Cold Brew Coffee
کولڈ برو کافی
Cold brew is coffee that is never heated. Coarse grounds sit in cold water for half a day or more, and the slow steep pulls out the chocolatey, rounded flavours while leaving most of the harsh bitterness behind. The result is a strong that keeps in the fridge for a week, so one jug gives you iced coffee on demand. Getting it right comes down to three things: a coarse grind, the right ratio, and patience.
- ⏱ Total: 12 hr 10 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 12 hr
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the coarsely ground coffee in a large glass jug, pour in the cold water and stir gently for 30 seconds, until every ground is wet and no dry clumps float on top.
Cover the jug and leave it to steep for 12–18 hours, on the counter or in the fridge. Around 14 hours gives a balanced, full-bodied brew; in the fridge, go closer to 18.
Strain through a fine sieve lined with a paper coffee filter or a thin muslin cloth into a clean jug. Let it drip through on its own and don't squeeze the grounds.
If the concentrate still looks cloudy or gritty, strain it a second time through a fresh filter. Cover and refrigerate.
To serve, fill a glass with ice and pour in 1/2 cup of concentrate and 1/2 cup of cold water or milk. Sweeten if you like, stir and drink.
Kitchen notes
Grind coarse. Fine grounds over-extract in the long steep, turn the coffee muddy and bitter, and clog the filter.
Start with a 1:1 dilution and adjust. Use 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water or milk for a lighter glass.
Steeping much past 20 hours adds woody, bitter notes rather than strength. If you want it stronger, use more coffee instead.
Coffee without heat
Cold brew has been made for centuries in different forms, but it became a café staple only in the last couple of decades, and it is now sold in specialty coffee shops across Pakistan’s big cities. It suits a hot climate perfectly: one jug made overnight gives a week of iced coffee, with no machine and no stove. Because it is made as a , it is also flexible. The same jug can make a black iced coffee, a milky iced latte or a base for a blended drink.
Ratio, grind and time
This recipe uses 100 grams of coffee to 4 cups of water, roughly 1 to 9.5 by weight, which gives a concentrate meant to be diluted about one to one. Cold water extracts coffee slowly, so the long steep is not optional. Under 12 hours the brew tastes thin and sour; between 14 and 18 hours it becomes full and chocolatey. A coarse grind keeps the extraction even and makes straining easy. Straining gently, without pressing the grounds, keeps the fine bitter sludge out of the jug.
Ways to serve it
- Black over ice: concentrate and water, one to one.
- Cold brew latte: concentrate and cold milk, one to one, with a little honey.
- Sweet cream: top black cold brew with a splash of cream whisked with a little sugar.
- Spiced: add a cinnamon stick or two crushed cardamom pods to the jug while it steeps.
Storing
Keep the strained concentrate in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge and use it within a week. Don’t add ice or milk until you pour a glass, so the concentrate stays strong. If you run out of ice, freeze some concentrate in an ice tray; those cubes chill the next glass without diluting it.
Questions people ask
How is cold brew different from iced coffee?
Iced coffee is brewed hot and then chilled, so it keeps hot coffee's brightness and bitterness. Cold brew never touches heat, so it is smoother, less acidic and naturally a little sweeter tasting.
Can I use instant coffee for cold brew?
No. Instant coffee is already brewed and dried, so there is nothing to steep. Use ground coffee from beans, ideally a medium or dark roast ground coarse.
How long does cold brew concentrate last?
Up to 1 week in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge. It is at its best in the first 4 to 5 days; after that the flavour slowly goes flat.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 5
- Protein
- 0 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
