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International

Cold brew coffee

Vegetarian

Coarse coffee steeped in cold water for 12–18 hours to make a smooth, low-acid concentrate (1:8), then diluted with water or milk over ice.

Cold brew coffee is an International cold drink, ready in about 12 hours 10 minutes and made with finely ground coffee. It serves 5 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Close-up of cold brew coffee with cream swirling in a mason jar. Perfect for beverage themes.
Photo: Kate Amos / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
12 h
Total
12 h 10 min
Serves
5
Level
Beginner
Calories
4

Steep 12–18 hours in the fridge.

Ingredients

5 glasses

Concentrate

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the coarse coffee in a large jar or jug, pour over the 800 ml cold water and stir until there are no dry clumps.

  2. Step 2

    Cover and refrigerate for 12–18 hours. Less time is lighter; longer than about 20 hours turns woody and bitter.

    • Step 3

      Strain through a fine sieve lined with a paper filter or thin cloth. Let it drip — squeezing pushes bitter sediment through.

      Liquid being strained through a sieve
      How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

    • Step 4

      To serve, fill a glass with ice, add 120 ml concentrate and 120 ml cold water or milk. Stir in condensed milk (opens in a new tab) if you like it sweet.

      • 1 min

    About this dish

    Origin
    Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainCold-steeped coffee has a long history in several places; the bottled café 'cold brew' trend is modern.Also popular in United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan
    Dish
    Breakfast · Snack · Cold drinks
    Cooking method
    No-cook
    Taste
    bitter, rich, refreshing, nutty
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
    Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, Dairy-free, No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Finely ground coffee

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom sweetened condensed milk

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    4 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 381 g · recipe makes 5

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 10%
    • Carbohydrate 90%
    • Fat 0%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy4 kcal1 kcal
    Protein0.1 g0 g
    Carbohydrate0.9 g0.2 g
    Net carbohydrate0.9 g0.2 g
    Sugars0 g0 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat0 g0 g
    Saturated fat0 g0 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium8 mg2 mg
    Salt equivalent0 g0 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    42 mg
    Calcium
    40 mg
    Iron
    0.1 mg
    Magnesium
    12 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    0 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    0 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sweetened condensed milk.
    • Finely ground coffee: Instant coffee powder used as a stand-in for the soluble part of roasted ground coffee; list the grams actually consumed with consumedGrams.
    • Ice: Frozen water; same composition as water.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Steeping in the fridge rather than at room temperature keeps it fresher and safer.

    Common mistakes

    • Using fine grounds, which over-extract and make the concentrate muddy and hard to strain.

    Food safety

    • Make and store cold brew in the fridge; discard if it smells sour or shows any film.

    Storage

    • Keep the concentrate in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.

    Variations

    • Hot from concentrate: Dilute 1:1 with just-boiled water for a smooth hot cup.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    Accompaniments

    To serve

    Used in steps 1, 4

    Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

    Customise in Sip & Blend

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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