Classic coffee shop-style cold brew coffee is SO unbelievably easy to make at home you’ll never go back to buying it. This overnight cold brew coffee is a keeper recipe for any coffee lover!
*This post was updated with new photos 3/31/21*
Meet the current obsession amongst all the coffee-drinkers in my family, you guys. Soon to be yours.
Today I’m going to show you how to make the most incredible cold brew from the comfort of your own home!
No need to to shell out $5 for your coffee fix anymore! We’re making it budget-friendly, completely overnight, and so much better right in your own kitchen.
Props to Jason for inspiring this cold brew, btw. He convinced me to give it a try so I did just cause I’m always down for a new coffee love.
Spoiler: we both fell hard and fast in love with it. It’s so simple, yet about the most life-changing coffee you’ll ever make.
This Overnight Cold Brew Coffee features…
- An incredibly rich, smooth, and strong coffee flavor
- NO fancy equipment required – just a large mason jar and a fine-mesh sieve
- Nearly hands-off prep! 5 minute prep time and then let the fridge take care of the rest
- A blank canvas for so many delicious iced coffee creations!
Making the Cold Brew
(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)
What You Will Need
- 2 mason jars (or two large pitchers or containers)
- A fine-mesh sieve
- Coffee grounds
- Coffee filters or cheesecloth
Choosing Your Coffee
While you can certainly splurge and go for a higher quality coffee, we have found that cheap coffee such as Maxwell House or Folgers works perfectly fine for this recipe.
Because the grounds soak for so long in the water, they cut nearly all of the bitterness you usually find in cheap coffee and makes it unbelievably smooth and rich in flavor.
Best Type of Grind
Coarsely-ground coffee works best for cold brew. You can buy beans coarsely ground or grind your own on the coarse setting using your own grinder or a grocery store grinder.
We recommend grinding your own beans for the freshest coffee flavor, however, it certainly doesn’t make or break your cold brew!
Ways to Enjoy Coffee
- Black over ice
- Mixed with half and half or heavy cream
- With a few splashes of your favorite creamer
- Mixed with coffee syrups + cream
This coffee recipe is seriously so unbelievably spot-on identical to the stuff you buy at coffee shops, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making it at home sooner!
Perfectly smooth, an incredibly rich coffee flavor, and a blank canvas for any iced coffee creation you can dream up.
Make more of this cold brew than you think you’ll drink in a week cause I guarantee you’ll drink most of it within a few days!
Coffee pairs well with….more coffee! Try these treats alongside a cup. ♥
Watch this cold brew coffee made step-by-step on Google web stories!
Overnight Cold-Brew Coffee
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1-1/3 cups coffee grounds**
- 4 cups cold water
- Creamer, milk, and ice for serving
Instructions
- Place coffee grounds in the bottom of a 2-quart mason jar or pitcher. Pour cold water on top and use a spoon to stir to completely combine. Screw lid on top of jar or cover with plastic wrap and chill cold brew overnight or at least 12 hours.
- Set a cheesecloth or coffee filter over a fine-mesh sieve and place sieve over an empty 1-quart mason jar or pitcher. Pour cold brew coffee through strainer, a little bit at a time until all the cold brew coffee is strained. Discard grounds.
- Serve cold brew with creamer/milk, and ice or store in refrigerator up to a week. Enjoy!
Gayle says
So does this make espresso strength coffee? or regular strength? How would you serve it? Straight from the jar or one part coffee and add one or more parts water? I like strong and flavorful coffee, but I usually don’t drink straight espresso.
Sarah says
This cold-brew coffee is about the strength of espresso, but because of the long overnight brew time it’s extremely smooth and non-bitter which makes it great for drinking straight on its own if you like strong coffee. If you like cream or milk in your coffee, I’d recommend just adding that to taste. 🙂
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
I’ve been loving making my own cold-brew coffee lately! Super simple and so much cheaper! 🙂
Jessica says
This is surely a keeper recipe for us coffee lovers! I was brewing mine all night and when I left my room at dawn to go get some water, I saw it on the counter and couldn’t help myself. Trust me, I grabbed it on the spot and couldn’t help downing it just right there! I must admit that it is delicious and I’m sure I won’t be spending outside anymore!
Amy says
Great recipe with clear instructions!
Jamie says
This recipe is much simpler compared to others. I love making my own coffee and surely will keep this recipe for future use.
Erik says
Can’t wait to give it a try. I like to take cold brew camping. It’s so concentrated that you can even add hot water and a little campfire heat to quickly turn it into a regular coffee.
Erik says
Can’t wait to try it. I like to take cold brew camping. It’s so concentrated, you can even add hot water and a little campfire heat to turn it into a regular coffee.
Robert Donald says
HI!!
Thanks for this wonderful article, Its quite interesting and mouth-watering for the coffee lovers. Great to be here
Russell Volz says
Here’s two quick thoughts about cold brew.
Cold brew is well known for making super smooth (non-bitter) and naturally sweet coffee. It helps if you start out with beans that are grown to be super smooth. Additionally, the beans shouldn’t be over roasted. If the beans are burnt, there’s little sense in brewing via cold brew.
The best way to find super smooth tasting beans is to just search the internet for “Smoothest Coffee Beans”. There are a number of good choices there.
Sarah says
Thanks for the info, Russell! I’m always curious to know more about the process of coffee beans. 🙂
Sarah says
Can you skip the water and just use 4 cups milk?
Sarah says
Hi Sarah – I would recommend using water for cold brewing. You can add milk to individual servings afterwards!
Sarah says
Hello fellow Sarah—
I see(´・ω・)
I just don’t like watering down my latte…
Thanks for the info!
Gar says
But lattes are just coffee and frothed milk?? They are by nature “watered down” by your own definition. Adding milk afterwards will still leave you with a product that’s stronger than a latte
Cynthia Crawley says
Hi, These delightful coffee recipes are really making me buzz still! Great tips for all coffee addicts (like me). I love to read every blog related to coffee. So, your ideas are very creative and useful. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
https://kitchensty.com/
SUNETTE de MEYER says
1-1/3 cups coffee grounds** IS THIS 1 AND 1/3 CUP OF GROUNDS?
Sarah says
Yes, that is correct!