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| Meta Title | Easy Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee | The Fit Cookie |
| Meta Description | Save time in the mornings and get a better cup of coffee with this super easy method for big batch Cold Brew Coffee at home! |
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| Boilerpipe Text | Save time in the mornings and get a better cup of coffee with this super easy method for big batch Cold Brew Coffee (it’s easy to make at home)! It’s concentrated, so one batch can last several days.
Years ago, I never really drank coffee. My family was raised on hot tea, so coffee was never really part of my daily routine until I got well into adulthood. Sure, we’d have occasional coffees maybe once a week at church, but it wasn’t good coffee and it was more for a pick-me-up and not for the taste.
These days I drink more coffee and I actually enjoy the taste of the coffee itself, and the smooth sweetness of cold brew coffee has made its way into my regular coffee rotation.
Coffee is more to me than a means to an energetic end – I love the taste and smell of a great quality cup of coffee. And cold brewing brings out the best things in coffee without the bitterness and acidity, plus it’s so easy to make!
So why drink cold brew coffee instead of hot brewed? When you cold brew vs. hot brew your coffee, you don’t get as much acidity or bitterness from the coffee that you’d normally get when adding heat. So your resulting brew is smoother tasting, less bitter, and less acidic than hot brewed coffee.
It’s concentrated as well, so you usually only need half of what you’d normally drink (though it’s not as concentrated as espresso). Plus, with cold brew, you can make a big batch and it will last for several days!
I’ve also noticed that I don’t need hardly any sweetener in my cold brew coffee. Since it’s less bitter and less acidic, you really don’t have to add a ton of sugar to your coffee, so it’s healthier, too, if you’re working on cutting back on sugar.
I used to use the
Healthwise low acid coffee
(a great option if you have a sensitive stomach) that’s available in regular and Swiss water method decaf. But lately I’ve been using the
Laird Superfood brand coffee
. It’s organic, fair trade, high altitude and hand picked (which helps it to be naturally lower in acid).
I didn’t know too much about cold brewed coffee until I read about it on Food52 back in 2012. I’ve been making it regularly since then! While I still make homemade lattes with our espresso machine, cold brew is always a favorite of mine when I want a smooth cold coffee on a hot day.
Or I’ll even heat up my cup of cold brew in the microwave if I want a smoother hot coffee!
Cold brew coffee has increased in popularity over the past few years at popular chains like Starbucks and for good reason: it’s a great way to serve bold iced coffee that isn’t going to get watery like adding ice to a hot latte often will.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Making cold brew coffee is pretty straightforward and simple: add coffee grinds to water, let them soak for hours, and filter it into a new pitcher.
So easy.
There are toddy coffee systems you can buy, and filter basket pitcher systems as well, but this method works really well while using things you already have in your house.
I like to add my grounds and water to a large
batter bowl
/glass pitcher bowl with a lid to make it a bit easier to measure out my water and pour into the filter and pitcher, but you can use any large pitcher you like. I recommend one with a good our spout for easier pouring and filtering.
In the past, I’ve tried using the
Takeya cold brew pitcher
that uses the coffee in an infuser type basket to make filtering and cleanup easier, but I found the coffee to be much weaker. I prefer letting the coffee grounds soak loose in the water (toddy method) for the fullest flavor, then filtering everything
after
it’s soaked/brewed.
It’s a little bit messier this way, but the flavor is deeper and richer!
Once you’ve filtered out your coffee into a new pitcher, you can
add the coffee grinds to your compost
(they may be too acidic still to add directly to soil or plants).
If you’re cutting back on caffeine, this will work great with decaf coffee as well. It does concentrate the caffeine a little bit, so be aware of that. I usually make mine a 50/50 mix of decaf and regular since I watch my caffeine consumption.
What type of grind should I use?
If you don’t have a superfine filter for filtering, I’d recommend using coarse coffee grounds otherwise you will end up with a lot of sediment and cloudy coffee.
I use a really fine nylon mesh filter for my cold brew so I don’t have to worry about the type of grind I use. I actually use the
filter basket
from the Takeya cold brew pitcher to pour through and filter out my coffee and it works great, I have hardly any sediment at the bottom of my pitcher, and never any loose grinds.
Fine nylon mesh nut milk bags also work well for this, just make sure that your bag is securely set over your pitcher or you’ll end up with grounds in your cold brew.
