Cold Brew Coffee: How to Make It at Home

April 2, 2025

Cold Brew Coffee: How to Make It at Home

Cold brew coffee has surged in popularity across Australia — and for good reason. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, low in acidity, and refreshingly easy to drink. Better still, making it at home is surprisingly simple. No espresso machine, no complicated technique. Just coffee, cold water, and time.

What Is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew is coffee that has been steeped in cold or room-temperature water for an extended period — typically 12 to 24 hours. Unlike iced coffee (which is hot-brewed coffee poured over ice), cold brew is never exposed to heat. This slow extraction produces a concentrate that is naturally lower in acidity and bitterness, with a smooth, mellow sweetness.

The result is a coffee you can drink straight over ice, dilute with water or milk, or even use as a base for coffee cocktails. It keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks.

What You'll Need

The equipment requirements for cold brew are minimal:

Coarsely ground coffee — use an extra-coarse grind to avoid over-extraction and cloudiness
Cold or room-temperature water — filtered water gives the cleanest taste
A large jar, jug or French press — any non-reactive container works
A fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth — for filtering after steeping

For beans, a medium to dark roast works beautifully in cold brew — you get rich chocolate and caramel notes without the acidity. Browse espresso blends on myroast™, many of which are excellent for cold brew.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee: Step by Step

Grind your coffee extra-coarse. A coarser grind helps avoid over-extraction and keeps the cold brew smooth and clean-tasting.
Combine coffee and water. Use a ratio of 1:8 (coffee to water) for a concentrate — e.g. 100g coffee to 800ml water. For a ready-to-drink brew, use 1:15.
Stir to combine and make sure all grounds are saturated.
Steep in the fridge (or at room temperature) for 12–24 hours. Longer steeping produces a stronger, more intense concentrate. Room-temperature steeping extracts slightly faster (12–14 hours is enough).
Strain the coffee through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container. Discard the spent grounds.
Serve over ice — straight, with water, or with milk. If using concentrate, dilute 1:1 with water or milk.

Tips for the Best Cold Brew

Use quality beans. Cold brew amplifies the natural character of the coffee — good beans make a noticeable difference.
Don’t rush it. 18–20 hours in the fridge tends to be the sweet spot for most coffees.
Experiment with ratios. If you prefer a lighter drink, start with 1:12 and adjust to taste.
Try different origins. A fruity Ethiopian bean produces a very different cold brew to a Brazilian dark roast. Explore single origin coffees on myroast™ to find your favourite.
Store in a sealed container. Cold brew keeps for up to 14 days in the fridge.

Shop Coffee for Cold Brew on myroast™

Ready to brew? Find freshly roasted coffee perfect for cold brew at myroast™. Our Australian specialty roasters offer a range of blends and single origins that shine when steeped cold. Order online and have freshly roasted beans delivered directly to your door.