Hot coffee? Great.
But when the sun's out, sometimes you want something cold, smooth and seriously caffeinated.
Enter: cold brew.
It's easy to make, tastes naturally smoother and sweeter than a traditional iced coffee, and once you've made a batch, you've got coffee ready to go whenever you need it.
Here's how.
What you'll need
- 100g coffee
- 700ml cold or room-temperature water
- A large jar or jug
- A cafetiere, coffee filter or fine sieve
- Ice
- Milk or water, if you fancy
That's it. No specialist kit required.
First things first: pick your coffee
Cold brewing tends to soften acidity and bitterness, bringing out the sweeter, heavier flavours in a coffee.
So while you can cold brew pretty much anything, coffees with chocolatey, nutty or naturally sweet notes are a particularly good shout.
Our pick: Brazil Santos
If you're making cold brew for the first time, we'd go for Brazil Santos.
It's got maple syrup, nut and milk chocolate notes, which make for a seriously smooth cold brew. Sweet, rich and easy drinking without being overly bitter.
Basically, exactly what we want when there's ice involved.
1. Grind it coarse
Use a coarse grind, roughly what you'd use for a cafetiere.
Too fine and you'll end up with a muddy brew that's a nightmare to filter.
Buying your coffee pre-ground? Ask for a cafetiere grind.
2. Add coffee and water
Chuck 100g of coffee into your jar or jug.
Add 700ml of cold or room-temperature water, making sure all the grounds are wet.
Give it a stir. Nothing fancy - just enough to make sure everything's properly mixed.
3. Now wait
Cover it and stick it in the fridge for 12-18 hours.
We'd start at around 16 hours.
Cold brew is a slow game. There's no need to rush it, and definitely no need to stand over it wondering whether it's done yet.
Go to bed. Go to work. Do literally anything else.
The coffee will sort itself out.
4. Filter it
Once it's brewed, you've got to separate the coffee from the grounds.
A cafetiere makes this nice and easy. For a cleaner brew, run it through a paper coffee filter or fine sieve.
Take your time here. Don't squeeze or press the grounds - you'll just push more sediment into the coffee.
5. Get it on ice
Fill a glass with ice.
Pour over your cold brew.
Drink it black, or add a splash of cold water or milk if you want something a little lighter.
And that's it.
You just made cold brew.
Want to mix it up?
Brazil Santos is our go-to for a classic, sweet cold brew, but there's no rule saying you have to stick with it.
Fancy something a bit more interesting?
Try Minster Blend. Caramel and chocolate sit underneath brighter citrus and berry notes, giving you a cold brew with a bit more going on.
Like your coffee bright and fruity?
Give Shambles Blend a go. Tanzanian, Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees bring citrus, berry and floral notes alongside the chocolatey stuff.
Prefer your coffee dark and punchy?
Old Brown Java is your guy. Cocoa, tobacco and walnut, with very little acidity. Proper grown-up cold brew.
A few cold brew tips
-
Don't skimp on the coffee.
Good cold brew starts with good coffee. Freshly roasted beans will make a noticeable difference. -
Keep it coarse.
Fine grind = difficult filtering and potentially bitter coffee. Nobody wants that. -
Start with 16 hours.
Too weak? Brew it for longer or use a little more coffee next time. Too strong? Dilute it with cold water. -
Keep it cold.
Once you've filtered it, keep your cold brew in the fridge and drink it within a few days while it's at its best.
The important bit
Cold brew doesn't need to be complicated.
Good coffee. Cold water. A bit of patience.
If you're giving it a go for the first time, grab a bag of Brazil Santos, chuck 100g into a jar with 700ml of water, leave it overnight and sort the rest in the morning.
You'll have a fridge full of smooth, sweet coffee before you know it.
Summer sorted.
