DIY Cold Brew Coffee + Printables

When a friend of mine casually mentioned how easy it was to make cold brew coffee, she had no idea it would change my life forever. For the past year, I've been using the following recipe on the regular: my housemates and I go through two of these huge mason jars a week! 

Cold brew coffee is more than just a great way to beat the summer heat: the cold brew process takes the edge off your caffeine fix, producing a low-acid concentrate that's easy on the palette and the stomach. It's also quicker and easier to take on the go than hot brew: I throw some in a mason jar on my way out the door in the morning and drink it during my morning commute. 

It's easy to make your own, and I'll teach you how in today's tutorial! I've included a free printable at the bottom of this tutorial, plus a Father's Day bonus: three printables from this week and last week, altered to work for a gift of cold brew.

Thank you to my lovely model and housemate, Maggie! Doesn't she make the cold brew process look like so much fun?! Without any further ado, let's get started.

What you'll need:

• coarsely-ground coffee (1 part)
• water (4 parts)
• 2 large jars (alternatively: 1 large jar + a french press)
• lid for one of the jars (alternatively: plastic wrap + rubber band)
• mesh strainer

Step 1: Mix together one part coarsely-ground coffee with four parts water. For this particular batch, we used two cups of coffee grounds with eight cups of water. You might feel like you're using a ton of coffee, but don't forget that the final product will be super-concentrated. You'll double to triple your volume when you add water or milk to each individual cup of coffee!

Step 2: Stir the grounds-water mixture with a wood or plastic spoon (metal spoons supposedly affect the taste somehow). Seal the top of the jar with a lid or plastic wrap and rubber band.

Alternatively, pour your grounds and water in a french press and stir. Press the plunger right up to the grounds-water mixture to seal the french press, but don't push down all the way just yet!

Step 3: Wait 12-24 hours. I've accidentally waited just over 48 hours, and the final product still turned out just fine.

Step 4: Fit your strainer on the opening of your second large jar. Stir the mixture again, then slowly pour the contents through the strainer into the second jar. The point of pouring slowly is to allow the grounds to settle at the bottom of the first jar instead of clogging up your strainer. If the strainer gets too clogged up, simply dump the grounds back into your first jar and keep pouring! 

If you used a french press, you can finally push the plunger all the way down and transfer the freshly-strained coffee to your big jar. 

Step 5 (Optional): You can opt to pour the cold brew through a coffee filter, which can be fitted inside a larger strainer (like the kind you use for spaghetti). This is only necessary if you really despise the sludgy fine grounds that make it through the first straining. I usually skip this optional step if the coffee is for my own consumption: the sludgy stuff sticks to the bottom of the jar, so it rarely makes it into my coffee cup!

Step 6: Seal the lid and throw it in the fridge: your cold brew coffee is complete! Don't forget that this coffee is super-concentrated: when you pour a cup of coffee, add 1-2 parts water or milk to every 1 part coffee (depending on how strong you like it). The concentrate is good for about two weeks, so plan accordingly!

Enjoy your cold brew, but watch out for the dreaded brain freeze!

Cold brew makes a lovely birthday, thank you, or "just because" gift. You can slap this free printable on your next batch and gift it to your favorite cold brew coffee drinker! For those of you unfamiliar with the reference (I'm looking at you, Mom!), "What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold!" is a line from the song "Hey Ya!", an early-2000s hit by OutKast.

Click here to download the full-sized PDF (sized for a half-sheet label, fits a half-gallon mason jar).

As a bonus for this swiftly-approaching Father's Day (one week away, people!), here are the printables from this week and last week, altered so they can be used for cold brew coffee. Click on this link or on the picture below to download the full-resolution versions!

Happy caffeinating, folks, and I'll see you again next weekend!