Finer ground coffee (like a regular drip grind) is also going to result in a stronger brew than very coarse ground coffee as well and will still work fine if you have a fine filter. I just wouldn’t use espresso grind however since that will make filtering your coffee difficult.
So depending on what kind of filter you’re using and how strong you want your cold brew coffee will determine your coffee grind. Since I like my cold brew strong and I use a nylon mesh filter, regular drip grind works fine for us.
How to serve your cold brew
Since cold brew is concentrated, I usually do a 50/50 mix of cold brew with dairy free milk, or a 70/30 coffee/milk split if I want it stronger. If you want to keep it black, just use water instead of milk.
The great thing about cold brew is that you can make it as strong as you like!
When I want a hot cup of coffee with the cold brew, I’ll heat up my cold brew in the microwave then add some dairy free creamer. On occasion I heat up a cup of coffee and make a bulletproof coffee with it by blending in a tablespoon or 2 of coconut oil. So good!
If you love batch cooking and meal prepping, cold brew is a great way to prepare your coffee for the week for busy mornings.
I’ve even used a ratio of 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups grounds for an even bigger batch of coffee when I’m feeling like I’ll need more coffee for the week!
How to make flavored cold brew coffee
If you want to use flavored coffee with this method, you’ll want to cut it with regular unflavored coffee, otherwise the flavors will be very strong since the flavors have so much more time to steep out of the grounds and into the liquid than when you hot brew, so start sparingly with flavored coffees and adjust to your taste.
I’ve made flavored cold brew coffee with 3/4 cup regular coffee and 1/4 cup flavored coffee grounds (or you can do 50/50 if you want it stronger). Start out with the smaller amount and test taste to find your favorite flavor profile.
Dark Canyon Coffee
in Rapid City, South Dakota, is one of my favorite coffee roasters for flavored coffees, and they are not too far from us. They make great flavored coffees! One of our favorites is the Highlander Grogg, a blend of Butterscotch and French Vanilla.
One of our older photos for this post
Giant batch cold brew
Since we end up going through our cold brew fairly quickly in our house, instead of our usual 2-quart batch I decided to make a giant batch of double-strength coffee and put it in a big
drink dispenser
for our fridge.
For my giant batch of cold brew, I used 2 1/2 cups of ground coffee to 1 gallon of cold water and I let it sit for 2 days vs just one to have a stronger brew. I used the
Chamberlain coffee
Social Dog Blend which has become a new favorite of ours!
You can let this steep overnight or 24 hours like usual if you want, but I chose to do a longer steep to get a stronger coffee.
With a 1-gallon giant batch, you’re not going to end up with a
full gallon
of cold brew after filtering since some of the coffee grounds will have soaked up the water. But this makes a great batch since we still do about a 50/50 or 70/30 cold brew to oat milk ratio for our homemade cold brew coffee.
If there are days when I don’t feel like waiting for my coffee to steep, I’ll buy a quart of extra-bold Stok to top off my coffee dispenser!
This blog post was originally posted in 2013, we recently updated this in 2018, in 2022, and added new photos in April 2025.
1
cup
ground coffee
6
cups
water
Large glass pitcher bowl
Fine mesh filter
(I use the filter that came with my Takeya cold brew pitcher)
Grind whole coffee beans, OR use any previously ground coffee you have on hand
Place 1 cup coffee grounds in a covered bowl or pitcher. Cover with 6 cups cold water.
Stir up the grounds so they are all wet and mixed fairly well.
Let coffee grounds and water sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours (I usually let it sit for 12 hours).Â
Pour the coffee and grounds through a fine-mesh nut-milk bag or layered cheesecloth to separate the coffee from the grounds.Â
This coffee is concentrated a bit, so it's usually double strength. I prepare my cold brewed coffee this way: 1/2 cup coffee concentrate + 1/2 cup unsweetened almondmilk +
Stevia drops
.
To serve: mix with as much unsweetened non-dairy milk or creamer as you like. Since this is concentrated, I usually use equal parts cold brew coffee concentrate and almondmilk.
Enjoy!
If you need a slightly bigger batch of coffee, you can use 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups coffee grounds!
For a giant batch, do 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee grounds for 1 gallon of water.
