steep, you may get a bitter, over-extracted result. But you can’t go wrong if you combine coffee and water in a 1:5 ratio and let it steep for 12 to 24 hours.
Ready to get started? Below we have listed the supplies, ingredients, and steps to help you make smooth, sweet cold brew in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need
- Coarsely ground coffee (5 ounces)
- Cold filtered water (24 ounces)
- Jar (32 oz)
- Strainer, sieve, or coffee filter
- Stirring spoon
How to Make Cold Brew in a Mason Jar
1. Add coffee grounds to the jar.
Grind your beans coarsely, and then measure out the grounds. For 24 ounces of water, we measured 5 ounces of ground. This goes directly into the bottom of the mason jar.
If you want to make more cold brew, just remember the 5:1 water to coffee ratio and adjust accordingly.
2. Add half the water and stir.
Fill the mason jar with half a cup of cold water, then stir the mixture, making sure all grounds are wet.
3. Add the rest of the water.
Add the remaining half cup of cold water to the mixture in the mason jar and stir again.
4. Refrigerate and steep.
Put the lid on the mason jar and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the jar to steep there for 12-24 hours. Remember, the longer the steeping time, the deeper the flavors develop. Overnight steeping is suggested if you want your cold brew first thing in the morning.
5. Strain out the grounds.
Once your cold brew has steeped, use a fine strainer or coffee filter to strain the grounds. This step aims to keep grounds out of your cold brew. This is especially important if you’ve made a large batch, as you don’t want to store finished cold brew with grounds.
6. Enjoy!
Your cold brew is ready to serve! Keep in mind that cold brews can taste very strong. Even though it has no acidity or bitterness, you might still want a more mellow flavor. If this is the case for you, we suggest adding more cold water, milk, or half-and-half to your freshly poured cup until it tastes just right.
7. Store in the refrigerator.
If you have leftover cold brew, store it in the refrigerator in a clean, airtight container. It will last up to two weeks.
