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2 min read

DIY Cold Brew

This summer, we're featuring the Mwampalala Co-op from Tanzania on cold brew. This peaberry coffee has notes of grapefruit and raspberry, which has made for a refreshing cold beverage.

We don't want you to take our word for it! You can get a cold brew anytime in the shop, or you can try it yourself with a few basic tools. Here's a recipe for making cold brew in your own home.

What You Need

  • Amazing coffee (see our selection here!). We recommend the Mwampalala Co-Op from Tanzania.
  • French press coffee maker
  • Cold, preferably filtered, water.
  • Burr Grinder
    We can grind your coffee when you purchase in-store or online.
  • Scale that measures grams
    We'll include volumetric measurements if you don't have one.

Making Concentrate

  1. Measure 140 grams (1.75 cups) of coffee. In a French press, we recommend 1 gram of coffee for 6 mL of water, but you can always adjust for taste.
    Bonus tip: 1 mL of water weighs exactly 1 gram. You can use the same scale to measure your coffee and your water.
  2. Grind your coffee coarse. Your grounds should be as coarse as possible. Because the coffee will steep for a long time, it will be over-extracted and bitter if the grinds are too fine.
    Bonus tip: Every grinder is different and every coffee is different. Start out with a coarse grind, and make small adjustments to taste.
    The most important thing is that your cup of coffee tastes amazing to you. Grind sizes and ratios should be taken as suggestions, not laws.
  3. Measure 840 mL (3.5 cups) of water. Based on our 1:6 ratio. The water should be filtered for optimal taste.
  4. Steep for 18-24 hours at room temp. Mix the water and coffee grounds in the French press and leave the plunger lifted. The grounds will rise and sit above the water. Leave it to steep.
    Bonus tip: We’ve found that 18 hours is a perfect time to steep. Leave it in for longer if you like a more robust, bitter flavor.
  5. Filter. Once the coffee is steeped, plunge the filter on the French press all the way to the bottom. Pour your fresh concentrate into a jar and leave it in the fridge.

Ready to Drink

Your concentrate is ready to go anytime you like it.

We suggest diluting it with a 1:1 ratio. That’s one part concentrate and one part water or milk.

Pour your cold brew into a glass with ice and enjoy the perfect cool drink on a hot summer day in the city.