For cold brewing with flavored coffee, the flavors will be stronger so start with 1/4 cup flavored coffee + 3/4 cup regular unflavored coffee. Adjust the ratios to suit your tastes.Â
Calories:
2
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
0
g
|
Protein:
0
g
|
Fat:
0
g
|
Saturated Fat:
0
g
|
Cholesterol:
0
mg
|
Sodium:
12
mg
|
Sugar:
0
g
|
Calcium:
8
mg
Share a photo on Instagram and tag us
@TheFitCookie
!
Pin for later!
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist. |
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[Home](https://thefitcookie.com/) » [Life & Home](https://thefitcookie.com/category/life/) » [Cooking](https://thefitcookie.com/category/life/cooking/) » Easy Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee
# Easy Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee
May 2, 2025
July 10, 2018
by [Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/author/thefitcookie27/ "View all posts by Sarah Jane Parker")
*Disclosure: Our website uses advertising and affiliate links to generate income.*
[Jump to Recipe](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#recipe)
[Gluten Free](https://thefitcookie.com/category/recipes/glutenfree/)[Dairy Free](https://thefitcookie.com/category/recipes/dairy-free/)[Vegan](https://thefitcookie.com/category/recipes/vegan/)
*Save time in the mornings and get a better cup of coffee with this super easy method for big batch Cold Brew Coffee (it’s easy to make at home)! It’s concentrated, so one batch can last several days.*
Years ago, I never really drank coffee. My family was raised on hot tea, so coffee was never really part of my daily routine until I got well into adulthood. Sure, we’d have occasional coffees maybe once a week at church, but it wasn’t good coffee and it was more for a pick-me-up and not for the taste.
These days I drink more coffee and I actually enjoy the taste of the coffee itself, and the smooth sweetness of cold brew coffee has made its way into my regular coffee rotation.
Coffee is more to me than a means to an energetic end – I love the taste and smell of a great quality cup of coffee. And cold brewing brings out the best things in coffee without the bitterness and acidity, plus it’s so easy to make\!
## Why Cold Brew Coffee?
So why drink cold brew coffee instead of hot brewed? When you cold brew vs. hot brew your coffee, you don’t get as much acidity or bitterness from the coffee that you’d normally get when adding heat. So your resulting brew is smoother tasting, less bitter, and less acidic than hot brewed coffee.
It’s concentrated as well, so you usually only need half of what you’d normally drink (though it’s not as concentrated as espresso). Plus, with cold brew, you can make a big batch and it will last for several days\!
I’ve also noticed that I don’t need hardly any sweetener in my cold brew coffee. Since it’s less bitter and less acidic, you really don’t have to add a ton of sugar to your coffee, so it’s healthier, too, if you’re working on cutting back on sugar.
I used to use the [Healthwise low acid coffee](https://amzn.to/3z07VVU) (a great option if you have a sensitive stomach) that’s available in regular and Swiss water method decaf. But lately I’ve been using the [Laird Superfood brand coffee](https://lairdsuperfood.com/products/organic-fair-trade-medium-roast-ground). It’s organic, fair trade, high altitude and hand picked (which helps it to be naturally lower in acid).
I didn’t know too much about cold brewed coffee until I read about it on Food52 back in 2012. I’ve been making it regularly since then! While I still make homemade lattes with our espresso machine, cold brew is always a favorite of mine when I want a smooth cold coffee on a hot day.
Or I’ll even heat up my cup of cold brew in the microwave if I want a smoother hot coffee\!
Cold brew coffee has increased in popularity over the past few years at popular chains like Starbucks and for good reason: it’s a great way to serve bold iced coffee that isn’t going to get watery like adding ice to a hot latte often will.
## How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Making cold brew coffee is pretty straightforward and simple: add coffee grinds to water, let them soak for hours, and filter it into a new pitcher. *So easy.*
There are toddy coffee systems you can buy, and filter basket pitcher systems as well, but this method works really well while using things you already have in your house.
I like to add my grounds and water to a large [batter bowl](https://amzn.to/2HwdzW0)/glass pitcher bowl with a lid to make it a bit easier to measure out my water and pour into the filter and pitcher, but you can use any large pitcher you like. I recommend one with a good our spout for easier pouring and filtering.
In the past, I’ve tried using the [Takeya cold brew pitcher](https://amzn.to/3aDS2Lp) that uses the coffee in an infuser type basket to make filtering and cleanup easier, but I found the coffee to be much weaker. I prefer letting the coffee grounds soak loose in the water (toddy method) for the fullest flavor, then filtering everything *after* it’s soaked/brewed.
