Coffee is one of those drinks that millions of people choose as their pick-me-up every single morning. There’s nothing like a good cup of hot coffee before starting your day. In the summertime you might want to switch to a more weather appropriate alternative, for example, cold brew.

When it comes to making a cold coffee for the summer, you might feel disappointed when the end result isn’t what you expected. It’s super easy to mess up and make your cold coffee taste bitter and watery. 

So in this article we’ve come to help you learn how to make delicious and smooth cold brew coffee. This one’s for the coffee lovers!

Cold brew vs. iced coffee

First thing’s first, cold brew is not the same thing as iced coffee. To make your own iced coffee is tricky and it is often bitter and watery. However cold brew coffee is something completely different both in taste and visually.

Here’s the main differences between the two.

Pros and cons of iced coffee

To explain what we mean by iced coffee, it is a hot-brew coffee which is iced by adding a lot of ice cubes to the drink. It’s a fast way to get your iced coffee but surely it won’t taste that great.

+ Easy and fast to make. You will need some hot coffee, some ice cubes and 15-20 minutes to make.

+ You do not need a special coffee machine. All you need is some hot boiled water which you don’t really need special equipment for. 

– Bitter and acidic. Extracting hot water from the coffee with iced cubes makes the drink bitter and acidic. And that’s the biggest con of iced coffees. They simply don’t taste good.

– Temperature change ruins the drink. The quick temperature change somewhat ruins the drink and makes it spoil a lot faster. So if you’re making a cold coffee with a thought in mind not to drink it too quickly, you might need to reconsider.

Pros and cons of cold brew

Cold brew is made from steeping coffee with cold water instead of hot water.

+ Easy to make. There’s not much of your involvement needed, because all you mainly need to do is let the brew do its own thing.

+ Smooth flavor. Unlike iced coffee, cold brew is left with a smooth and non acidic flavor to enjoy. It’s a lot tastier and lasts longer.

+ Strong caffeine kick. If you’re looking for a good pick-me-up drink, then, compared to iced coffee, cold brew is where you need to look. It will give you energy 

– You need a cold brew coffee maker. Although cold brew is easy to make, you couldn’t really do it without special equipment of some sort.

– It takes up to 24 hours. It is not fast to make a good cold brew coffee. It can require your patience for 12-24 hours at most. The good news is that you can easily make a huge batch that will last you for a week or so.

Now that you’ve learned what cold brew coffee actually is, time to make some yourself!

How to make a tasty cold brew coffee

To make it easier, we have compiled 8 steps to make a smooth and flavorful cold brew for you to enjoy. Although 8 might sound a lot, trust us it’s super easy to make.

1. Grind your coffee beans

First step is to grind your coffee beans. It’s best to grind the coffee beans to a medium grind size, without making it too fine.

2. Add water to the beans

Then add some water to your grinded beans. Stir the water until all the grounds sink to the bottom of the jar.

Make sure you choose high quality, pure water. Since the cold brew recipe doesn’t allow boiling water, we need to make sure your water is already clean and drinkable. It’s best to use some spring water.

3. Put it in the fridge

Now it’s time to put your cold brew in the fridge. You can also use room temperature, but it can get quite hot in the summertime. So we advise to put it in the fridge instead to avoid any contamination and mess with the flavor or quality of the coffee.

4. Let your brew steep

And the most important part is this step. Let your coffee steep for at least 12 hours. This is a kind of coffee that you have to make ahead. For best results leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The longer it steeps the more flavorful and smooth it will become.

Once you get the hang of it, you can just make the next day’s drink every morning and make a routine from it. Get up in the morning, drink your already pre-made cold brew and meanwhile make a new one for tomorrow. 

Or just make a huge batch for the whole week.

5. Strain the drink

The next thing left to do is strain your drink. Use a fine mesh for doing so.

6. Decant

Once you’ve strained your drink, let it decant for another hour or so. Once the sediment has settled at the bottom, time to transfer your drink to another jar. Do it carefully.

7. Enjoy your drink

Add ice cubes and milk of your choice to the drink. Cold brew is ready to be enjoyed. With time you will understand what kind of cold brew you like the most. 

If ice dilutes the flavor too much for you, try adding more milk. Or maybe even freeze some coffee so you get coffee flavored ice cubes for a stronger drink.

8. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks 

Hot brew is great for the moment, however cold brew lasts a long time and if you make a huge batch you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If wanted, try mixing it up and finding flavors that you love the most. Maybe add some syrups, different kinds of milks etc. 

The drink is fully up to your interpretation! Although the making process of the cold brew can be quite time consuming but totally worth it!

For more coffee related information check out our other articles Ways to drink coffee and How to keep coffee hot longer.