On a hot summer day, a glass of refreshing cold brew coffee has become a favorite for many coffee lovers. Compared to buying it at a coffee shop, making cold brew at home is actually not complicated—you just need to master the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, and steeping time to easily make a cup of iced coffee with a clean flavor and balanced taste. So what beans should you choose for cold brew coffee? How long is the ideal steeping time? How many days can it be stored after making? Based on the hands-on experience of Front Street Coffee, this article will share in detail the method for making cold brew coffee, recommended bean list, and the correct ways to drink and store it, helping you achieve cold brew freedom this summer.

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

As the weather gradually heats up, many friends are starting to make all kinds of iced coffee, and cold brew coffee has become the top choice for many due to its simple operation and easy home brewing. So does making cold brew coffee require specially selected coffee beans?

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

The barrier to making cold brew coffee is actually very low. Taking Front Street Coffee's method as an example, based on 50 grams of coffee grounds, control the grind size to about 85% passing rate through a No. 20 standard sieve. Put the coffee grounds into a glass container, then pour in 400 milliliters of room-temperature water and 200 grams of hard ice cubes (ice and water totaling 600 grams), giving a coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:12. Use a stirring rod to mix the coffee grounds and water thoroughly, seal it, and place it in the refrigerator.

After letting it sit in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, separate the coffee grounds with filter paper to obtain a clear coffee liquid. Then pour the coffee liquid into a clean sealed bottle and continue refrigerating for about 4 hours for better flavor—this is the most suitable time to drink it.

What Coffee Beans Are Suitable for Cold Brew Coffee?

The finished cold brew coffee liquid is not as transparent as ice drip coffee, and a thin layer of oil often floats on the surface, with a taste leaning toward rich and balanced. Therefore, it is recommended to choose medium-light roasted coffee beans, which more easily bring out the refreshing and clean characteristics of cold brew.

① Front Street Panama Butterfly. This washed-process coffee bean contains 70% Geisha components, offering outstanding value for money. Used for cold brew coffee, it presents clean and fresh floral notes, citrus, and oolong tea tones.

② Front Street Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project. Yirgacheffe is a representative producing region for African coffee beans, winning countless fans with its intense floral and fruity flavors. The Red Cherry Project stands out in quality among natural Ethiopian beans and is also very suitable for making cold brew. After making cold brew, the sweet berry aroma, layered complexity, and honey-like flavors are very distinct.

③ Front Street Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart. The Musician Series has always been known for its high flavor recognition. Mozart uses anaerobic honey processing, carrying the enchanting notes of osmanthus, grapes, and fermented wine aroma. It performs exceptionally well when used to make iced coffee, with both flavor and mouthfeel.

The Correct Way to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Front Street recommends making cold brew coffee in a low-temperature refrigerator environment. Especially in the south, summer room temperatures tend to be high, and if steeped at room temperature, the extraction time is difficult to control precisely.

Suggested parameters for making cold brew coffee: coffee-to-water ratio 1:10, grind size at 75% passing rate through China standard No. 20 sieve (aperture 0.85mm), steeped in ice water. Taking Front Street's method as an example, take 50 grams of coffee grounds, add 400 milliliters of filtered water and 100 grams of ice cubes, stir evenly, seal the bottle, and place it in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. Low-temperature extraction for 8 to 12 hours is sufficient; it is not recommended to exceed 16 hours, otherwise over-extraction easily produces off-flavors. After steeping is complete, filter out the coffee grounds with a filtering device.

The Correct Way to Drink Cold Brew Coffee

Front Street recommends continuing to refrigerate the extracted cold brew coffee for 2 to 3 hours before drinking. This is because during the overnight standing process, the coffee liquid undergoes full mellowing, and the flavor performance reaches an even higher level.

Shelf Life of Cold Brew Coffee

After filtering, cold brew coffee can be stored sealed and refrigerated for 5 days. Although the longer it sits, the more mellow the flavor becomes, the refrigerator environment itself is rather "complex"—especially household refrigerators—and it is difficult to completely prevent bacterial intrusion. Moreover, each time you take some out, air enters the bottle. For health considerations, Front Street does not recommend drinking it after storing it for a week or even a month.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.