It’s a little bit messier this way, but the flavor is deeper and richer\!
Once you’ve filtered out your coffee into a new pitcher, you can [add the coffee grinds to your compost](https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/planting-and-maintenance/how-to-use-coffee-grounds-in-the-garden) (they may be too acidic still to add directly to soil or plants).
If you’re cutting back on caffeine, this will work great with decaf coffee as well. It does concentrate the caffeine a little bit, so be aware of that. I usually make mine a 50/50 mix of decaf and regular since I watch my caffeine consumption.
## What type of grind should I use?
If you don’t have a superfine filter for filtering, I’d recommend using coarse coffee grounds otherwise you will end up with a lot of sediment and cloudy coffee.
I use a really fine nylon mesh filter for my cold brew so I don’t have to worry about the type of grind I use. I actually use the [filter basket](https://amzn.to/3cbi3Cd) from the Takeya cold brew pitcher to pour through and filter out my coffee and it works great, I have hardly any sediment at the bottom of my pitcher, and never any loose grinds.
Fine nylon mesh nut milk bags also work well for this, just make sure that your bag is securely set over your pitcher or you’ll end up with grounds in your cold brew.
Finer ground coffee (like a regular drip grind) is also going to result in a stronger brew than very coarse ground coffee as well and will still work fine if you have a fine filter. I just wouldn’t use espresso grind however since that will make filtering your coffee difficult.
So depending on what kind of filter you’re using and how strong you want your cold brew coffee will determine your coffee grind. Since I like my cold brew strong and I use a nylon mesh filter, regular drip grind works fine for us.
## How to serve your cold brew
Since cold brew is concentrated, I usually do a 50/50 mix of cold brew with dairy free milk, or a 70/30 coffee/milk split if I want it stronger. If you want to keep it black, just use water instead of milk.
The great thing about cold brew is that you can make it as strong as you like\!
When I want a hot cup of coffee with the cold brew, I’ll heat up my cold brew in the microwave then add some dairy free creamer. On occasion I heat up a cup of coffee and make a bulletproof coffee with it by blending in a tablespoon or 2 of coconut oil. So good\!
If you love batch cooking and meal prepping, cold brew is a great way to prepare your coffee for the week for busy mornings.
I’ve even used a ratio of 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups grounds for an even bigger batch of coffee when I’m feeling like I’ll need more coffee for the week\!
## How to make flavored cold brew coffee
If you want to use flavored coffee with this method, you’ll want to cut it with regular unflavored coffee, otherwise the flavors will be very strong since the flavors have so much more time to steep out of the grounds and into the liquid than when you hot brew, so start sparingly with flavored coffees and adjust to your taste.
I’ve made flavored cold brew coffee with 3/4 cup regular coffee and 1/4 cup flavored coffee grounds (or you can do 50/50 if you want it stronger). Start out with the smaller amount and test taste to find your favorite flavor profile.
[Dark Canyon Coffee](http://www.darkcanyon-coffee.com/) in Rapid City, South Dakota, is one of my favorite coffee roasters for flavored coffees, and they are not too far from us. They make great flavored coffees! One of our favorites is the Highlander Grogg, a blend of Butterscotch and French Vanilla.
*One of our older photos for this post*
## Giant batch cold brew
Since we end up going through our cold brew fairly quickly in our house, instead of our usual 2-quart batch I decided to make a giant batch of double-strength coffee and put it in a big [drink dispenser](https://amzn.to/4apWSFJ) for our fridge.
For my giant batch of cold brew, I used 2 1/2 cups of ground coffee to 1 gallon of cold water and I let it sit for 2 days vs just one to have a stronger brew. I used the [Chamberlain coffee](https://amzn.to/3JeBSWk) Social Dog Blend which has become a new favorite of ours\!
You can let this steep overnight or 24 hours like usual if you want, but I chose to do a longer steep to get a stronger coffee.
With a 1-gallon giant batch, you’re not going to end up with a *full gallon* of cold brew after filtering since some of the coffee grounds will have soaked up the water. But this makes a great batch since we still do about a 50/50 or 70/30 cold brew to oat milk ratio for our homemade cold brew coffee.
If there are days when I don’t feel like waiting for my coffee to steep, I’ll buy a quart of extra-bold Stok to top off my coffee dispenser\!
