How is cold brew coffee made at home, and where do the beans come from?

Cold brew means steeping ground coffee in room-temperature or ice water for about 12 hours, then filtering out the grounds. Front Street recommends a 1:13 coffee-to-water ratio, so 40 grams of grounds to 520 grams of ice water, stirred well and left in the refrigerator overnight. Low-temperature extraction produces far fewer bitter compounds than hot water.

The longer soak draws out small-molecule floral and fruity notes, giving a smoother, sweeter cup. Beans suggested for cold brew include Honduras Sherry, Lychee Orchid, and Yirgacheffe. Looking at coffee from other countries helps here: origin and processing shape how a bean performs in cold water, so a light, fruity lot reads differently from a darker, nuttier one.

Want to easily make a smooth, rich cold brew coffee at home? This article will walk you through the definition and characteristics of cold brew coffee, and share in detail Front Street Coffee's coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, steeping time, and filtering and storage methods. It also covers the origin story of cold brew coffee and recommended beans suitable for making it, including Honduras Sherry, Lychee Orchid, Yirgacheffe, and more. Whether you find pour-over too much hassle or want to try a less bitter iced coffee, this guide can help you get it right the first time.

What Is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is called Cold Brew Coffee in English, and some people also call it cold water brew, ice brew, or cold steeped coffee. The specific method is to pour ground coffee into room-temperature water, steep and extract for about 12 hours, then filter out the coffee grounds, and the remaining liquid is cold brew coffee.

Cold brew coffee is popular with many people mainly because it requires almost no skill to make—you don't need to worry about pouring technique or water temperature. For those who find pour-over too troublesome and just want to enjoy a cup of coffee easily, cold brew is practically a lifesaver. One bottle, one portion of coffee grounds, one night—and the next morning you can drink a full-bodied, rich iced coffee.

Unlike pour-over, which uses hot water for high-temperature extraction, low-temperature extraction produces far fewer bitter compounds. By extending the extraction time and letting the coffee grounds fully soak, it's easier to extract small-molecule flavor compounds like floral and fruity notes. Coffee obtained through immersion extraction tastes smoother and richer, with ample aroma and a sweetness that's easier to perceive.

In Front Street's view, cold brew has almost no drawbacks—the only issue is that it takes a relatively long time to make. So we suggest starting the steep before bed, and when you get up the next day you can directly enjoy a great cup of iced coffee.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee?

Front Street recommends using a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:13 for cold brew—for example, 40 grams of coffee grounds with 520 grams of ice water (note: don't pour in the ice cubes as well) for extraction.

After pouring in the ice water, stir thoroughly with a stirring stick or spoon, then put it in the refrigerator to steep for 12 to 24 hours. Once extraction is complete, filter out the coffee grounds with filter paper or a fine mesh strainer, and it's ready to drink.

Pay special attention: the coffee grounds used for cold brew steeping must not be ground too fine. It's recommended to control the grind size so that about 80% to 85% passes through a 0.85 mm standard sieve. Although low-temperature extraction can reduce bitter compounds, it doesn't mean absolutely no bitterness will emerge.

If ground too fine, the acidic and sweet substances in the coffee grounds will be extracted quickly, followed by the body-giving compounds. An appropriate amount of body-giving compounds can enhance the coffee's richness, but once the steeping time is too long, woody flavors begin to appear, reducing the overall cleanliness of the cup.

In addition, if the grounds are too fine, during extraction—since there's no hot-molecule movement—the coffee particles tend to clump together, causing uneven extraction. So using coffee grounds with the consistency of fine granulated sugar is more suitable for cold brew.

How Front Street Makes Cold Brew Coffee

1. Prepare 40 grams of coffee grounds with the consistency of fine granulated sugar, at a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:13;

2. Find a clean, oil-free airtight container with a capacity of at least 600 ml;

3. Once everything is ready, add 520 grams of ice water, stir evenly so the coffee grounds fully contact the water, then seal and let it sit in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours;

4. When the time is up, take it out, filter out all the coffee grounds from the pitcher, and it's ready to enjoy or store.

5. Storage time for cold brew coffee: In a sealed state, Front Street recommends drinking it within 72 hours after filtering.

In the past, quite a few coffee enthusiasts said that cold brew coffee tastes especially great after being left in the refrigerator for 7 days after extraction. Theoretically, the longer cold brew sits, the stronger the fermented flavor becomes.

But!

When the fermented flavor is too strong, it masks the coffee's own flavors. If you don't particularly like a heavy fermented taste, Front Street doesn't recommend trying it casually. The best time to enjoy cold brew coffee is 2 to 3 days after filtering out the grounds. Also, when drinking, it's suggested to add an appropriate amount of ice cubes—on one hand to keep it cold, and on the other hand, once the coffee is diluted, the layers open up and can present more different flavors. The fermented flavor will be highlighted, and it will also become stronger after warming up, while the icy texture makes it even more enjoyable to drink.

The Origin of Cold Brew Coffee

Many people may know cold brew coffee because of Starbucks, but cold brew was not invented by Starbucks—however, Starbucks did indeed popularize cold brew coffee and got more people to fall in love with it.

It's said that cold brew coffee was first invented by the Dutch. In the 1600s, sailors at sea couldn't drink hot coffee, so they could only soak coffee grounds in cold water, and it turned out to taste pretty good. According to Front Street's understanding, cold brew coffee was very popular in Western countries, especially by the mid-19th century, when cold brew coffee spread around the world—from England to Japan and then to the United States, all kinds of cold brew espresso emerged, and it was especially popular in the military.

By the 1960s, Todd Simpson drank local cold brew coffee while traveling in Peru and became hooked on it. Shortly afterward, he designed and released the now world-famous Toddy Cold Brewing System. Starbucks used the Toddy Cold Brewing System to bring cold brew coffee to the whole world.

Recommended Coffee Beans Suitable for Cold Brew

Front Street Coffee: Honduras Sherry Coffee Beans Country: Honduras

Region: Marcala

Farm: Moca Farm

Altitude: 1500-1700m

Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas

Processing Method: Refined washed whisky sherry barrel fermentation

Flavor: Fermented wine aroma, cream, vanilla

Front Street Coffee: Honduras Lychee Orchid Coffee Beans

Region: Marcala

Farm: Moca Farm

Altitude: 1500-1700m

Variety: Caturra, Catuai

Processing Method: Refined washed and brandy barrel processed

Flavor: Lychee, brandy, dark chocolate, cream

Front Street Coffee: Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1800-2000 meters

Processing Method: Washed

Variety: Local heirloom

Flavor: Berry, citrus, lemon

Front Street Coffee: Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Processing Station: Aricha

Altitude: 2300 meters

Variety: Local heirloom

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Berry, lemon, strawberry, fermented wine aroma

Front Street Coffee: Panama Butterfly Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete, Panama

Variety: 70% Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

Altitude: 1600-1650m

Processing: Washed

Flavor: Tea-like, citrus, white floral

Choosing coffee beans is based on personal preference—there are no strict requirements for which beans to use, as long as you like them. However, because bitter/body-giving compounds in coffee beans are not easily released under low-temperature extraction, Front Street Coffee recommends using coffee beans with a sweet-and-sour profile～

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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