How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home

Cold brew coffee has become one of the go-to drinks of summer. It is smooth, refreshing, and a little less acidic than hot brewed coffee. While it feels like a modern café trend, the idea behind it is actually quite old. Long before modern espresso machines and drip brewers, coffee was often prepared through slow steeping methods using time instead of heat to extract flavour. In many ways, cold brew is a return to that simpler approach.

The good news is that despite the long wait, cold brew is very easy to make and requires almost no equipment.

What you will need

• 1 cup of ground coffee (a filter or regular grind works best)
• 4 cups of cold, filtered water
• A mason jar or a French press (Bodum style works perfectly)

If you already own a French press, you are already set up for cold brew. A French press is one of the easiest ways to make it since you can steep and filter all in the same vessel.

We also carry a full range of French presses, including Bodum models, which are perfect for cold brew and everyday brewing: shop Bodum French presses here.

How to make cold brew

Start by adding one cup of coffee to your container, followed by four cups of cold, filtered water.

Stir very well to make sure all the grounds are fully saturated. This step is important for even extraction.

Once mixed, cover and place the container in the fridge for 12 to 14 hours. This slow steeping process is what gives cold brew its smooth and mellow character.

After steeping, strain the coffee. If you are using a French press, simply press the plunger down. If you are using a mason jar, you will need a filter. You can use a piece of muslin or cotton cloth, or a standard coffee filter secured over the jar with the outer ring. Pour slowly to avoid disturbing the grounds.

If you are using a French press, it also works perfectly for cold brew since you can steep and press all in the same vessel, making the process even simpler and cleaner.

Once filtered, your cold brew is ready to enjoy.

Serving suggestions

Cold brew can be served over ice or enjoyed straight from the fridge. A small splash of cream also works beautifully if you prefer something a little richer.

It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks, making it a great option for easy coffee throughout the week.

Why cold brew became so popular

Cold brew might feel like a relatively new café trend, but its rise in popularity is actually quite recent. The idea of extracting coffee with time instead of heat has been around for centuries in different forms, but cold brew as we know it today only started gaining real attention in the early 2000s within specialty coffee circles.

It wasn’t until the mid-2010s that cold brew really took off in North America. Cafés began adding it to their menus as a smoother alternative to iced coffee, especially because it could be prepared in larger batches without losing flavour or becoming diluted with ice.

Its popularity also grew with changing coffee preferences. People started gravitating toward lower acidity, smoother profiles, and drinks that could be enjoyed slowly throughout the day. By the late 2010s, cold brew had moved from a seasonal specialty to a permanent fixture in most coffee shops.

Our coffee recommendations

For the best results, we recommend using a medium filter grind and a coffee that holds up well in cold extraction. Some of our favourites for cold brew include:

• Knowlton Blend
• Ripplecove
• Memphre

Make sure to stick with a regular filter grind for the best extraction and clarity in the cup.

Hope you are having a great summer so far, and enjoying plenty of good coffee along the way.