*This blog post was originally posted in 2013, we recently updated this in 2018, in 2022, and added new photos in April 2025.*
## Shop the recipe ingredients
Instacart
Instacart
[Shop Ingredients](https://jupiter.shop/checkout/cf6ef657-4292-42da-8b55-1e8242058a3c/instacart)
## Easy Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee
Save time in the mornings and get a better cup of coffee with this super easy method for big batch Cold Brew Coffee (it's easy to make at home)! It's concentrated, so you can make this on Sunday and can last the whole week
***Paleo, vegan, nut free***
4\.75 from 4 votes
[Print](https://thefitcookie.jupiter.shop/print?source=https%3A%2F%2Fthefitcookie.com%2Fhow-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee%2F&externalId=28172&recipeId=cf6ef657-4292-42da-8b55-1e8242058a3c)
[Pin](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefitcookie.com%2Fhow-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fthefitcookie.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F07%2FCold-Brew-Coffee-9-EDIT.jpg&description=Save+time+in+the+mornings+and+get+a+better+cup+of+coffee+with+this+super+easy+method+for+big+batch+Cold+Brew+Coffee+%28it%26%23039%3Bs+easy+to+make+at+home%29%21+It%26%23039%3Bs+concentrated%2C+so+you+can+make+this+on+Sunday+and+can+last+the+whole+weekPaleo%2C+vegan%2C+nut+free&is_video=false)
[Rate](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#commentform)
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cold brew coffee, homemade cold brew coffee, how to make cold brew coffee
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Soaking time: 13 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 13 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 2kcal
Author: [Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/)
### Ingredients
- 1 cup [ground coffee](https://amzn.to/3z1rpcA)
- 6 cups water
- [Large glass pitcher bowl](https://amzn.to/2HwdzW0)
- [Fine mesh filter](https://amzn.to/2Y4Nra5) (I use the filter that came with my Takeya cold brew pitcher)
Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
### Instructions
- Grind whole coffee beans, OR use any previously ground coffee you have on hand
- Place 1 cup coffee grounds in a covered bowl or pitcher. Cover with 6 cups cold water.
- Stir up the grounds so they are all wet and mixed fairly well.
- Let coffee grounds and water sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours (I usually let it sit for 12 hours).
- Pour the coffee and grounds through a fine-mesh nut-milk bag or layered cheesecloth to separate the coffee from the grounds.
- This coffee is concentrated a bit, so it's usually double strength. I prepare my cold brewed coffee this way: 1/2 cup coffee concentrate + 1/2 cup unsweetened almondmilk + [Stevia drops](https://amzn.to/2KbxvzA).
- To serve: mix with as much unsweetened non-dairy milk or creamer as you like. Since this is concentrated, I usually use equal parts cold brew coffee concentrate and almondmilk.
- Enjoy\!
### Video
### Notes
If you need a slightly bigger batch of coffee, you can use 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups coffee grounds\!
For a giant batch, do 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee grounds for 1 gallon of water.
For cold brewing with flavored coffee, the flavors will be stronger so start with 1/4 cup flavored coffee + 3/4 cup regular unflavored coffee. Adjust the ratios to suit your tastes.
### Nutrition
Calories: 2kcal \| Carbohydrates: 0g \| Protein: 0g \| Fat: 0g \| Saturated Fat: 0g \| Cholesterol: 0mg \| Sodium: 12mg \| Sugar: 0g \| Calcium: 8mg
Did you make this recipe?Share a photo on Instagram and tag us [@TheFitCookie](https://www.instagram.com/TheFitCookie)\!
**Pin for later\!**
[Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/author/thefitcookie27/)
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist.
