How to make the best cold brew coffee (concentrate) (at home)?

The CoffeeNose👃is a cold brew fan and has some tips about how to get most out of your cold brew

• Water is your main ingredient. We recommend to get filtered water from WB.coffee or use mineral water with low mineral content. You can also ask your local specialty coffee cafe or roaster if they can sell you filtered water. Water significantly impacts the taste of your cold brew. 

• Use a very coarse grind, similar to breadcrumbs or sea salt. This prevents over-extraction and bitterness.
  

• The temperature of the water. For a full immersion or slow drip cold brew use room temperature (20-35) degrees water.
  

• Fill the fill immersion container with water, wait for it to reach room temperature or use a thermometer and mix a bit of hot water to get to 35 degrees. When ready slowly pour the ground coffee on top and wait for it to absorb water and sink to the bottom before you pour more grounds on top. If this takes too long your coffee possibly is too fresh. Use coffee 2 weeks after roasting date instead. 

• For a strong concentrate use a 1:4 ratio. So 100 gram coffee and 400 gram (ml) water. A concentrate is easy to dillute with (hot) water, pour over ice (the melting ice will dillute the concentrate) or dillute with (plant) milk, tonic, orange juice, etc. You can also go up to 1:5 or even 1:8
  

• If you prefer a ready to drink cold brew I recommend a 1:12 ratio. So 100 gram coffee and 1200 gram (ml) water. If you want it stronger go down to 1:10 or even 1:8 and if you want it weaker go up to 1:15

• Steep the cold brew in water for 8-12 hours at room temperature. If you steep in the fridge go up to 18 hours. 

• You can keep cold brew for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. We recommend keeping it in glass bottles. An oily layer can appear on top. This is perfectly fine and safe, just shake it. You can also make frozen ice cubes out of your cold brew. 

• You can add a tiny tea spoon of citric acid as preservative. This is a natural preservative commonly found in food and bdverage preservation. It is however an acid, so too much will make your brew sour. The right amount adds a lemon flavor twist though. 

clicking on the link with tips below ⬇

more tips from the CoffeeNose👃

First you need to consider wether you want a plastic free cold brew maker. In this case you need a glass or SS brewing vessel and a SS, Felt, paper or cotton filter. 

A Stainless Steel (SS) filter will produce a more creamy, thick mouthfeel. It is also easy to wash and reuse. 

If you like a super smooth, silky cold brew choose a paper filter. This is also recommended if you want to limit your cafestol intake (for cholesterol).

Beware of cheese cloth that is not cotton but nylon or another type of plastic. 

Hario Japan has a fantastic Glass & SS cold brew pitcher that fits in your fridge door. 

Hario Japan also has a budget version with a fine plastic filter. The glass is heatproof and the brewer is also suitable for hot brews: Mizudashi

For larger volume brewers Toddy has a Home and Pro series that has a range of brews from 1.5 liters till 10 & 20 liters. They work with paper filters and felt filters (combination is recommended).

For the occasional cold brewer we recommend the Hario Switch. Steep with cold water overnight and press the button in the morning. Easy & deicious! 

You can do the same thing with your Aeropress (XL)! Use the inversed method or vacuum lock with the plunger on top. Remove the plunger in the morning. Don't push but let it drip - to avoid bitterness.

Asobu makes a beautifull and practical cold brew maker (also for hot brews) where the vessel is a thermos!

Choose your cold brewer

For cold brew coffees with a nice balanced acidity (fruity flavor) are very refreshing. Like lemonade or Radler with their lemon flavor. If you are more of a sweet tooth and like to make a cold brew concentrate to mix it up with cold (plant) milk we recommend the more Nutty, Spicy and chocolate flavor notes from our CN Chocolate Nutty blend. For a more bold flavor choose the espresso roast of the CN blend or go for a darker roast like the Italian job or even Napoli sunrise (our boldest blend with most caffeine). 

They are called "espresso roast". That means they are roasted a bit darker so you will taste less fruity notes (acidity) and more bold flavors. You can also use an espresso roast for Aeropress, French Press, Moka Pot, Cold Brew and even Pour Over coffee.

Find your blend with a filter tasting set or ask for a single originrecommendation!FJ filter blendis a great coffee with Fruity & Juicy flavor notes. Are you a tad more traditional? CN blend with Chocolaty & Nutty blend. If you are used to add milk you can ditch the sugar. Our specialty coffee blends are sweet by themselves. PS. 

Did you know that Full Immersion Cold Brew left to extract for 2hrs or more has the highest caffeine content of all coffees?! Way higher than an espresso shot.

Choose your coffee

Here’s how to make a delicious sugar-free frappuccino at home using specialty coffee cold brew concentrate — rich, refreshing, and without the sugar crash.

🧊 Sugar-Free Frappuccino (Cold Brew Edition)

🧴 You’ll Need:

• 100 ml cold brew concentrate (strong specialty coffee preferred)
• 100 ml unsweetened milk or plant-based milk (e.g. almond, oat, coconut*)
• Optional:
  • 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder for mocha style
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened protein powder for body & foam
  • A drop of vanilla extract or cinnamon for aroma

🥤 Instructions:

1. Add the cold brew & milk to a blender, protein shaker, bottle or thermos.
2. Blend or shake on high until thick and frothy (20–30 sec).
3. Taste and add milk or cold brew (concentrate) if needed.
4. Pour into a tall glass and optionally top with:
   • sugar-free whipped cream
   • a sprinkle of cinnamon or cacao

🔥 Pro Tips:

• Use cold brew concentrate that’s smooth and low-acid (e.g. Ethiopian natural or washed Central American origin). 
  
• For a creamy mouthfeel, use full-fat (barista) oat milk* or a splash of (plant) cooking cream.
• For a tropical touch add Coconut milk or barista coconut milk instead of regular or oat milk.
• If you like to add Ice cubes before or after blending I recommend to freeze cold brew concentrate in ice cubes and use those, or use steel ice balls instead of frozen water.
• If it's not sweet enough try using a sweeter milk. Almond, Hemp and Oat are a bit sweeter. A drop of honey can also do the trick for you (still better than processed sugar). 
• Most likely your coffee is not sweet enough if you feel your mix lacks sweetness. You really need to use good quality specialty coffee that is sweet by itself. Our CN Choco & Nutty blend is a great choice. The espresso roast will give you a bit more sweetness but also boldness. Don't try supermarket coffee. You can't cheat the recipe with cheap beans and bitter dark roasts!

*You can use any type of milk like almond, hemp, soy, pea, coconut, or cow instead of oat milk. Want to make a sustainable choice? Read this blog post about the impact of different plant milks.

Choose your coffee