[Blogging Tips from the Everything Food Conference](https://thefitcookie.com/blogging-tips-from-the-everything-food-conference/)
[Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Mug Cake (Vegan)](https://thefitcookie.com/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-mug-cake/)
## 15 thoughts on “Easy Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee”
1. Shana Klinge
[December 28, 2019 at 8:40 pm](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11910)
Thank you for posting this!! I am actually a black coffee drinker so would I dilute with cold water? I am not a fan of milk or creamer. I just mixed this up and it is brewing in the fridge!\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11910)
- [Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/)
[December 29, 2019 at 11:01 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11913)
Hi Shana! Yep, you can mix this with water for a black cold brew! Sometimes when I don’t want as much almondmilk or creamer, I mix it with water in equal parts and then add a little creamer if I still want some. You can always adjust the strength by using more or less water if you like 🙂
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11913)
2. James
[October 24, 2019 at 7:28 pm](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11501)
Sometimes it’s like you’re reading my mind when you post! I’m a relatively new coffee-drinking, just started last year. I’m just feeling things out, trying things at home, and was thinking about trying to cold-brew to see how I liked it! This is just perfect, I’m going to give it a try\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11501)
- [Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/)
[October 25, 2019 at 8:01 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11503)
That’s great James! Let me know what you think of it when you make it 🙂
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-11503)
3. Gary@milk frother
[March 19, 2019 at 4:56 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-8081)
I love this! Healthy and delicious! Just brilliant & superb. Thanks for sharing.
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-8081)
- [Sarah Jane Parker](https://thefitcookie.com/)
[March 19, 2019 at 7:24 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-8082)
Thanks Gary\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-8082)
4. Westly Smith
[February 11, 2016 at 3:45 pm](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-4933)
I, too, am not a very big coffee drinker. However, all of my family loves coffee! Thanks for posting the steps for make cold brewed coffee. I think that I’m going to try this and see if I like it more than regular coffee. It’ll be good to try something new.
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-4933)
5. Patty @ Reach Your Peak
[April 28, 2014 at 7:24 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1941)
Wow good to know! I had no idea that you could make iced coffee this way. I thought you just make coffee, then put it in the fridge, and then maybe make coffee ice cubes to add in lol. Thanks for sharing! This will be perfect to try out once it gets too hot out for hot coffee 🙂
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1941)
- [Sarah Jane](http://about.me/SarahJaneParker)
[April 28, 2014 at 11:58 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1942)
I LOVE my iced coffee! It has a better flavor than hot-brewed and it’s more sweet – so good\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1942)
6. [Elle](https://eatrunsail.blogspot.com/)
[August 6, 2013 at 8:51 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1607)
I love coffee of all kinds. Going to try this for sure. Thanks\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1607)
- thefitcookie27
[August 7, 2013 at 8:13 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1609)
Let me know how you like it! I just bought some Sumatran Mandheling coffee yesterday to try out. I have had Vietnamese coffee (very tasty!), and the Sumatran coffee is pretty good so far cold-brewed
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1609)
7. [Mindy @ Road Runner Girl](http://www.roadrunnergirl.com/)
[August 6, 2013 at 7:52 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1606)
Awesome! I’m going to have to try this! I love my coffee but must use creamer to take the bitter taste out of it. I will have to try this since it takes some of the bitter out. Thanks for sharing\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1606)
- thefitcookie27
[August 7, 2013 at 8:17 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1611)
No problem Mindy 🙂 I still love to add almond milk to my coffee, but it is less bitter and I think it helps my stomach, too, since I have reflux problems
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1611)
8. Linz @ Itz Linz
[August 6, 2013 at 6:19 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1605)
my husband loves cold coffee!! he makes a whole pot on Sunday nights and puts it in the fridge\!
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1605)
- thefitcookie27
[August 7, 2013 at 8:16 am](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1610)
Making ahead is such a time saver! I love that I can grab a few sips before I go out to run in the morning – it’s all ready and waiting 🙂
[Reply](https://thefitcookie.com/how-to-easy-cold-brewed-coffee/#comment-1610)
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| Readable Markdown | *Save time in the mornings and get a better cup of coffee with this super easy method for big batch Cold Brew Coffee (it’s easy to make at home)! It’s concentrated, so one batch can last several days.*
Years ago, I never really drank coffee. My family was raised on hot tea, so coffee was never really part of my daily routine until I got well into adulthood. Sure, we’d have occasional coffees maybe once a week at church, but it wasn’t good coffee and it was more for a pick-me-up and not for the taste.
These days I drink more coffee and I actually enjoy the taste of the coffee itself, and the smooth sweetness of cold brew coffee has made its way into my regular coffee rotation.
Coffee is more to me than a means to an energetic end – I love the taste and smell of a great quality cup of coffee. And cold brewing brings out the best things in coffee without the bitterness and acidity, plus it’s so easy to make\!
So why drink cold brew coffee instead of hot brewed? When you cold brew vs. hot brew your coffee, you don’t get as much acidity or bitterness from the coffee that you’d normally get when adding heat. So your resulting brew is smoother tasting, less bitter, and less acidic than hot brewed coffee.
It’s concentrated as well, so you usually only need half of what you’d normally drink (though it’s not as concentrated as espresso). Plus, with cold brew, you can make a big batch and it will last for several days\!
I’ve also noticed that I don’t need hardly any sweetener in my cold brew coffee. Since it’s less bitter and less acidic, you really don’t have to add a ton of sugar to your coffee, so it’s healthier, too, if you’re working on cutting back on sugar.
I used to use the [Healthwise low acid coffee](https://amzn.to/3z07VVU) (a great option if you have a sensitive stomach) that’s available in regular and Swiss water method decaf. But lately I’ve been using the [Laird Superfood brand coffee](https://lairdsuperfood.com/products/organic-fair-trade-medium-roast-ground). It’s organic, fair trade, high altitude and hand picked (which helps it to be naturally lower in acid).
I didn’t know too much about cold brewed coffee until I read about it on Food52 back in 2012. I’ve been making it regularly since then! While I still make homemade lattes with our espresso machine, cold brew is always a favorite of mine when I want a smooth cold coffee on a hot day.
Or I’ll even heat up my cup of cold brew in the microwave if I want a smoother hot coffee\!
Cold brew coffee has increased in popularity over the past few years at popular chains like Starbucks and for good reason: it’s a great way to serve bold iced coffee that isn’t going to get watery like adding ice to a hot latte often will.
## How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Making cold brew coffee is pretty straightforward and simple: add coffee grinds to water, let them soak for hours, and filter it into a new pitcher. *So easy.*
There are toddy coffee systems you can buy, and filter basket pitcher systems as well, but this method works really well while using things you already have in your house.
I like to add my grounds and water to a large [batter bowl](https://amzn.to/2HwdzW0)/glass pitcher bowl with a lid to make it a bit easier to measure out my water and pour into the filter and pitcher, but you can use any large pitcher you like. I recommend one with a good our spout for easier pouring and filtering.
In the past, I’ve tried using the [Takeya cold brew pitcher](https://amzn.to/3aDS2Lp) that uses the coffee in an infuser type basket to make filtering and cleanup easier, but I found the coffee to be much weaker. I prefer letting the coffee grounds soak loose in the water (toddy method) for the fullest flavor, then filtering everything *after* it’s soaked/brewed.
It’s a little bit messier this way, but the flavor is deeper and richer\!
Once you’ve filtered out your coffee into a new pitcher, you can [add the coffee grinds to your compost](https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/planting-and-maintenance/how-to-use-coffee-grounds-in-the-garden) (they may be too acidic still to add directly to soil or plants).
If you’re cutting back on caffeine, this will work great with decaf coffee as well. It does concentrate the caffeine a little bit, so be aware of that. I usually make mine a 50/50 mix of decaf and regular since I watch my caffeine consumption.
## What type of grind should I use?
If you don’t have a superfine filter for filtering, I’d recommend using coarse coffee grounds otherwise you will end up with a lot of sediment and cloudy coffee.
I use a really fine nylon mesh filter for my cold brew so I don’t have to worry about the type of grind I use. I actually use the [filter basket](https://amzn.to/3cbi3Cd) from the Takeya cold brew pitcher to pour through and filter out my coffee and it works great, I have hardly any sediment at the bottom of my pitcher, and never any loose grinds.
Fine nylon mesh nut milk bags also work well for this, just make sure that your bag is securely set over your pitcher or you’ll end up with grounds in your cold brew.
Finer ground coffee (like a regular drip grind) is also going to result in a stronger brew than very coarse ground coffee as well and will still work fine if you have a fine filter. I just wouldn’t use espresso grind however since that will make filtering your coffee difficult.
So depending on what kind of filter you’re using and how strong you want your cold brew coffee will determine your coffee grind. Since I like my cold brew strong and I use a nylon mesh filter, regular drip grind works fine for us.
## How to serve your cold brew
Since cold brew is concentrated, I usually do a 50/50 mix of cold brew with dairy free milk, or a 70/30 coffee/milk split if I want it stronger. If you want to keep it black, just use water instead of milk.
The great thing about cold brew is that you can make it as strong as you like\!
When I want a hot cup of coffee with the cold brew, I’ll heat up my cold brew in the microwave then add some dairy free creamer. On occasion I heat up a cup of coffee and make a bulletproof coffee with it by blending in a tablespoon or 2 of coconut oil. So good\!
If you love batch cooking and meal prepping, cold brew is a great way to prepare your coffee for the week for busy mornings.
I’ve even used a ratio of 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups grounds for an even bigger batch of coffee when I’m feeling like I’ll need more coffee for the week\!
## How to make flavored cold brew coffee
If you want to use flavored coffee with this method, you’ll want to cut it with regular unflavored coffee, otherwise the flavors will be very strong since the flavors have so much more time to steep out of the grounds and into the liquid than when you hot brew, so start sparingly with flavored coffees and adjust to your taste.
I’ve made flavored cold brew coffee with 3/4 cup regular coffee and 1/4 cup flavored coffee grounds (or you can do 50/50 if you want it stronger). Start out with the smaller amount and test taste to find your favorite flavor profile.
[Dark Canyon Coffee](http://www.darkcanyon-coffee.com/) in Rapid City, South Dakota, is one of my favorite coffee roasters for flavored coffees, and they are not too far from us. They make great flavored coffees! One of our favorites is the Highlander Grogg, a blend of Butterscotch and French Vanilla.
*One of our older photos for this post*
## Giant batch cold brew
Since we end up going through our cold brew fairly quickly in our house, instead of our usual 2-quart batch I decided to make a giant batch of double-strength coffee and put it in a big [drink dispenser](https://amzn.to/4apWSFJ) for our fridge.
For my giant batch of cold brew, I used 2 1/2 cups of ground coffee to 1 gallon of cold water and I let it sit for 2 days vs just one to have a stronger brew. I used the [Chamberlain coffee](https://amzn.to/3JeBSWk) Social Dog Blend which has become a new favorite of ours\!
You can let this steep overnight or 24 hours like usual if you want, but I chose to do a longer steep to get a stronger coffee.
With a 1-gallon giant batch, you’re not going to end up with a *full gallon* of cold brew after filtering since some of the coffee grounds will have soaked up the water. But this makes a great batch since we still do about a 50/50 or 70/30 cold brew to oat milk ratio for our homemade cold brew coffee.
If there are days when I don’t feel like waiting for my coffee to steep, I’ll buy a quart of extra-bold Stok to top off my coffee dispenser\!
*This blog post was originally posted in 2013, we recently updated this in 2018, in 2022, and added new photos in April 2025.*
- 1 cup [ground coffee](https://amzn.to/3z1rpcA)
- 6 cups water
- [Large glass pitcher bowl](https://amzn.to/2HwdzW0)
- [Fine mesh filter](https://amzn.to/2Y4Nra5) (I use the filter that came with my Takeya cold brew pitcher)
- Grind whole coffee beans, OR use any previously ground coffee you have on hand
- Place 1 cup coffee grounds in a covered bowl or pitcher. Cover with 6 cups cold water.
- Stir up the grounds so they are all wet and mixed fairly well.
- Let coffee grounds and water sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours (I usually let it sit for 12 hours).
- Pour the coffee and grounds through a fine-mesh nut-milk bag or layered cheesecloth to separate the coffee from the grounds.
- This coffee is concentrated a bit, so it's usually double strength. I prepare my cold brewed coffee this way: 1/2 cup coffee concentrate + 1/2 cup unsweetened almondmilk + [Stevia drops](https://amzn.to/2KbxvzA).
- To serve: mix with as much unsweetened non-dairy milk or creamer as you like. Since this is concentrated, I usually use equal parts cold brew coffee concentrate and almondmilk.
- Enjoy\!
If you need a slightly bigger batch of coffee, you can use 8 cups of water to 1 1/3 cups coffee grounds\!
For a giant batch, do 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee grounds for 1 gallon of water.
For cold brewing with flavored coffee, the flavors will be stronger so start with 1/4 cup flavored coffee + 3/4 cup regular unflavored coffee. Adjust the ratios to suit your tastes.
Calories: 2kcal \| Carbohydrates: 0g \| Protein: 0g \| Fat: 0g \| Saturated Fat: 0g \| Cholesterol: 0mg \| Sodium: 12mg \| Sugar: 0g \| Calcium: 8mg
Share a photo on Instagram and tag us [@TheFitCookie](https://www.instagram.com/TheFitCookie)\!
**Pin for later\!**
Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist. |
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